Graduate Students: Apply for the 2020 Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award
Are you a science graduate student looking to make a difference in science policy and funding? The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is now accepting applications for the 2020 AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award. This award recognizes graduate students in the biological sciences who are demonstrating an interest and aptitude for working at the intersection of science and policy.
Recipients of the AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award receive:
A trip to Washington, DC, to participate in the AIBS Congressional Visits Day, an annual event where scientists meet with lawmakers to advocate for ...
Source: Public Policy Reports - January 6, 2020 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
4th Digital Data in Biodiversity Research Conference Announced
Indiana University (IU), iDigBio, and the Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA) will hold the 4th annual Digital Data in Biodiversity Research Conference on June 1-3, 2020 at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.
The theme for the conference is “Harnessing the Data Revolution and Amplifying Collections with Biodiversity Information Science.” Registration will open January 13, 2020 and will cost $50 for students and $100 for professionals. Sign up to receive a reminder when registration opens on January 13, 2020 at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4th-annual-digital-data-in-biodiversity-research-conference-t...
Source: Public Policy Reports - January 6, 2020 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
OSTP Extends Deadline to Submit Input on American Research Environment
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has extended the deadline to submit comments on its request for information on the American Research Environment. In a notice published in the Federal Register on November 26, 2019, OSTP requested input on behalf of the National Science and Technology Council’s (NSTC’s) Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE) on “actions that Federal agencies can take, working in partnership with private industry, academic institutions, and non-profit/philanthropic organizations, to maximize the quality and effectiveness of the American research en...
Source: Public Policy Reports - January 6, 2020 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
NSF Announces Plan to Develop and Support NEON User Community
In a December 26, 2019 Dear Colleague Letter, the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) outlined how it would promote the continued development of individuals and investigator teams conducting research using the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). The letter encourages “engagement and integration of biological and environmental science communities, and to grow convergent research across the foundation.”
“Because many environmental controls, responses, and feedbacks operate over regional to continental scales, they cannot be investigated mechanisti...
Source: Public Policy Reports - January 6, 2020 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
EPA's Science Advisory Board Rebukes Proposed Transparency, WOTUS Rules
In a draft report dated October 16, 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) criticized the agency’s proposed rule “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science,” also referred to as the “secret science” rule. The regulation, first proposed by former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt in April 2018, would bar the use of scientific studies in crafting regulations unless the underlying data “are publicly available in a manner sufficient for independent validation.”
E&E News reported that the SAB released draft commentaries on four key ...
Source: Public Policy Reports - January 6, 2020 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Short Takes
The Senate has confirmed Ms. Aurelia Skipwith to be the next Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Ms. Skipwith has served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks in the Department of the Interior since April 2017. She worked for Monsanto Co. for about six years, after which she briefly worked as a research and legal intern at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She has also worked as Assistant Corporate Counsel at Alltech, Inc. and co-founded agricultural consulting firm AVC Global. Ms. Skipworth has a B.S. in biology from Howard University, M.A. in molecular genetics from Purdu...
Source: Public Policy Reports - December 27, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Enhance Your Interdisciplinary and Team Science Skills
Reports abound from professional societies, the Academies, government agencies, and researchers calling attention to the fact that science is increasingly an interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and international endeavor. In short, science has become a “team sport.”
There is a real and present need to better prepare scientists for success in this new collaborative environment. The American Institute of Biological Sciences is responding to this call with a new program for scientists, educators, and individuals who work with or participate in scientific teams.
Team science is increasingly...
Source: Public Policy Reports - December 27, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Graduate Students: Apply for the 2020 Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award
Are you a science graduate student looking to make a difference in science policy and funding? The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is now accepting applications for the 2020 AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award. This award recognizes graduate students in the biological sciences who are demonstrating an interest and aptitude for working at the intersection of science and policy.
Recipients of the AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award receive:
A trip to Washington, DC, to participate in the AIBS Congressional Visits Day, an annual event where scientists meet with lawmakers to advocate for ...
Source: Public Policy Reports - December 27, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Faces of Biology Photo Contest Winners Selected
Three winners have been selected in the 2019 Faces of Biology Photo Contest, sponsored by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS).
“Telling the story of science can often be enhanced through imagery. A great picture can educate and inspire,” said Robert Gropp, Executive Director of AIBS. “We have been working hard to help scientists strengthen their communication skills. Part of this has always involved challenging individuals to think creatively about how to share their excitement for their science with new audiences.”
The AIBS Faces of Biology contest showcases biological research i...
Source: Public Policy Reports - December 27, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Scientific Societies Express Concerns with Potential OSTP Mandate
A coalition of 60 scientific societies, including the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), joined forces on December 18 to share their concerns with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in response to reports that OSTP is considering an Executive Order that could jeopardize the sustainability of professional societies and the scientific and technical journals they publish.
The letter to OSTP expressed deep concern over changes being proposed to the administration’s policy on the open distribution of published journal articles containing federally funded research. If enacted, t...
Source: Public Policy Reports - December 27, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Congress to Create Two Entities to Address Research Security
Lawmakers are expected to approve legislation that would create two bodies aimed at preventing foreign influence on U.S. scientific research. The annual defense bill, titled the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), authorizes an interagency working group within the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House to coordinate activities aimed at protecting federally funded research from foreign interference. The bill would also create a roundtable comprised of academics, government officials, and industry officials, coordinated by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, to advise the...
Source: Public Policy Reports - December 27, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
President Nominates New NSF Director
President Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate Dr. Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan to serve as the next director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). If confirmed, Dr. Panchanathan would be the agency’s 15th director. He would assume the office following Senate confirmation. He would replace Dr. France Cordova at the end of her term in 2020.
Following the announcement, Dr. Cordova said: “For five years, Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan has been a bold, energizing presence on the National Science Board and he was a leader in every sense of the word in the research community pri...
Source: Public Policy Reports - December 27, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
FY 2020 Appropriations Wrapped-Up in Time for Holidays
Just prior to the expiration of the most recent stopgap funding resolution that kept the government running through December 20, 2019, both chambers of Congress passed two packages of appropriations bills totally approximately $1.4 trillion. The two compromise packages were signed into law by President Trump on December 20, 2019. As an indication of the compromise nature of the package, groups from the left and right have criticized the final fiscal year (FY) 2020 appropriations package.
Among the compromises are some funding for the border wall and significant new investments in renewable and clean energy research progr...
Source: Public Policy Reports - December 27, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Short Takes
The Senate voted 70-15 on December 2, 2019 to confirm Mr. Dan Brouillette to be the next Secretary of Energy. President Trump nominated Brouillette to lead the Department of Energy in October after Secretary Rick Perry announced his resignation. Brouillette has served as Deputy Secretary of Energy since August 2017. Previously, he served as the Senior Vice President and head of public policy for USAA, a provider of financial services to the military community, and as Vice President of the Ford Motor Company. Mr. Brouillette has also served as Chief of Staff to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Assistant Secret...
Source: Public Policy Reports - December 9, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Enhance Your Interdisciplinary and Team Science Skills
Reports abound from professional societies, the Academies, government agencies, and researchers calling attention to the fact that science is increasingly an interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and international endeavor. In short, science has become a “team sport.”
There is a real and present need to better prepare scientists for success in this new collaborative environment. The American Institute of Biological Sciences is responding to this call with a new program for scientists, educators, and individuals who work with or participate in scientific teams.
Team science is increasingly...
Source: Public Policy Reports - December 9, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
