MA Research Universities; IES Director; Language & Culture
BU IN DC
Joyce Wong of the College of Engineering addressed the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Annual Event on March 24th and 25th. Wong is the president of AIMBE.
Deborah Carr of the Center for Innovation in the Social Sciences addressed a National Institute of Aging workshop on the Impacts of Extreme Weather Conditions and Disasters on Older Adult Health on March 26th. She served on the workshop steering committee.
Heather Schoenfeld and student Meghann Lucy of the College of Arts & Sciences advocated for federal investments in social and behavioral science during the Consortium of Social Science Associations Advocacy Day on April 8th and 9th.
Sarah Bagley of the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine testified before the Senate Finance Committee on opportunities to improve substance use disorder care on April 9th.
Leslie Dietiker of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development discussed investments in education research with federal officials during a meeting of the LEARN Coalition on April 10th.
Joan Donovan and Michelle Amazeen of the College of Communication addressed a National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine workshop on “Evolving Technological, Legal and Social Solutions to Counter Disinformation in Social Media” on April 10th and 11th. Donovan co-chaired the workshop planning committee.
MA RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES ADVOCATE FOR STUDENTS, SCIENCE
In a memorandum sent to the Massachusetts Congressional delegation earlier this month, BU, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Tufts University urged lawmakers to invest in student aid and research. The memo shared the institutions’ joint federal budget priorities, which include funding for Pell Grants, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among others. In particular, the schools implored elected officials to reverse the harmful cuts to the NSF and to continue prioritizing college access programs such as the Pell Grant and Federal Work Study as Congress kicks off the appropriations cycle for fiscal year 2025.
BUZZ BITS…
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that Dr. Kathleen Neuzil has been named director of the Fogarty International Center and NIH associate director for international research. Neuzil currently leads a center on vaccine development and global health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. She is expected to replace Acting Director Peter Kilmarx in May 2024.
- Dr. Matthew Soldner is now serving as acting director of the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. He replaced Mark Schneider, whose five-year term expired. Until a nominee for IES Director is named by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Soldner will also continue as the agency’s Chief Evaluation Officer, a role he has held since 2018.
- Cyndee Landrum was appointed acting director of the Institute for Museum and Library Services while the agency waits for a nominee to be named by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Landrum has been deputy director of the agency’s Office of Library Services since 2019. She replaces Crosby Kemper, whose five-year term expired in March.
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
An “Overview of Federal Funding Opportunities for Foreign Languages and Culture Initiatives” written by Lewis-Burke Associates is now available on the Federal Relations website. The document provides a select catalog of funding opportunities for foreign languages and culture initiatives offered by federal agencies. It covers programs that aim to foster cultural understanding and global cooperation by supporting language learning and exchange initiatives between the United States and international educational and research communities.