Update on Research Funding via Federal Agencies June 30, 2021
Research Development's Strategic Intelligence team monitors the federal landscape and produces this memo on a bi-weekly basis to share information that impacts ASU research. Included below are notable updates from federal sponsors, and general STEM policy news.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
JOHNSON, LUCAS CELEBRATE PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION TO FUND AMERICAN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION AT NSF AND DOE
On 6/28/2021, the House passed H.R. 2225, the National Science Foundation for the Future Act by a vote of 345-67 and H.R. 3593, the Department of Energy Science for the Future Act by a vote of 351-68. H.R. 2225 addresses challenges at all levels of STEM education and training. It supports activities and partnerships to broaden participation in NSF-funded projects. Finally, this bill establishes a new directorate to accelerate progress on emerging technologies and advance research-driven solutions to societal challenges like climate change and inequality. The bills now go to the Senate for next consideration.
NSF PAPPG Summary of Significant Changes
https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappg22_1/sigchanges.jsp
PAPPG Chapter II.C.2.h, Current and Pending Support, has been updated to require that information on objectives and overlap with other projects be provided, to help NSF and reviewers assess overlap/duplication. This section also has been updated to include reference to a new table entitled NSF Pre-award and Post-award Disclosures Relating to the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support. The new version of the manual goes into effect on 10/4/21.
National Institute of Health (NIH)
ARPA-H: Accelerating Biomedical Breakthroughs
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2021/06/22/science.abj8547
Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Eric Lander have published an article in Science magazine detailing their vision for ARPA-H. The article outlines how ARPA-H will function within NIH and how it is inspired by DARPA, but will operate somewhat differently than DARPA. "To design ARPA-H, it is critical to understand what is working well within the biomedical ecosystem, where there are crucial gaps, and the key principles of DARPA’s success."
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Electronics Resurgence Initiative 2.0
"Voices from DARPA" Podcast, Episode 45: Ushering Microelectronics into Its Next Era
This recent "Voices from DARPA" podcast provides a preview of a follow-on effort to the Electronics Resurgence Initiative, an ambitious five-year, $1.5 billion, multi-program framework. Mark Rosker, director of the agency’s Microsystems Technology Office (MTO), is a featured speaker. ERI 2.0 is designed to accelerate the transition of foundational research and development into prototyping, manufacturing, and delivery of next-generation microelectronics technologies. An ERI 2.0 slideshow from April 2020 also provides information on the next phase of the initiative.
Department of Defense (DoD)
Space Force
Budget 2022: Space Force Prioritizes R&D Replacing Vulnerable Systems
The $2.8 billion figure for procurement is significantly smaller than the $11.3 billion being requested for research, development, test and evaluation. The RDT&E account would help fund the development of spacecraft and technologies that are more resistant to attack, budget documents stated. “This request increases funding for development of resilient missile warning and missile tracking, effective protect-and-defense architecture, command-and-control systems, protected satellite communications and precision navigation and timing systems that are more survivable against adversary threats,” the documents stated.
Department of Energy (DoE)
Top DOE Appropriator Skeptical of ARPA–Climate
https://www.aip.org/fyi/fyi-this-week/week-june-28-2021
At a hearing last week on the Department of Energy’s budget request, the top Senate appropriator for the department, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), expressed reservations about the Biden administration’s proposal to create a cross-government Advanced Research Projects Agency for Climate. Feinstein said it is “unclear exactly how that would work and why it's needed,” asking how it would relate to DOE’s existing ARPA–Energy. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm explained that ARPA–C would draw resources from multiple agencies to focus on non-energy technologies relevant to mitigating climate change and its impacts, citing wildfire mitigation as an example.
Department of Health of Human Services (HHS)
BARDA Ventures
https://www.medicalcountermeasures.gov/newsroom/2021/ventures/
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today unveiled a new type of public-private partnership that enables investments using venture capital practices. Through the BARDA Ventures program, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, is launching a partnership with the nonprofit organization Global Health Investment Corporation to accelerate development and commercialization of technologies and medical products needed to respond to or prevent public health emergencies, such as pandemics, and other health security threats.
EPA
EPA Announces $50 Million to Fund Environmental Justice Initiatives Under the American Rescue Plan
On 6/25/21, the EPA announced that it will provide $50 million dollars for Environmental Justice (EJ) initiatives through funds allocated to EPA under the American Rescue Plan (ARP). EPA will also work to award an additional $50 million provided under the ARP for enhanced air quality monitoring, including plans to use a portion of these funds to solicit proposals from community groups, state, local and tribal air agencies to conduct monitoring of pollutants of greatest concern in communities with health outcome disparities.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Nelson asks Senate appropriators for more HLS funding - SpaceNews
https://spacenews.com/nelson-asks-senate-appropriators-for-more-hls-funding/
Nelson, testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee’s commerce, justice and science subcommittee June 15, suggested one way to enable competition was to add money for HLS in a jobs bill, which could also include funding for infrastructure repairs at NASA centers. Nelson said last month those two elements alone could cost more than $10 billion.
