Apply for the AIBS & SURA Public Policy Fellowship
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) and the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA) are jointly offering a paid Public Policy Fellowship in the spring-summer of 2026 for current and recent graduate students in the life sciences or a closely related field.
This unique training opportunity provides young scientists with valuable first-hand experience in science policy. The Fellow will have the opportunity to work on a range of science policy projects that could include planning a Capitol Hill science policy briefing, preparing science policy documents, conducting research on science and science education policy initiatives, and attending Congressional and executive branch meetings. The Fellow will work closely with AIBS and SURA policy staff to gain practical experience with science policy and advocacy efforts that inform federal decision-making.
Applicant must be a current graduate (M.S. or Ph.D.) student or within two years of completing a graduate degree in the life sciences or a closely related field, who has a strong interest in science policy. The Fellow will have the option to choose between a 10-week remote or a month-long in-person engagement in the spring-summer of 2026. The Fellow will receive a stipend, contingent on active participation, of a minimum of $3,000 for remote participation and a maximum of $6,000 for in-person participation.
Applications are due no later than 05:00 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. Learn more about the opportunity and how to apply: https://io.aibs.org/policy-fellow
Panel Votes to Roll Back Hepatitis B Vaccine Guidance
An influential vaccine advisory panel, reconstituted earlier this year by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with several vaccine skeptics, voted to rescind the long-standing recommendation that all newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth.
For infants whose mothers test negative for the virus, vaccination decisions would now be made individually, with the first dose delayed until at least two months of age. The birth dose would remain recommended for babies born to mothers who test positive or whose infection status is unknown.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) vote followed contentious debate, with several members questioning vaccine safety despite decades of evidence demonstrating its effectiveness and low risk. Other advisers, public health experts, and former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky cautioned that the change lacks scientific justification and could increase preventable hepatitis B infections. Universal newborn vaccination, in place since 1991, has reduced infections in people under 19 by 99 percent.
The decision has also drawn political scrutiny. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a physician and chair of the Senate health committee, sharply criticized HHS under Kennedy, saying the department "has a prejudice against science." He underscored that the birth dose drove annual perinatal hepatitis B infections down from roughly 20,000 to just 20 and warned that reversing course risks erasing decades of progress. Other Republican physicians expressed mixed views: Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) questioned administering the vaccine on day one, while Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) argued the shot should not be recommended for newborns at all.
The vote comes amid broader turmoil at the CDC. Earlier this year, Kennedy dismissed all 17 ACIP members and fired the agency's acting director after she resisted political pressure to modify vaccine guidance. The panel's recommendation now awaits review by the CDC Director before it can become agency policy.
Senators Grill Isaacman on Future of NASA's Earth Science Programs
At a recent confirmation hearing for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator nominee Jared Isaacman, a bipartisan group of senators urged the White House to preserve NASA's science programs.
Lawmakers criticized the Trump Administration's proposed $6 billion agency cut, including nearly halving the $7 billion science budget, warning that reductions could undermine public data used for agriculture, disaster response, and climate research.
Isaacman called NASA's Earth science program "vitally important" and praised systems such as the Landsat satellites, which monitor droughts, floods, and wildfires. However, he also suggested exploring private sources "that might be able to deliver Earth observation and climate science data at lower cost," aligning with the Administration's broader push to scale back federally funded climate research.
Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest due to Isaacman's ties to Elon Musk and the risk of privatizing climate and weather data, emphasizing the importance of keeping these resources publicly accessible for planning and public safety.
The hearing signaled that Congress is prepared to resist major reductions to NASA's science and climate programs. Isaacman's nomination now appears likely to advance after months of uncertainty, following President Trump's decisions to nominate, rescind, and then renominate him for the leadership role.
Administration Launches Genesis Mission to Accelerate Science with AI
The Trump Administration has launched the "Genesis Mission," a new federal initiative aimed at accelerating scientific discovery and technological innovation through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Established by Executive Order, the effort will be led by the Department of Energy (DOE) and is being compared by Administration officials to the Manhattan Project and the Apollo program in scale.
The centerpiece of the mission is the development of the American Science and Security Platform, an integrated AI system that will leverage federal scientific datasets and DOE supercomputing capabilities to "train scientific foundation models and create AI agents to test new hypotheses, automate research workflows, and accelerate scientific breakthroughs" across multiple disciplines. DOE Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil will direct the mission, with White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Michael Kratsios coordinating interagency participation.
