Meet with Your Lawmakers This Summer and Help Inform Science Policy
The American Institute of Biological Sciences is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2024 Biological Sciences Congressional District Visits event.
Now in its 15th year, this national initiative is an opportunity for biologists across the country to meet with their federal or state elected officials to showcase the people, facilities, and equipment that are required to support and conduct scientific research. This initiative helps to put a face on science and to remind lawmakers that science is happening in their district and state.
The Biological Sciences Congressional District Visits event enables scientists, graduate students, representatives of research facilities, and people affiliated with scientific collections to meet with their federal or state elected officials without traveling to Washington, DC. Participating scientists can meet with their elected officials at the local district office or may invite them to visit their research facility.
"I am grateful for the experience, which has enriched my professional development. I am particularly pleased to think that we started a conversation with Rep. Joyce Beatty's office that will continue in the future. I encourage everyone to reach out beyond their scientific community, which includes explaining your science to your district offices."
- Coralie Farinas, Graduate Student, Ohio State University
AIBS will schedule participants' meetings with lawmakers and will prepare participants through online training and one-on-one support. Meetings will take place mid-July through October, depending on the participant's schedule and their lawmaker's availability. Read the Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
This event is made possible by the American Institute of Biological Sciences, with the support of event sponsors American Society of Primatologists, American Society of Plant Taxonomists, Botanical Society of America, Florida International University Institute of Environment, Natural
Science Collections Alliance, Organization of Biological Field Stations, Society for Preservation of Natural History Collections, and Society for the Study of Evolution.
Registration for participation is free, but required and closes on July 15, 2024. To learn more and register, visit io.aibs.org/cdv.
Farm Bill Advances in the House
The House Committee on Agriculture passed the House version of the 2024 farm bill on a largely party line vote. (For an overview of the bill, see the last edition of the Public Policy Report.)
The bill, as passed by the committee, includes numerous provisions related to agricultural research within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including:
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Reauthorizes the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative to continue as a competitively awarded research grant program through fiscal year (FY) 2029 and adds additional topics to the scope of eligible research.
- Provides $2.5 billion in mandatory funding for a competitively awarded research facilities grant program.
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Creates an Agriculture Innovation Corps to promote technology transfer and increase the economic impact of USDA-funded research. Researchers will be provided with training and possible follow-on grants to support proof of concept development. Seven million in funding is mandated annually through FY 2029.
- Increases the authorization of appropriations for agricultural research at land-grant colleges and universities.
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Mandates $100 million in funding for student scholarships at land-grant colleges and universities.
- Creates an office of Biotechnology Policy to coordinate policies and research activities within USDA and with other federal agencies related to biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and synthetic biology.
- Requires USDA to coordinate research activities with the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation.
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Directs USDA to establish at least 15 Centers of Excellence, which were previously authorized to receive priority for funding. Changed the eligible areas of focus to include aquaculture, biosecurity, biotechnology, invasive species, water quality, and other topics.
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Expands the scope of the High-Priority Research and Extension Initiative grant program by adding research on rangeland, tropical plant health, invasive species, biochar, soil health, microplastics and PFAS impacts on farmland, and wildfire smoke exposure on crops.
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Enhances the International Agricultural Education Fellowship program to promote cultural exchange and immersion programming focused on agricultural sciences, food systems, and food and nutrition education in developing countries.
- Creates an accelerator program for mid-stage agricultural research that involves an international collaboration between the U.S. and Israel.
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Establishes one or more Regional Agroforestry Centers to promote the integration of trees and shrubs into farming systems to improve sustainability.
- Creates an Aquaculture Advisory Committee.
Congress Considers NSF Budget Proposal
The Senate Appropriations Committee recently held a hearing on the fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget proposals for National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The hearing was the first step in the committee's consideration of the budget requests.
The agency's requests "would take steps in the right direction," according to Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chair Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). The Senator, however, raised concerns about NSF's ability to meet the goals set in law in the CHIPS and Science Act, and how under investing will create a challenge in terms of international economic competitiveness.
Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS) said that Congress "did the best we could do with the numbers we had" for FY 2024. The budget allocations were challenging, but the committee and Congress protected pivotal missions. "I am committed to doing that again," he added.
Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director of NSF, testified on behalf of the agency. He told the committee that the 12 percent requested increase is not as generous as it might appear. Due to the 8 percent cut in FY 2024 plus inflation, the agency actually experienced a 10 percent cut. This is in contrast to China's 10 percent increase in basic research funding. Director Panchanathan also highlighted the $205 million requested for Regional Innovation Engines. If fully funded, this could be one of the single largest investments in place-based research in American history. The initial awards, made earlier this year, span more than 15 states and will spur innovation in areas such as semiconductors, energy, climate resilience, agriculture, and regenerative medicine.
