News
President’s Budget; NIJ; Geospatial Symposium
BU IN DC
Molly Heald (SSW'26) of the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health attended the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy's Social Work Day on the Hill and Student Advocacy Day on March 25th and 26th.
TRUMP'S PROPOSED BUDGET SUPPORTS PELL GRANTS, CUTS RESEARCH FUNDING
On Friday, the White House released the President's Budget Request to Congress for fiscal year 2027. For the second consecutive year, President Donald J. Trump is recommending reductions in funding for scientific research and student aid, despite lawmakers rejecting similar cuts last year. The Request asks Congress to make these funding changes:
- National Institutes of Health: 12% cut and the elimination of the National Institute on Minority Health and Disparities, the Fogarty International Center, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
- National Science Foundation: 54% cut and the elimination of the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate.
- Pell Grant: Maintain the maximum Pell Grant award at $7,395.
- Federal Work-Study: 90% cut.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration Science Mission Directorate: 46% cut.
- Department of Energy: 15% cut.
- Institute of Education Sciences: 67% cut.
- National Endowments for the Humanities and Arts: Closing the agencies.
Congress will respond to the President's Budget Request with its own spending bills this summer.
Read the budget proposal
GRANT NEWS YOU CAN USE
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) released three funding opportunities, the first solicitations posted by the office since January 2025. The agency requests proposals related to Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women; Research on the Abuse, Neglect, and Financial Exploitation of Older Adults; and the Graduate Research Fellowship. Letters of intent are encouraged for some of the opportunities, and all have May deadlines. More NIJ funding notices are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
Join BU colleagues at the University's first Geospatial Data & Technologies Symposium on April 22nd between 12 and 4 p.m. at the Wightman Mansion at 43 Hawes Street. This event is for anyone at BU who uses geospatial data and technologies in their work or is interested in learning more about how geospatial data and technology are applied at BU. Panel discussions, poster sessions, presentations, and discussion groups will facilitate the exchange of ideas about geospatial use at BU and create a community of practice in this space.
A Note To Our Readers:Beltway BUzz will temporarily pause publication and resume later this month. Be sure to visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn.
BU’s Initiative on Cities Latest Menino Survey of Mayors Focuses on Housing Affordability Crisis
Survey finds more mayors understand the problem, but roadblocks to change remain.
Two Boston University Researchers Elected AAAS Fellows
Prestigious honor given to neuroscientist who studies diseases of aging and physicist whose work spans medicine to AI.
Campus Espionage; PCAST; DARPA Biological Technologies
BU IN DC
Maxwell Palmer and Thomas Larsen ('26) of the College of Arts & Sciences discussed the importance of federal investment in social science research with Congressional offices as part of the Consortium of Social Science Associations 2026 Advocacy Day on March 24th.
Catherine Fazio of the Questrom School of Business spoke at the Mpact Conference on Understanding Regional Opportunities and Partnerships to Drive American Competitiveness on March 25th. Kathleen Shannon of the College of Arts & Sciences attended the conference.
Danielle Mulligan of the Initiative on Cities attended the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy's Federal Policy Retreat between March 22nd and March 25th.
HOUSE COMMITTEE PRESSES ON RESEARCH SECURITY CONCERNS
The House Education and the Workforce Committee held a hearing on Thursday titled "U.S. Universities Under Siege: Foreign Espionage, Stolen Innovation, and the National Security Threat." Witnesses from the University of Michigan and University of Florida detailed their policies to promote research security, and a Stanford University student described her experience being "personally targeted by a suspected agent of the Chinese Communist Party while conducting research." Committee Republicans advocated for the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, which would add to the existing foreign gift disclosures required of colleges. Democrats warned against discrimination based on country of origin and called attention to the impact of Department of Education staffing reductions on student loan servicing and civil rights oversight.
BUZZ BITS...
- On Thursday, President Donald J. Trump announced his appointees to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The appointees include Michael Dell of Dell Technologies, Larry Ellison and Safra Catz of Oracle, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, and John Martinis of the University of California, Santa Barbara. The body is cochaired by White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Michael Kratsios.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Jared Isaacman announced several National Space Policy initiatives on Tuesday, including building a base on the moon, maintaining American presence in low Earth orbit, and reaffirming existing and planned science missions. Along with the announcement, NASA will seek feedback from commercial and academic partners on its space science plans.
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing on Thursday titled "Don't Fumble Their Future: Positioning Student-Athletes for Success in School and Beyond." Witnesses representing colleges and student athletes expressed concerns about the current model of college athletics, but disagreed on issues such as athlete compensation and Name, Image, and Likeness rights.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
A recording is now available from the “DARPA Biological Technologies Office: Insights from Director Michael Koeris” webinar hosted by the Office of Research and Federal Relations earlier this month. Dr. Koeris provided an overview of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), its research priorities in the Biological Technologies Office, and best practices for sharing research ideas with DARPA program managers. The BU Federal Relations team is available to work with investigators who would like to discuss strategies for partnering with DARPA.
