Lawmakers Introduce Student Outcomes Bill
BU IN DC
Robert Stern of the School of Medicine testified at a Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee hearing on athlete safety on May 17.
Tyler Perrachione of Sargent College met with Congressional staff and exhibited a poster on his research as part of the Coalition for National Science Funding’s annual exhibition and Capitol Hill visits day on May 16.
Eugene Declercq of the School of Public Health spoke about maternal and children’s health at the March for Moms on May 14.
David Dano of the School of Dental Medicine met with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Capitol Hill staff to discuss the oral health needs of Holocaust survivors on April 24 and 25.
LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE STUDENT OUTCOMES BILL
This week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), introduced the College Transparency Act of 2017 (S. 1121/H.R. 2434). Under the measure, colleges and federal agencies would send data about students and how they fare after graduation to a new privacy-protected system under the auspices of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the U.S. Department of Education. The NCES would then present the data to families, policymakers, and researchers in a user-friendly manner that allows them to compare colleges. Previous efforts to create a student unit record system have been opposed by the current chairs of the education committees in both chambers of Congress, so it is unclear whether the bill will move forward.
HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE DISCUSSES NIH FUNDING
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee which funds the National Institutes of Health (NIH) pledged to protect the agency’s budget during a Wednesday hearing featuring NIH Director Francis Collins. In response to questions from members of the subcommittee, Collins explained NIH’s evolving Grant Support Index proposal as a means to better support junior researchers. He also affirmed the importance of adequate Facilities and Administrative cost reimbursement for the agency’s extramural research partners. Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA) touted the Framingham Heart Study at Boston University as an example of the value of steady NIH funding, and lawmakers asked Collins about the status of research on topics such as opioid abuse, infectious disease, and suicide.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) will host its biennial Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO on July 20 and 21 in Washington, D.C. Attendees will be able to meet with senior ONR leadership and program managers, as well as hear about the Navy’s research priorities. This is an excellent opportunity for investigators to learn how to engage with ONR in order to maximize their chances of success when submitting grant proposals. Registration is open between now and July 18.