[Nhcoll-l] FW: Science Policy News from AIBS

Tue Oct 20 13:06:48 EDT 2015

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AIBS Public Policy Report

AIBS Public Policy Report, Volume 16, Issue 21, October 19, 2015

  *   New Requirements on NSF Funding Advance in Congress
  *   Informal STEM Education Bill Signed into Law
  *   Federal Agencies Directed to Account for Value of Ecosystem Services
  *   Representatives Launch Prize Caucus
  *   Hearing Examines State of Agricultural and Biotechnology Research
  *   From the Federal Register
  *   Become an Advocate for Science: Join the AIBS Legislative Action Center

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The AIBS Public Policy Report is distributed broadly by email every two weeks to the AIBS membership. Any interested party may self-subscribe to receive these free reports by email or RSS news feed, by going to www.aibs.org/public-policy-reports<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__aibs.us1.list-2Dmanage.com_track_click-3Fu-3Da2886d199362c2554974f78af-26id-3Da5d91c35ce-26e-3D6708ed45cf&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=oOTOwcBvN-abBcLYlibLpHq2BmP8JOpg-0pwAVl-BEw&s=ykfK-f5rVxy_yGAtNoUNSpAEC2yIk0BOMmVDUAShKtg&e= >.

With proper attribution to AIBS, all material from these reports may be reproduced or forwarded. AIBS staff appreciates receiving copies of materials used. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact the AIBS Director of Public Policy, Robert Gropp, at 202-628-1500 x 250.

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New Requirements on NSF Funding Advance in Congress

The House Science Committee marked up legislation that Republicans claim will improve transparency at the National Science Foundation (NSF), but that Democrats purport will impose politics into peer review. If enacted, H.R. 3293 would require the agency to make a written justification that each grant it awards promotes the progress of science in the U.S., is worthy of federal funding, and is in the national interest.

The bill was originally proposed as part of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, which passed the House of Representatives earlier this year.

Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), the bill's sponsor, justified the need for additional guidance to NSF because, "in recent years, the federal government has awarded too many grants that few Americans would consider to be in the national interest."

Smith has actively criticized NSF grants for social science and climate change research and education, calling out specific awards as "questionable."

Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), the top ranking Democrat on the committee, said "the Majority is pushing this agenda in the complete absence of any actual problem being identified with NSF's current policy that this bill is supposedly aligned with. If the existing policy is working, why move forward with this bill that the entire community views as politicizing science?"

Informal STEM Education Bill Signed into Law

The National Science Foundation (NSF) will continue to support informal science education and to conduct research that advances the field. Recently enacted legislation, H.R. 1020, was signed into law to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education that takes place out-of-school. NSF currently spends about $55 million a year on informal education research and activities.

The new law expands the pool of potential participants in the NSF Master Teaching Fellowship program. Math and science teachers who possess a bachelor's degree in their field and who are working towards a master's degree will be allowed to participate in the program. Currently, participation is limited to teachers who have already completed a master's degree.

Federal Agencies Directed to Account for Value of Ecosystem Services

On 7 October, the White House directed all federal agencies to account for ecosystem services in agency planning and decision-making. Ecosystem services, as defined by this directive, is an umbrella term encompassing the benefits that nature offers to the population, including recreation, supplying food and materials, cleaning water, and protecting shorelines.

The White House directed agencies to examine their policies and practices and to identify ways in which the value of ecosystem services can be better integrated into agency decision-making processes. The White House is requesting analysis of current federal practices within six months and detailed plans for implementation within 14 months.

The directive is available at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.whitehouse.gov_sites_default_files_omb_memoranda_2016_m-2D16-2D01.pdf&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=oOTOwcBvN-abBcLYlibLpHq2BmP8JOpg-0pwAVl-BEw&s=4a8IgspZu_Nyzt-wryxVvb18ykE9-EWmRPoX2zv5Om4&e= <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__aibs.us1.list-2Dmanage.com_track_click-3Fu-3Da2886d199362c2554974f78af-26id-3D6b762a5a83-26e-3D6708ed45cf&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=oOTOwcBvN-abBcLYlibLpHq2BmP8JOpg-0pwAVl-BEw&s=sHFKroD57fVPybkoD7yfxA5Bzl6BgwNvrsPE2u5Fvgc&e= >.