Funding for Bezos Space Company Fails to Launch in House
https://www.wsj.com/articles/funding-for-bezos-space-company-fails-to-launch-in-house-11624008601
Members from both parties made clear the $10 billion authorization, pushed by Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, for a second moon lander contract (Elon Musk’s SpaceX won the first contract earlier this year, while Blue Origin was one of two runners-up) was a nonstarter for the House’s version of science and innovation legislation.
NASA Launches Mission Equity, Seeks Public Input to Broaden Access
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-launches-mission-equity-seeks-public-input-to-broaden-access
NASA is launching Mission Equity, a comprehensive effort to assess expansion and modification of agency programs, procurements, grants, and policies, and examine what potential barriers and challenges exist for communities that are historically underrepresented and underserved.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
NIST Launches New Manufacturing USA Technology Roadmap Grant Competition
NIST’s Manufacturing USA Technology Roadmaps (MfgTech) program anticipates awarding up to eight awards with a period of performance of up to 18 months each, with individual awards of up to $300,000 and no cost-share requirement. While small, the grants could position ASU/Greater Phoenix for future Manufacturing Institute competitions, though this opportunity may not be time right to support the expected competition for a semiconductor/microelectronics institute.
This Agency Wants to Figure Out Exactly How Much You Trust AI | WIRED
https://www.wired.com/story/agency-wants-figure-how-much-trust-ai/
NIST wants to measure trust in AI in two ways. A user trust potential score is meant to measure things about a person using an AI system, including their age, gender, cultural beliefs, and experience with other AI systems. The second score, the perceived system trustworthiness score, will cover more technical factors such as whether an outdated user interface makes people call AI into doubt. The proposed system score assigns weights to nine characteristics like accuracy and explainability. Factors that play into trusting AI and weights for factors like reliability and security are still being determined.
Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
Federal Register: Request for Information To Improve Federal Scientific Integrity Policies
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) seeks information to help improve the effectiveness of Federal scientific integrity policies to enhance public trust in science. This document has a comment period that ends in 30 days. (07/28/2021)
USAID
USAID Budget request up 11%, features climate change, not education
The USAID budget request calls for an 11% increase over 2021 levels, up to $27.7 billion for USAID’s fully and partially managed accounts. Key requests of interest to ASU are $600 million for climate change programming; $2.8 billion devoted to supporting democracy, human rights and governance programming; $861 to address the root causes of irregular migration from Central America. Education, an area which ASU receives most of its USAID funding, is not highlighted in the summary.
General Science Policy News
Wyden, Crapo, Cornyn, Warner, Daines, Stabenow Introduce Bill to Boost Domestic Manufacturing of Semiconductors
On 6/17/21, the Senate introduced the Facilitating American-Built Semiconductors (FABS) Act (S.2107) that would create a 25 percent investment tax credit for investments in semiconductor manufacturing, both for manufacturing equipment and the construction of semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The proposal includes incentives for the manufacturing of semiconductors, as well as for the manufacturing of the specialized tooling equipment required in the semiconductor manufacturing process.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Omits Big Climate Measures
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/24/climate/biden-climate-infrastructure.html
A deal reached [on 6/24/21] between President Biden and a bipartisan group of senators for $579 billion in new spending does relatively little to fight climate change. The president had hoped to use a sweeping infrastructure bill as a vehicle to enact a national “clean electricity standard” requiring power companies to gradually ratchet up the amount of electricity they generate from wind, solar and other sources until they’re no longer emitting carbon dioxide. That is not included in the bipartisan bill, nor are the hundreds of billions of dollars in spending on tax incentives for wind, solar and other clean energy.
Tracking STEM Earmarks
https://www.aaas.org/news/tracking-stem-earmarks?et_rid=51403731&et_cid=3777709
AAAS has developed a new tool to explore science-relevant earmarks requested by members of Congress.
FAS launches new Science Council in collaboration with Congressman Bill Foster – Federation Of American Scientists
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS), in collaboration with Congressman Bill Foster (D, IL-11) and his office, has launched a new Science Council to: Scale up the capacity of Members of Congress and their teams for policy work on pressing science and technology (S&T) issues; Facilitate the contribution of nonpartisan, evidence-based information into the U.S. policymaking process; and Forge trusted, lasting relationships between policymakers and the S&T community.
Readout of the Fourth National Climate Task Force Meeting
To ensure resilient federal operations and physical footprints, agencies are preparing Climate Action Plans, per President Biden’s Executive Order 14008. These plans parallel many of the nation’s climate related vulnerabilities, including natural resources such as land and water resources; financial risk — including risks to assets, supplies, and services; and the health, safety, and availability of the Federal workforce.
Some Republicans Find Failure to Grapple With Climate Change a ‘Political Liability’
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/23/climate/climate-change-republicans.html
A small but growing number of Republicans say the G.O.P. needs a coherent climate strategy and formed a “Conservative Climate Caucus” on Capitol Hill.