House Approves Changes to NSF and Dept. of Energy
BU IN DC
David Bishop of the College of Engineering participated in a National Science Foundation panel on growing convergence research on June 29th.
HOUSE APPROVES CHANGES TO NSF AND DEPT. OF ENERGY
On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of two bills that authorize funding increases for both the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. The NSF for the Future Act (H.R. 2225) was passed by a vote of 346-67 and directs NSF to create a new science and engineering solutions directorate, increases funding for graduate education and creates additional opportunities for scholars at Minority Serving Institutions. BU President Robert A. Brown had urged lawmakers to support the bill, citing its strong commitment to basic research and a diverse scientific workforce. The DOE Science for the Future Act (H.R. 3593) was passed by a vote of 351-68, and would authorize new and existing programs at the Office of Science and DOE national labs. The bills are expected to be part of broader negotiations between both chambers of Congress on a comprehensive research and competitiveness bill that lawmakers hope to send to President Joe Biden by the end of the year.
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LAWMAKERS CONSIDER HIGHER ED TAX BENEFITS
The House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee held a hearing on Tuesday to discuss how the tax code could be improved to increase access to higher education among underrepresented populations. Witnesses encouraged lawmakers to double the amount of the federal Pell Grant, stating that the program has not kept pace with inflation and increasing its value would be the most effective means of assisting low-income students. Other recommendations to broaden access included streamlining existing tax credits so that they better target those in lower tax brackets, ending the taxability of academic scholarships, and strengthening policies that encourage charitable giving, such as repealing the tax on net investment income for certain colleges and universities.
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BUZZ BITS…
- The House Appropriations Committee voted in favor of funding the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) at $201 million in fiscal year 2022,a 20% increase over the previous year’s levels. The U.S. Senate is not expected to release their proposed funding levels until later this summer.
- Earlier this week, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced an interim policy change that permits student athletes to benefit financially from use of their name, image or likeness. Prohibitions for pay-for-play schemes or improper payments tied to attending a particular school remain in effect.
- The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is asking for input from the scientific community on how the federal research enterprise can improve scientific integrity policies. OSTP’s Scientific Integrity Taskforce seeks answers to a series of questions on issues such as promoting trust in science, improving scientific communications, and building a strong federal scientific workforce. Responses are due by July 28th.
- The leaders of the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus held a roundtable on Wednesday to discuss potential racial profiling of federal researchers of Chinese descent. Participants included former U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Randy Katz, Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of California-Berkeley, and scientists who have been the subject of federal investigations related to their ties to China.
A Note To Our Readers: Due to the July 4th Congressional District Work Period, Beltway BUzz will not publish next week.