News
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.
See the plan for the future
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.
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!
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 Gilliam’s “ambitious vision”.
Foreign Influence; MA Priorities; College Sports
BU IN DC
Timothy Longman and Tsitsi Musasike of the Pardee School of Global Studies attended an alumni and student reception on March 9th. Musasike and Nick D'India accompanied Pardee graduate students as they spent the week in Washington, DC, learning about careers in the nation's capital.
Kurt Cavender and Cheryl Lai of the BU Center for the Humanities urged policymakers to support humanities research and education during Humanities Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill on March 10th.
Raul Fernandez of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development attended the 2026 Brown's Promise Annual Convening from March 4th to 6th.
MA UNIVERSITIES ADVOCATE FOR RESEARCH, STUDENT AID
Boston University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Tufts University sent a memorandum urging lawmakers to invest in student aid and research as they craft spending bills this year. The annual memo outlines the institutions’ shared federal budget priorities, which include funding for Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study, the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Energy, and National Endowment for the Humanities, among others. The document thanks lawmakers for sustaining student aid and research in fiscal year 2026 and asks them to ensure that "all funds appropriated by Congress are being spent as intended."
SENATE COMMITTEE EXAMINES FOREIGN INFLUENCE AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing on Thursday to examine foreign influence at American universities. Witnesses were in agreement about the importance of striking a balance between welcoming the best and brightest scholars to the United States and protecting national security. Citing research security concerns, Republican Senators called for additional vetting of international scholars -- particularly those from China -- and updates to the federal policy that requires colleges to report gifts from foreign entities. Several Democratic Senators argued that the Trump Administration's proposed cuts to research funding and changes to immigration policies threatened American competitiveness and innovation.
WHITE HOUSE, SENATE FOCUS ON COLLEGE ATHLETICS
The White House and a Senate committee each recently held roundtable discussions on college sports. During a forum with college administrators and former athletic coaches last Friday, President Donald J. Trump said he plans to issue an executive order addressing issues such as name, image, and likeness rights. The President previously issued a "Saving College Sports" executive order in July 2025. On Tuesday, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) also convened a roundtable featuring former college athletes and current university officials. Cassidy is seeking feedback from stakeholders on how Congress can address issues affecting student-athletes, including compensation and benefits, eligibility, and the academic experience. The deadline for submitting comments is April 10th.