Many of the Senators' questions during the hearing focused on NASA's Artemis program, which aims to re-establish a human presence on the Moon. Chair Shaheen stated that funding for the Artemis program for the current fiscal year came at the expense of other NASA projects and other agencies.
Artificial intelligence was another topic brought up repeatedly, as were concerns about the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program. Several Senators voiced concerns that their states' EPSCoR programs are having. Dr. Panchanathan said that some state offices are being transferred, but no resources from EPSCoR are being redirected out of EPSCoR. Additionally, NSF launched a new program to help states put successful proposals together.
NSF's Biological Sciences Advisory Committee Meeting
The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Biological Sciences Advisory Committee met to discuss numerous topics of interest to the broader research community, including the no deadlines submission policy, long-term ecological research, and funding parity among the states. The committee advises the Biological Sciences Directorate on a wide range of goals and policies.
For the past six years, the committee has monitored the impacts of NSF's transition to a research solicitation process with no deadlines for core programs. At the May meeting, the NSF staff presented data that showed that to date, none of the metrics indicate any unintended consequences of the policy change. No changes have been observed in the distribution of gender, race, ethnic, or career stage of researchers submitting proposals.
Overall, the number of proposal submissions are slightly lower than before the policy change, but have been growing year over year. Other NSF directorates have seen a similar trend.
NSF staff said that eliminating deadlines has a number of benefits, including more flexibility for researchers on when to submit and having the time to improve a proposal. The proposal review process also benefited, with review panels now being smaller and having a lighter work load. These changes have grown the reviewer pool as more people have the time to participate on a review panel.
Another topic of discussion by the advisory committee was the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network. After LTER's 40th anniversary, the committee was charged with evaluating the network's approach to research over the past decade and its readiness to support future research. More recently, NSF prioritized among the recommendations made in a resulting report, selecting two recommendations to focus on: diversity, equity, and inclusion and synthesis research.
To further diversity, NSF is now requiring LTER sites to include certain elements in their renewal proposals, including allocating at least $75,000 in personnel or participant support costs to foster broadening participation activities and including plans for safe and inclusive off campus research in each proposal. Committee members did raise some concerns about the lack of additional resources for implementation of this recommendation. In response, NSF staff said that the agency is trying to give flexibility, noting that the renewal solicitation does not have a prescriptive list of activities or requirements.
The other priority recommendation is for LTER to be "a seamless, integrated continuum from site-specific to cross-site to network- and systems-level ecological research." To date, NSF has bolstered resources for the network--including adding post doc positions and information managers for the Network Office--and done more outreach to the research community on available data and resources.
Notably, NSF has no plans for additional LTER sites at this time due to lack of funding.
Also of interest at the meeting was funding for Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) states. This long-standing NSF program aims to strengthen research capacity in states that have historically received less federal research funding. The CHIPS and Science Act set an agency-wide target for EPSCoR states to increase from 15.5 percent of total NSF funding to to 20 percent by FY 2029.
The Directorate for Biological Sciences--and NSF overall--met its EPSCoR target for 2023 and both are on track to reach their goal for 2024. These benchmarks were met through targeted outreach to states with lower NSF application rates, encouraging regional collaborations between non-EPSCoR and EPSCoR jurisdictions, and holding in person events with potential principal investigators on funding opportunities and how to best frame their research for NSF.
USGS Budget Scrutinized in Hearing
A subcommittee of the House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing on the proposed budgets for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. A majority of the hearing was focused on the later agency, with Subcommittee Chair Pete Stauber (R-MN) and other members criticizing the Department of the Interior's recent actions on coal mining leasing and permitting.
Ranking Member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-NY) opening remarks decried proposed budget cuts under the House majority's plans for fiscal year (FY) 2025. "Following this year's budget cuts, which were already put into place, USGS' 2025 budget request is essentially at fiscal year 2023 levels, when accounting for inflation. And that's before the majority even tries to slash these services even further." She also stated that USGS' plans to ramp up critical minerals research comes at the cost of "crucial" programs like wildlife disease monitoring, just as avian flu is once again a concern.
In his oral testimony, Dr. David Applegate, Director of the USGS, defended the agency's budget request and highlighted the $1.7 million requested increase for integrated laboratory support, training, and oversight program, as well as Landsat Earth observation and science to address drought.
Members of the committee asked questions about USGS' work on critical minerals forecasting and recycling, water budget data, the state map program, and climate change adaptation.
Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) gave Dr. Applegate the opportunity to address congressional criticisms about the agency's current scope of work and whether it exceeds the its authority under law. Dr. Applegate spoke about USGS evolving "to address the most challenging environmental, natural resources, and public safety issues."