DOE will focus the initiative on advancing discovery science, strengthening national security, and bolstering U.S. energy leadership. The order outlines several near-term milestones, including cataloging federal computing and data resources within 90 days, identifying initial datasets within 120 days, and assessing DOE's capacity for AI-driven experimentation within 240 days. The agency is also tasked with identifying at least 20 science and technology challenges in areas such as advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, quantum information science, and semiconductors. While the initiative does not include new funding, the Administration is directing agencies to develop related funding opportunities, prizes, and workforce programs.
In commentary accompanying the launch, Gil and Stanford University physicist Kathryn Moler emphasized the importance of open-source models, standardized tools, and public-private partnerships to fully realize AI-enabled scientific discovery. Gil also wrote in a letter to the community: "The Genesis Mission will have as a national goal to accelerate the AI and quantum computing revolution and to double the productivity and impact of American science and engineering within a decade (and in half that time across our National Laboratory complex)."
Lawmakers Finalize Defense Policy Bill with Research Security Provisions
Congress has finalized the fiscal year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a 3,000-page package that includes a number of technology and research policy provisions. The House passed the compromise bill with bipartisan support on December 11, and Senate approval is expected shortly.
On research security, negotiators dropped several controversial House and Senate proposals--including the SAFE Research Act and other measures that would have broadly restricted collaborations or grants involving "foreign entities of concern." S.1071 does, however, adopt a revised version of the Senate's BIOSECURE Act, which bars federal agencies from contracting with or awarding grants to biotechnology firms connected to "foreign adversary" nations such as China. The measure no longer names specific Chinese firms; instead, DOD and the Office of Management and Budget will determine which companies qualify, and the industry will have five years to adjust supply chains.
In a win for the research community, the legislation blocks the Department of Defense from modifying indirect cost rates for research institutions until it works with the extramural research community to develop a new model and provide adequate transition time.
A White House-backed provision to block state AI regulations was excluded from the bill. However, President Trump later issued an Executive Order to neuter state AI laws and create one federal regulatory framework. The bill also includes the FY 2026 Intelligence Authorization Act, featuring additional directives on AI, biotechnology, and monitoring foreign technological advancements.
Analyses: NSF and NIH Sustain Funding Levels but Issue Fewer Awards in FY 2025
According to an analysis by Science, although the number of new National Science Foundation (NSF) research grants dropped by about 20% in fiscal year (FY) 2025, the agency increased the size of awards and shifted to more upfront "standard" grants as it prepared for a potential 56% budget cut proposed for 2026.
FY 2025 obligations totaled roughly $8.17 billion--on par with FY 2024--avoiding the feared dip in research support. Research groups remain concerned that fewer awards could undermine goals set by the CHIPS and Science Act, especially as uncertainty over the 2026 budget persists.
A separate analysis by the New York Times found similar patterns at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Both NIH and NSF awarded significantly fewer new competitive grants this year--NIH down 22% and NSF down 25%--after White House budget directives pushed agencies to fully fund more multiyear awards upfront.
Although total spending did not go down, the move concentrated funds into fewer projects, reducing support across biology (-36%), geosciences (-35%), STEM education (-30%), aging (-31%), cancer (-24%), diabetes (-30%), and other disciplines. Fellowship awards also dropped sharply, with NSF graduate research fellowships declining by nearly 30%.
Join NSF for Updates from the BIO Directorate
Please join the National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) for a directorate-wide virtual office hour, which will focus on modifications to the merit review process as well as updates from the NSF BIO leadership team.
This special BIO-wide virtual office hour will take place on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 1:00-3:00 PM Eastern time. Register now.
OSTP Requests Information on Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is seeking public input on potential federal policy updates to "accelerate the American scientific enterprise, enable groundbreaking discoveries, and ensure that scientific progress and technological innovation benefit all Americans."
The Request for Information invites comments from researchers, academic and private institutions, industry, and other stakeholders on priorities "for strengthening the science and technology (S&T) ecosystem to support both the expansion of scientific knowledge and the mechanisms to transition these discoveries into the marketplace."
Responses will help shape future Executive Branch efforts to maintain U.S. S&T leadership. Comments are due by December 26, 2025.
