Congress Considers Research Relief
BU IN DC
On Tuesday, President Donald J. Trump nominated alumnus Michael Rigas (CAS ’94, GRS ’94) to be deputy director for management at the White House Office of Management and Budget.
CONGRESS CONSIDERS RESEARCH RELIEF
While Congress has yet to advance a new coronavirus relief bill, two Congressional committees have recently drawn attention to the pandemic’s impact on the conduct of research and the careers of the next generation of scientists. On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee approved the Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act, a bill that authorizes robust funding for scientific research in order to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Senator Edward Markey (D-MA). The Senate activity follows a hearing last week of the House Subcommittee on Research and Technology to examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on university research. Witnesses urged Congress to help universities recover from pandemic-related research delays and support graduate students and postdoctoral associates.
BUZZ BITS…
- The U.S. Department of Defense announced that Dr. Victoria Coleman will be the next director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Dr. Coleman is a computer scientist who has worked in both academia and industry.
- The U.S. Department of Education issued final rules governing free speech on college campuses. The regulations will require private colleges to abide by their stated freedom of speech policies as a condition of receiving grants from the U.S. Department of Education.
- Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) survived a challenge from Rep. Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA) in the Democratic primary on September 1, and is expected to easily win reelection in November. Democrat Jake Auchincloss narrowly won a crowded primary in the race to fill Kennedy’s vacant seat and is expected to represent the Fenway Campus in the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
Join BU Technology Development and BU ARROWS on September 24th at 12:00 pm to examine the barriers women face in innovation and the patent system. The event will feature a keynote from Laura Peter, Deputy Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A panel discussion on how to mitigate the “leaky pipeline” to inventorship, address gender parity in patenting, and identify resources for female innovators will follow.