White House Releases Strategic Reports to Advance STEM Workforce Equity
In a move to bolster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) workforce, the White House has released three detailed reports that provide comprehensive strategies aimed at addressing and mitigating barriers faced by underrepresented groups.
One of the reports focuses on the challenges faced by STEM researchers with caregiving responsibilities. Recognizing the dual pressures of professional and personal obligations, the report suggests that federal agencies offer additional gap funding and more flexible grant options. It also advocates for rewarding institutions that demonstrate strong support for researchers with caregiving duties, thereby promoting a more inclusive and supportive research environment.
Another report dives into strategies for reducing organizational, cultural, and institutional barriers within STEM research environments. It provides best practices for conducting workplace climate surveys to identify issues and areas for improvement. It also provides guidance on the design and implementation of comprehensive DEI training programs tailored for leaders and staff within STEM organizations.
The third report addresses building research capacity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It calls for federal agencies to enhance training opportunities for HBCU staff and researchers to better equip them to navigate the complexities of the federal grant process, thereby enabling these institutions to secure more research funding and expand their scientific contributions.
Increase Your Career Opportunities: Writing for Impact and Influence Course
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is once again offering its popular professional development program to help scientists and students hone their written communication skills to increase the power of their message.
Writing for Impact and Influence provides practical instruction and hands-on exercises that will improve the participant's general writing proficiency. The program will provide participants with the skills and tools needed to compose scientific press releases, blog posts, memoranda, and more, with a focus on the reader experience and the appropriate use of modern writing tools, such as ChatGPT.
Each product-oriented session will have an assignment (deadlines are flexible), with feedback from the instructor. The course is interactive, and participants are encouraged to ask questions and exchange ideas with the instructor and other participants. Each session is also recorded and shared with all participants to accommodate scheduling conflicts.
Who Should Take the Course?
- Individuals interested in furthering their professional development by augmenting their writing skills.
- Graduate students and early-career professionals interested in increasing their marketability to employers.
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Individuals interested in more effectively informing and influencing segments of the public, supervisors, policymakers, reporters, organizational leaders, and others.
The course consists of six weekly 90-minute online modules conducted live and subsequently archived online for participant review. The course will begin on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, with subsequent course sessions held weekly on Wednesdays, through August 14. Individuals who actively participate in and complete the full course will receive a certificate recognizing that they have completed a nine-hour professional development course on business writing for scientists.
Register now.
Enter the 14th Annual Faces of Biology Photo Contest
Enter the Faces of Biology Photo Contest for a chance to win $250 and to have your photo appear on the cover of the journal BioScience.
The competition showcases, in a personal way, biological research in its many forms and settings. The images help the public and policymakers better understand the value of biological research and education. The competition is sponsored by the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology in addition to the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS).
"Photography is an effective tool to help communicate the process of scientific research," said Scott Glisson, CEO of AIBS. "This contest provides a visual forum for expression, inspiration, and technical skill that can have a positive impact on how the public views research and science."
The theme of the contest is "Faces of Biology." Photographs entered into the competition must depict a person, such as a scientist, technician, or student, engaging in biological research. The depicted research may occur outside, in a lab, with a natural history collection, on a computer, in a classroom, or elsewhere.
The winning photos from the 2023 contest will be featured in the April 2024 issue of BioScience.
Submissions must be received by 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on September 30, 2024. For more information or to enter the contest, visit our website.
Short Takes
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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is proposing to develop and implement a new policy within its Intramural Research Program that would require organizations partnering with NIH through a patent licensing agreement that succeed in bringing certain products to market to submit a plan outlining steps they intend to take to promote patient access to any resulting drug, biologic, vaccine, or device. NIH is currently requesting input on this draft policy and accompanying draft license agreement language that incorporates patient access in the commercialization process for NIH-owned inventions. NIH will use the responses to develop a final policy. Comments must be received by July 22, 2024.
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The National Academies is seeking suggestions for experts to be considered for the membership rotation or other engagement with the Committee to Advise the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). The committee provides ongoing and focused advice to the USGCRP by convening regular meetings, providing strategic advice, and reviewing draft USGCRP plans. Suggestions provided will be used to fill 5 open seats on the committee and to identify potential speakers and participants. Expertise is particularly sought in areas of climate variability and change, carbon cycles, and climate modeling; international climate assessments; program monitoring and evaluation; and more. Nominations must be submitted by June 14.
From the Federal Register
The following items appeared in the Federal Register from May 20 to 31, 2024.
Commerce
Environmental Protection Agency
Health and Human Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Interior
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Science Foundation