Representatives Launch Prize Caucus

A new Congressional Prize Caucus was recently formed to increase awareness and support for prize competitions. Such competitions are becoming increasingly popular as a way to incentivize innovation and to solve tough problems. The caucus is chaired by Representatives Randy Hultgren (R-IL) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL).

"Prizes are a win-win for Washington: they drive American innovation by coupling unique government resources with the everyday ingenuity and entrepreneurship of citizen innovators," said Christopher Frangione, XPRIZE Vice President of Prize Development.

Hearing Examines State of Agricultural and Biotechnology Research

The House Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research held a hearing on 29 September to highlight research innovations and related issues regarding agricultural colleges and universities.

Several committee members raised questions about public perceptions of science, particularly about the potential benefits of research, but subcommittee chairman Rodney Davis (R-IL) was firm in his support of agricultural research. "A conclusion drawn by many stakeholders is that we must prioritize food and agricultural research within our national policy discussions. I am convinced by what I have seen that public support for agricultural research does in fact have a high rate of return."

Several committee members raised questions about how to more efficiently or effectively fund various research and academic programs, and how budget cuts have affected research efforts. General consensus from the hearing witnesses was that the best course of action would be continuing a mix of grants encouraging large scale collaborative projects, as well as smaller, more targeted grants to continue necessary research in more specialized areas.

Much of the discussion focused on federal, state, private and academic collaborations and partnerships, especially in the areas of major and specialty crop research, combatting livestock-carried and foodborne illnesses, public outreach and education, and developing and diversifying agricultural educational and research capabilities.

Several witnesses and committee members highlighted the importance of federal cooperation with land grant universities, and support for the efforts of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Dr. Michael Heithaus, of Florida International University, presented Florida's Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACUs) program as a model that has seen a significant amount of success, and is educating the next generation of agricultural scientists, researchers, and farmers from under-represented groups.

>From the Federal Register

The following items appeared in the Federal Register from 5 to 16 October 2015. For more information on these or other recent items, please visit the AIBS Federal Register Resource at www.aibs.org/federal-register-resource/index.html<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__aibs.us1.list-2Dmanage1.com_track_click-3Fu-3Da2886d199362c2554974f78af-26id-3De012295d0e-26e-3D6708ed45cf&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=oOTOwcBvN-abBcLYlibLpHq2BmP8JOpg-0pwAVl-BEw&s=XWdBDITWpEHv-JSo--pqeeoSOLOp-nXdo1xoyWaw0Ns&e= >.

Week Ending 16 October 2015

Agriculture

  *   Notice of the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics Meeting
Commerce

  *   Administration National Sea Grant Advisory Board
  *   U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Advisory Committee
Health and Human Services

  *   Proposed Action Under the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines)
Interior

  *   Public Meetings of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee
National Science Foundation

  *   Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request
Week Ending 9 October 2015

Agriculture

  *   National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council
Commerce

  *   Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review Workshops
  *   Notice of Availability of a Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill; Draft Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan (PDARP) and Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)
  *   Science Advisory Board (SAB)
Energy

  *   Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee
Environmental Protection Agency

  *   National and Governmental Advisory Committees to the U.S. Representative to the Commission for Environmental Cooperation
  *   Stormwater Management in Response to Climate Change Impacts: Lessons >From the Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes Regions
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  *   NASA Advisory Council; Science Committee; Earth Science Subcommittee; Meeting
Office of Science and Technology Policy

  *   Clarifying Current Roles and Responsibilities Described in the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology and Developing a Long-Term Strategy for the Regulation of the Products of Biotechnology

