Update on Research Funding via Federal Agencies August 25, 2021
Research Development's Strategic Intelligence team monitors the federal budget and funding landscape and produces this memo on a bi-weekly basis to share information that may impact ASU research.
Science Policy News
Billions for R&D Included in Senate-Passed Infrastructure Bill and Reconciliation Blueprint
On 8/10/2021, the Senate passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a roughly $1 trillion multiyear spending bill that includes tens of billions for applied R&D and technology demonstration programs at the Department of Energy and nearly $3 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Shortly after passing the infrastructure measure, the Senate also approved a blueprint for a separate multiyear spending package that totals $3.5 trillion and is backed only by Democrats. The blueprint, formally known as a budget resolution, outlines plans to seek tens of billions in additional R&D and research infrastructure funding for a broader set of science agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the DOE Office of Science.
Dear Colleague on Path Forward to Build Back Better
https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/81521
House of Representatives is planning to cut its recess short and return August 23rd to work on the Infrastructure and Budget Reconciliation packages. In a letter to House Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated that she is aiming to pass the reconciliation outline the week the House returns and that she is exploring procedures to advance the packages in tandem.
White House Releases Rules for Research Security and Researcher Responsibility
Among other requirements, the directive delineates what activities grant applicants and grantees will have to disclose to their funding agencies, such as any participation in talent recruitment programs sponsored by foreign governments.
National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) Policy Brief: International Students in Science and Engineering
The May 2020 Trump administration presidential proclamation (PP10043), continued by the Biden administration, is likely to block at least 3,000 to 5,000 Chinese graduate students a year. The policy is costly to the United States. Every 1,000 Ph.D. students blocked in a year from U.S. universities costs an estimated $210 billion in the expected value of patents produced at universities over 10 years and nearly $1 billion in lost tuition over a decade, according to an analysis from the National Foundation for American Policy. Other economic costs include the loss of highly productive scientists and engineers prevented from working in the U.S. economy or patents and innovations produced outside university settings.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Federal Register: Request for Information (RFI) on an Implementation Plan for a National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) published in the Federal Register a document entitled “Request for Information (RFI) on an Implementation Plan for a National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource” and invited comments to inform the work of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Task Force (“Task Force”). The Task Force has been directed by Congress to develop an implementation roadmap for a shared research infrastructure that would provide Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers and students across scientific disciplines with access to computational resources, high-quality data, educational tools, and user support. Submissions are due October 1, 2021. Organizations are asked to prepare a single response. For ASU's response, contact Ira.Bennett@asu.edu.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Young Faculty Award 2022 (YFA 2022) Proposers Day
https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/young-faculty-award-2022-proposers-day
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is sponsoring a Proposers Day webcast to provide information to potential proposers on the objectives of an anticipated Research Announcement (RA) for the Young Faculty Award 2022 (YFA 2022) program. To learn more about DARPA, please reach out to Jamie.Winterton@asu.edu.
Department of Energy (DoE)
FY22 Budget Outlook: DOE Office of Science | American Institute of Physics
https://www.aip.org/fyi/2021/fy22-budget-outlook-doe-office-science
The House and Senate both propose to increase funding for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science in fiscal year 2022. While the proposed funding levels are similar to the amount requested by the administration, they fall well short of those recommended in recent House-passed legislation and could result in slower progress on certain projects.
Environment And Energy Get A Front Seat In The 2021 Infrastructure Act
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/environment-and-energy-get-a-front-seat-6569719/
Carbon Capture and Hydrogen, Nuclear, and Hydropower Energy Research: The Act provides $6.42 billion for grants and loans for carbon storage and reduction programs in areas such as public transportation, traffic control, and intelligent transportation systems. The Act provides over $8 billion for the manufacturing of clean hydrogen and establishment of clean hydrogen hubs, $6 billion in Dept. of Energy supplemental appropriates related to nuclear energy, and $200 million for hydroelectric production and efficiency improvements.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
NASA Decadal Update
The NASA Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences Research is being developed. White Paper submissions can influence NASA's research priorities in the topic for the next decade. White Papers due by October 31, 2021.
Nelson: Blue Origin lawsuit adds further delays to Artemis
https://spacenews.com/nelson-blue-origin-lawsuit-adds-further-delays-to-artemis/
On 8/19/2021, NASA confirmed that it would pause work on the SpaceX HLS contract while the Blue Origin lawsuit is heard in the Court of Federal Claims. That’s not the only challenge facing Artemis. NASA supports adding a second company to the HLS program but is looking for Congress to provide billions of dollars in additional funding to do so, either through the standard appropriations process or a multi trillion-dollar package that Congress will take up through the budget reconciliation process. And a report by NASA’s Office of Inspector General Aug. 10 concluded that, even if the lunar lander is ready in 2024, the spacesuits the astronauts would wear on their Artemis 3 moonwalks won’t be done until 2025.
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Farm of the Future
https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/farm-future
Farm of the Future is a competitive grant program that will be implemented by USDA NIFA to establish an agricultural test bed and demonstration site. It seeks to launch this rural test bed for precision agriculture, smart automation, data connectivity and transfer, and to demonstrate best practices in climate-smart agriculture, forestry, and animal production systems that enhance sustainability and farm profitability. The test bed will evaluate digital and smart technologies to provide accessible, data-driven solutions that support resilient agricultural and value-added practices. The application deadline is Friday, October 15, 2021.