NSF Announces Repositioning of SBE Research Programs
On September 24, 2019, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced broad plans to reposition some of its basic research programs under the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic (SBE) based on stakeholder input.
There are several notable changes within the Social and Economic Sciences (SES) Division of SBE. The “Science of Science: Discovery, Communication, and Impact” program, formerly designated “Science of Science and Innovation Policy Program (SciSIP),” will focus on basic research to “increase the productivity of scientific workflows, our nation’s capacity to communi...
Source: Public Policy Reports - October 14, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Ag Group Calls for Protecting Genetic Diversity of Food Animal Livestock
According to a new publication by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), the genetic diversity of livestock and poultry is declining, leaving one-third of the world’s protein supply at risk to extreme weather and disease outbreaks.
CAST warns that “up to 25 percent of global livestock breeds are either at risk of being lost, or have already been lost.” The report discusses the risks associated with reduced access to genetic traits and recommends actions to protect remaining breeds that build on current conservation practices such as cryopreservation and germplasm repositories. ̶...
Source: Public Policy Reports - October 14, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
New Federal AI Research Program Announced
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a new program to advance research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and accelerate the development of transformational, AI-powered innovation. The new funding opportunity anticipates $200 million in large-scale, long-term investments in AI research and education over the next 6 years.
The effort is led by NSF in partnership with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Th...
Source: Public Policy Reports - October 14, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
IG Reviews Financial Conflicts of Interest, Foreign Affiliations in NIH Grant Process
The Office of Inspector General (IG) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released three reports on September 25, 2019 that analyze the procedures in place at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for reviewing financial conflicts of interests, vetting peer reviewers, and ensuring grantees appropriately disclose all sources of research support during their grantmaking process.
According to the IG, about 3 percent of NIH grants awarded in fiscal year (FY) 2018 involved researchers with financial conflicts. The report found that although NIH has made “substantial strides in reviewing the financial co...
Source: Public Policy Reports - October 14, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Short Takes
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) has introduced legislation to repeal the Trump administration's recent changes to Endangered Species Act (ESA) rules. Concurrently, the Congressional Western Caucus, which consists of Republican lawmakers from Western states and led by Chairman Paul Gosar (R-AZ), has unveiled a draft legislative package that would overhaul the Endangered Species Act of 1973. According to E&E News, the package would modify the delisting designation process, tighten the petition process to reduce the current backlog, cap attorneys' fees at $125 per hour for ESA lawsuits, and in...
Source: Public Policy Reports - September 30, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Last Day to Submit Entries to the Faces of Biology Photo Contest
Enter the Faces of Biology Photo Contest for your chance to win $250 and to have your photo appear on the cover of the journal BioScience.
The competition, sponsored by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), recognizes scientists who use imagery to communicate aspects of biological research to the public and policymakers.
The theme of the contest is “Faces of Biology.” Photographs entered into the competition must depict a person, such as a scientist, researcher, technician, collections curator, or student, engaging in biological research. The research may occur outside, in a lab, with a natura...
Source: Public Policy Reports - September 30, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Register Now: AIBS Communications Boot Camp for Scientists
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is offering a professional development program designed to enhance the communication skills of scientists, particularly those interested in communicating with decision-makers and the news media. The program is an excellent way to develop new communication skills and identify effective methods for broadening the impact of research and education programs.
The AIBS Communications Training Boot Camp for Scientists expands on AIBS’s highly successful media and science policy training workshops. The Boot Camp meets the needs of everyone from graduate students to senior ...
Source: Public Policy Reports - September 30, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
National Fossil Day is October 16
National Fossil Day, an annual celebration organized by the National Park Service (NPS), will take place on October 16, 2019. National Fossil Day is a nationwide celebration that will include paleontology activities planned by partner organizations across the United States. AIBS has once again partnered with the National Park Service to promote the event.
NPS and National Fossil Day partners are sponsoring an art contest as a part of the celebration. The contest theme is “Extinct Giants and Survivors of the Last Ice Age.” For details about participating, go to: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossilday/art-conte...
Source: Public Policy Reports - September 30, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
UN Climate Report Warns About Unprecedented Sea-Level Rise
The United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a new report on September 25, 2019 warning about the dire repercussions of climate change. The Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate calls for urgent and coordinated action to deal with “unprecedented and enduring changes” in the ocean and cryosphere, defined as the frozen parts of the planet.
More than 100 scientists from 36 countries contributed to this report. They assessed the physical science basis and impacts of climate change on ocean, coastal, polar and mountain ecosystems, and the human communi...
Source: Public Policy Reports - September 30, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
OSTP: Collections and Bioeconomy Are Priorities
In an August 30, 2019 memorandum from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), federal agencies have been directed to prioritize national security, industrial leadership, energy and environmental leadership, health and bioeconomic innovation, and space exploration and commercialization in their fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget request for research and development (R&D).
The Administration’s memo on R&D budget priorities for FY 2021 provides guidance on a national strategy “to advance bold, transformational leaps in [science an...
Source: Public Policy Reports - September 30, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Graduate Students Are Not Employees, Proposed Rule Says
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) — the federal agency that enforces U.S. labor laws — has proposed a new rule stating that graduate students are not “employees” with a right to unionize. If implemented, the proposed rule would weaken recent unionization efforts by graduate students at private universities. The NLRB does not have jurisdiction over public universities, where graduate students are allowed to form unions when permitted by state law.
The proposed regulation would establish that “students who perform any services for compensation, including, but not limited to, teaching o...
Source: Public Policy Reports - September 30, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Senate Considering Increased Funding for Science, Environment
The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the fiscal year (FY) 2020 appropriations bills for Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS); Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. The CJS bill funds the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), while the Interior-Environment bill funds the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection A...
Source: Public Policy Reports - September 30, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Short Takes
The National Science Board (NSB) is accepting nominations for its 2020 honorary public service awards. The Vannevar Bush Award recognizes lifetime achievement for pursuits to improve the welfare of mankind and the nation through public-service activities in science, technology and public policy. The Public Service Award honors individuals and groups for substantial contributions to increasing public understanding of science and engineering. Nominations are due by Friday, September 27, 2019. Learn more about the awards and submit a nomination at http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/awards/.
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the ...
Source: Public Policy Reports - September 16, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
Faces of Biology Photo Contest Accepting Submissions
Enter the Faces of Biology Photo Contest for your chance to win $250 and to have your photo appear on the cover of the journal BioScience.
The competition, sponsored by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), recognizes scientists who use imagery to communicate aspects of biological research to the public and policymakers.
The theme of the contest is “Faces of Biology.” Photographs entered into the competition must depict a person, such as a scientist, researcher, technician, collections curator, or student, engaging in biological research. The research may occur outside, in a lab, with a natura...
Source: Public Policy Reports - September 16, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
AIBS Communications Boot Camp for Scientists
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is offering a professional development program designed to enhance the communication skills of scientists, particularly those interested in communicating with decision-makers and the news media. The program is an excellent way to develop new communication skills and identify effective methods for broadening the impact of research and education programs.
The AIBS Communications Training Boot Camp for Scientists expands on AIBS’s highly successful media and science policy training workshops. The Boot Camp meets the needs of everyone from graduate students to senior ...
Source: Public Policy Reports - September 16, 2019 Category: Biology Authors: AIBS Source Type: news