Become an Advocate for Science: Join the AIBS Legislative Action Center

Quick, free, easy, effective, impactful! Join the AIBS Legislative Action Center<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__aibs.us1.list-2Dmanage.com_track_click-3Fu-3Da2886d199362c2554974f78af-26id-3D3c7a590e9f-26e-3D6708ed45cf&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=oOTOwcBvN-abBcLYlibLpHq2BmP8JOpg-0pwAVl-BEw&s=2ubIr_VQYondztO24lliejqBGMUMeZI1tCiHOF4S8E8&e= >.  The Legislative Action Center is a one-stop shop for learning about and influencing science policy. Through the website, users can contact elected officials and sign-up to interact with lawmakers.  The website offers tools and resources to inform researchers about recent policy developments. The site also announces opportunities to serve on federal advisory boards and to comment on federal regulations.

This new tool is made possible through contributions from the Society for the Study of Evolution, Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and the Botanical Society of America.  AIBS and our partner organizations invite scientists and science educators to become policy advocates today. Simply go to policy.aibs.org<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__aibs.us1.list-2Dmanage.com_track_click-3Fu-3Da2886d199362c2554974f78af-26id-3D96e4b64c3f-26e-3D6708ed45cf&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=oOTOwcBvN-abBcLYlibLpHq2BmP8JOpg-0pwAVl-BEw&s=sMWHBD6EqEeh1NyV7aEWyG0GIpI8H0OA1NZ8_IYajUA&e= > to get started.

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  *   Become an AIBS Individual Member and lend your voice to a national effort to advance the biological sciences through public policy, education, and science programs. Visit https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.access.aibs.org_-3Fpage-3DIndMem&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=oOTOwcBvN-abBcLYlibLpHq2BmP8JOpg-0pwAVl-BEw&s=DS-haU5oa0gwoGVmfMqUrcNgR_53aSvXAtCmp56YXoE&e= <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__aibs.us1.list-2Dmanage.com_track_click-3Fu-3Da2886d199362c2554974f78af-26id-3D9bf79b2b6b-26e-3D6708ed45cf&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=oOTOwcBvN-abBcLYlibLpHq2BmP8JOpg-0pwAVl-BEw&s=cefMEHuif1kMbl0DAfI7nyNqhX3OQwlxTYmn42W5f0w&e= > to join AIBS.

  *   Become an advocate for science, visit the AIBS Legislative Action Center at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__policy.aibs.org&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=oOTOwcBvN-abBcLYlibLpHq2BmP8JOpg-0pwAVl-BEw&s=2t0PymxWPv3PnkmWBw88mBwkWfCcteGjGKFdJXLni1s&e= <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__aibs.us1.list-2Dmanage.com_track_click-3Fu-3Da2886d199362c2554974f78af-26id-3Dfbe6904ff6-26e-3D6708ed45cf&d=AwIFAg&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=oOTOwcBvN-abBcLYlibLpHq2BmP8JOpg-0pwAVl-BEw&s=ATyY43gQr76_GTNONm1MAoPokLkUi2UvpePfGkiKGW0&e= >.

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The American Institute of Biological Sciences is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) scientific association dedicated to advancing biological research and education for the welfare of society. AIBS works to ensure that the public, legislators, funders, and the community of biologists have access to and use information that will guide them in making informed decisions about matters that require biological knowledge. The organization does this through informing decisions by providing peer-reviewed or vetted information about the biology field and profession and by catalyzing action through building the capacity and the leadership of the community to address matters of common concern.

Founded in 1947 as a part of the National Academy of Sciences, AIBS became an independent, member-governed organization in the 1950s. Today, AIBS has over 140 member organizations and is headquartered in Reston, VA, with a Public Policy Office in Washington, DC. Its staff members work to achieve its mission by publishing the peer-reviewed journal BioScience and the education Web site ActionBioscience.org, by providing scientific peer-review and advisory services to government agencies and other clients, and by collaborating with scientific organizations to advance public policy, education, and the public understanding of science.

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