A Note To Our Readers: Due to the Congressional District Work Period, Beltway BUzz will temporarily pause publication. Be sure to visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn
Boston University: A History of Invention and Innovation
To mark the 150th anniversary of BU faculty member Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone, here are some other notable society-changing ideas and products to emerge from BU.
Including People with Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities in Research That Affects Them
Boston University epidemiologist Eric Rubenstein on why lived experience belongs in the research lab.
WHO Joins Forces with BU Center on Forced Displacement to Help Vulnerable Populations at Risk of Antimicrobial Resistance
Collaboration will study link between environmental pollution and drug-resistant infections among refugees and asylum seekers.
New Provost, Convergent Research, Rude Customers
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
BU Names New Provost, a Renowned Scholar and Scientist from Duke
Colin Duckett, who assumes the role July 1, says he was drawn to BU by President Melissa Gilliam’s “ambitious vision.”
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
BU Task Force on Convergence Outlines New Strategy to Boost the Impact of the University’s Research
The report identifies eight major convergent research themes such as health across the lifespan and artificial intelligence and data science and computing, where existing BU strengths can develop into national leadership.
FACULTY EXPERT
How to Deal with Rude Customers
Professor Sunny Kim finds that when hospitality workers cope with disrespectful customers by sabotaging service, the stress can follow them home and interfere with sleep.
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
Rena Conti of the BU Questrom School of Business weighs in on the market dynamics that lead to price drops for GLP-1 drugs with The Washington Post... Jonathan Levy of the BU School of Public Health details the health impacts of burning oil in the Middle East for The New York Times... BU economist James Feigenbaum talks to The Washington Post about his research on how labor markets adapt to automation and what it may mean for AI... PBS Frontline interviews Nahid Bhadelia of the BU Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, who emphasizes the importance of connecting with disenfranchised communities during infectious disease outbreaks... BU Federal Relations is pleased to welcome Jourdan Ewoldt as our new Associate Director for Research Collaborations.
NIH Director; SBIR; Antisemitism Report
BU IN DC
Dean Adnan A. Hyder and a team of faculty and staff from the School of Public Health attended the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health’s annual meeting from March 18th to 20th.
Kevin Outterson of CARB-X met with Congressional offices and Department of Health and Human Services officials to discuss antimicrobial resistance on March 16th.
Helen Tager-Flusberg of the College of Arts & Sciences co-led an Independent Autism Coordinating Committee meeting on March 19th.
Senior Vice President for University Relations Kamrhan Farwell and Vice Presidents Amy Hook and Kristen Smarr participated in the Association of American Universities Public Affairs Network Annual Meeting from March 15th to March 17th.
HOUSE COMMITTEE QUESTIONS NIH DIRECTOR ON AWARD AVAILABILITY, PERSONNEL
On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing featuring National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya. Bhattacharya assured Members of Congress that NIH would spend the funds appropriated by lawmakers, following reports that the White House lifted its pause on agency spending. The Director also shared that he is currently interviewing candidates to fill 16 vacant institute and center director positions and that NIH is hiring new employees to fill some of the openings caused by last year's 22% staff reduction. He also discussed his idea for directing more NIH funds to institutions located in the middle of the country by separating the agency's facilities support from research support, enabling universities to entice researchers to conduct their science in a new location.
CONGRESS APPROVES SBIR RENEWAL
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (S. 3971) by a vote of 345 to 41 on Tuesday. The legislation renews the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which provide funding to small businesses to commercialize research, through September 30, 2031. Federal agencies have not issued SBIR or STTR awards since the programs expired in the fall of 2025. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the bill, coauthored by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), earlier this month. The President is expected to sign the measure soon, paving the way for SBIR and STTR activities to resume.
BUZZ BITS...
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is requesting community feedback on its strategic plan for fiscal years 2027 to 2031. The NIH will host a webinar on Wednesday, April 8th at 2:30pm to gather input from the research community, stakeholders, and the public on the framework that will inform the development of the strategic plan.
- On Monday, the House Education and the Workforce Committee issued a Republican staff report entitled “How Campuses Become Hotbeds: The Rise of Radical Antisemitism on College Campuses.” The document recommends that colleges prohibit masking at campus protests, scan job applicants' social media presence for evidence of antisemitism, and exercise greater control over campuses abroad.
- The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party held a hearing titled "From the Science Lab to the Medicine Cabinet: How China is Cornering the Market on Our Medicines" on Wednesday. The hearing focused on ways to streamline clinical trials and the benefits of diversifying and on-shoring the production and manufacturing of key materials and pharmaceutical ingredients to ensure medical supply chain resiliency.
A Note To Our Readers: Dr. Jourdan Ewoldt has joined the BU Federal Relations team as our new Associate Director of Research Collaborations. We are pleased to welcome her to BU!