Update on research funding via federal agencies May 4, 2022
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 Legislation
Demystifying the Federal Budget
https://issues.org/episode-13-demystifying-federal-budget-hourihan/
How do budgets evolve into policies? As Congress starts to appropriate money for President Biden’s 2023 budget requests, we talk with Matt Hourihan, director of the R&D Budget and Policy Program for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Hourihan tells of his own introduction to the byzantine mysteries of the budget, how the process works (and sometimes doesn’t work!), and what the numbers reveal about today’s science policy priorities.
Cantwell, Raimondo Stress National Urgency to Pass USICA, Address U.S. Chip Crisis
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Department of Commerce (DOC) Secretary Gina Raimondo stressed the national urgency for Congress to send innovation and competition legislation to the President's desk and unleash investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing as other nations continue to invest heavily to expand chip production. Cantwell addressed how the pandemic and Russia’s attack on Ukraine have further exposed vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain and exacerbated the semiconductor shortage. The senator stressed that USICA’s $52 billion investment in domestic semiconductor manufacturing is critical to keeping companies here in the United States, as other countries continue to invest heavily in expansion.
THE NATIONAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH RESOURCE TASK FORCE (NAIRRTF) recently held its 6th meeting. A read out from this meeting is available here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2022/04/11/readout-of-the-sixth-national-artificial-intelligence-research-resource-nairr-task-force-meeting/
The taskforce will meet again on May 20, 2022. This meeting does have virtual options for those at ASU who may wish to attend. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/03/21/2022-05879/national-artificial-intelligence-research-resource-task-force-notice-of-meeting
Co-Producing Knowledge with Communities Equity in Federal Research Programs
Join White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Dr. Alondra Nelson at 4pm ET on Thursday, May 12th (online and in-person) for a discussion of equitable community participation in federally funded research. Dr. Nelson’s talk on this multi-dimensional science policy issue will be followed by an interactive forum featuring the experiences and perspectives of community members, researchers, funders, and other stakeholders.
White House Compiles Federal Equity Action Plans
https://cossa.org/2022/04/26/white-house-compiles-federal-equity-action-plans/
The White House has published a list of equity action plans that have been developed by various federal agencies in order to comply with President Biden’s Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. More than 90 federal agencies across the government were consulted to contribute to the equity action plans to address where barriers to accessing federal programs may exist and identify changes to federal policy that could be made.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Congressional Research Services Memo on ARPA-H:
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47074
This memo provides an overview of congressional action and policy issues regarding APRA-H. As Congress continues its deliberations on ARPA-H, several policy debates remain. Such debates include (1) where to place ARPA-H within the federal government and how to facilitate its independence and autonomy, (2) what the appropriate goals are for ARPA-H and how to prevent its activities and programs from duplicating the efforts of other federal agencies and the private sector, and (3) what the appropriate current and future appropriations levels are for ARPA-H.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Information on the new TIP Directorate, from a presentation by Erwin Gianchandani at the National Organization of Research Professionals (NORDP) conference, April 27, 2022: The TIP Directorate will initiate a paradigm shift from technology/supply push research to market/demand pull research. Research proposals to this directorate should incorporate users and beneficiaries into the research, forming multi-sector teams to address important societal and/or economic problems. Partnerships will be the foundation of research.
- NSF's Convergence Accelerator has been relocated to TIP.
- Regional Innovation Engines is a brand-new program (BAA just published 5/3), and broadly has the following aims:
Department of Commerce (DoC)
NOAA Budget: FY22 Outcomes and FY23 Request | American Institute of Physics
https://www.aip.org/fyi/2022/noaa-budget-fy22-outcomes-and-fy23-request
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s budget is increasing by about $450 million in fiscal year 2022, and the Biden administration is seeking a further $1 billion boost for the coming fiscal year. Top priorities include expanding the agency's climate information services and accelerating work on next-generation weather observation systems.
Department of Defense (DoD)
DOD DEPSCoR Presentation, Dr. Jennifer Becker, NORDP Conference: As part of the FY21 defense appropriations bill, Congress tasked the Basic Research Office with managing the Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR). DEPSCoR is a capacity building program that is designed to strengthen the research infrastructure at institutions of higher education in underutilized States/Territories. Arizona is eligible. An overview of this program and its goals is available here: https://basicresearch.defense.gov/Portals/61/Documents/DEPSCoR/VDD%20-%20session%201%20FOAs%20-%20BECKER.pdf?ver=_Q95DZvv889mllGxJtSriQ%3d%3d
Department of Energy (DoE)
U.S. Department of Energy’s INCITE program seeks proposals for 2023 | Argonne National Laboratory
https://www.anl.gov/article/us-department-of-energys-incite-program-seeks-proposals-for-2023
Open to researchers from all institutions — including those from academia, industry and government agencies — the INCITE program focuses on large-scale scientific computing projects that require the power and scale of DOE’s leadership-class supercomputers. Proposals are being accepted through June 17th.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
NASA, Partner Decide to Conclude SOFIA Mission
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-partner-decide-to-conclude-sofia-mission
NASA and its partners at the German Space Agency at the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) will conclude the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) mission. As part of its review of the current state of astronomical research, the National Academies’ Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics 2020 evaluated SOFIA. The report concluded SOFIA’s science productivity does not justify its operating costs. The report also found SOFIA’s capabilities do not significantly overlap with the science priorities the Decadal Survey has identified for the next decade and beyond.
Sanders seeks to cut $10 bln funding proposal for new NASA lunar lander
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders asked lawmakers to delete language from a bill that would fund development of a new lunar lander for NASA, a move seen as part of the senator's effort to nix federal funds that could go to companies owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos. The provision is part of a broad bill that would provide $52 billion in semiconductor manufacturing subsidies and authorize additional funds to boost U.S. competitiveness and scientific research.