AIBS Joins Call for Evidence Based CDC Guidance
In response to the recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website update implying a possible link between vaccines and autism, AIBS joined the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) and other organizations representing the scientific and medical community in a letter to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) expressing deep concern.
The letter noted that despite swift reaffirmations from leading U.S. and international health authorities that vaccines do not cause autism, the CDC webpage remains online. The groups warned that such misleading federal communication risks worsening already fragile public confidence amid rising vaccine-preventable diseases. They urged CDC to correct the webpage, strengthen internal scientific review of public communications, and ensure evidence-based guidance remains central to federal health messaging.
The letter also calls on the HELP Committee to exercise oversight to "ensure CDC and other federal science agencies uphold their critically important evidence-based communication practices."
AIBS Signs Letter in Support of STEM Education at NSF
AIBS joined 44 other scientific societies and organizations in urging Congress to fund the National Science Foundation (NSF) at the highest level possible in FY 2026 appropriations and direct sustained funding for the STEM Education (EDU) Directorate.
"Activities supported by EDU encourage the retention and success of STEM talent throughout the postsecondary pipeline, including undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral training," the letter argues. "The EDU Directorate also provides funding for initiatives to build the skillsets of higher education leadership to engage future generations of STEM education researchers and the STEM workforce."
Read the letter.
AIBS Joins Letter in Support of FY 2026 Funding for NOAA
AIBS joined other members of Friends of NOAA in a letter to lawmakers urging passage of full fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations and funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at no less than proposed in the Senate bill.
"[We] strongly encourage you to continue to support NOAA at levels for FY 2026 approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee of $6.1 billion, while retaining language that asserts constitutional authority for Congress to direct Agency spending."
The letter further requested oversight regarding recent critical staff shortages and withholding of funds for programs that safeguard lives and property, drive economic prosperity, and advance U.S. scientific leadership.
Read the letter.
Recording Available: Natural History Collections and Repatriation - Beyond NAGPRA
The NSC Alliance, American Institute of Biological Sciences, and Society for the preservation of Natural History Collections organized an information session on December 8 about repatriation and how it relates to natural history collections held at museums, herbaria, and other institutions. A wide array of speakers shared their perspectives on and experiences with repatriation, including cases for voluntary return. The program delved into a zoological and a botanical case study of ethical return. A recording is now available online.
A previous webinar covered repatriation under Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) in the context of natural history collections. The latest webinar focused on repatriation issues outside NAGPRA's scope.
Short Takes
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The National Science Foundation (NSF) Growing Convergence Research (GCR) working group will provide guidance on preparing GCR proposals, address frequently asked questions, and be available to answer any inquiries from participants at upcoming office hours scheduled for December 16 (11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) and January 7 (3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.). Applicants can receive personalized assistance, gain valuable insights, and enhance their understanding of the NSF GCR program.
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Effective January 25, 2026, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will require grant applicants to use the Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support that was developed in response to the NSPM-33 guidance. Staring May 25, NIH will also require grantees to complete research security training as outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
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The Department of Energy has renamed the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) to the National Laboratory of the Rockies. "The energy crisis we face today is unlike the crisis that gave rise to NREL," said Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. "We are no longer picking and choosing energy sources. Our highest priority is to invest in the scientific capabilities that will restore American manufacturing, drive down costs, and help this country meet its soaring energy demand."
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The House passed the PERMIT Act (H.R. 3898), a GOP-led bill that makes broad changes to the Clean Water Act by limiting states' ability to block infrastructure projects, ending protections for ephemeral streams, restricting lawsuits over permits and pollution, and strengthening the Army Corps' permitting authority. Republicans framed the bill as needed permitting reform, while Democrats warned it would weaken water protections and shift pollution costs onto communities. The measure passed 221-205 with a handful of bipartisan crossovers.
- The U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat is soliciting nominations of experts to participate in the next Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) on Synthetic Biology. The deadline for nominations is December 19, 2025.
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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently released a report, Understanding and Addressing Misinformation About Science, that explores proactive, research-based solutions to reduce the spread and impact of misinformation and improve access to reliable scientific information. Since its release, several additional resources have been developed to further highlight key insights and recommendations from the report and illustrate potential pathways forward for different sectors.
