Update on Research Funding via Federal Agencies October 20, 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 Legislation
Senators Put Remaining Science Appropriations Bills on Table
https://www.aip.org/fyi/2021/senators-put-remaining-science-appropriations-bills-table
Yesterday (Monday, October 18), Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee finished releasing their versions of the bills that will set the federal government’s discretionary budget for fiscal year 2022, which began on Oct. 1. Their proposals mostly track House Democrats’ counterpart legislation in seeking significant boosts across science programs, including double-digit percentage increases for the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and National Institute of Standards and Technology, among other agencies. However, lack of an agreement with Republicans means another stopgap will likely be required after the current one expires on December 3rd.
National Strategic Overview for Research and Development Infrastructure
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NSTC-NSO-RDI-_REV_FINAL-10-2021.pdf
The National Science and Technology Council released a report outlining a strategic vision for federal R&D infrastructure over the next two decades. The report asserts that science has undergone a “paradigm shift,” moving from a “big science” approach focused on large-scale standalone facilities, to an interconnected, digital, and data-rich R&D ecosystem.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH RADx initiative expands COVID-19 testing innovation for additional types of rapid tests
The NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative announced today that it has issued contract awards totaling $77.7 million to develop and manufacture 12 new rapid diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
NIH Concept Clearances
Following NIH council meetings, several concept clearances have been approved. Below are links to the institutes that have released their cleared concepts. Several agencies have not released the minutes from their council meetings or their cleared concepts. Updates will be provided as more concepts become available.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Dear Colleague Letter: Enabling Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) CISE-SBE Interdisciplinary Collaborations (nsf21122)
https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21122/nsf21122.jsp
NSF's Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program aims to promote research on the fundamentals of security, privacy, and trustworthy cyberspace as a multidisciplinary subject that will lead to new knowledge and approaches to design, build, and operate cyber systems, protect persons, organizations, and existing infrastructure, and motivate and educate individuals about cybersecurity and privacy. With this DCL, NSF is announcing its intention to encourage the submission of EArly-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) proposals that will foster novel, excellent interdisciplinary research in the SaTC domain to be carried out in collaborations between one or more Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) researchers and one or more Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) researchers. Proposals are due December 10, 2021
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
2021 ERI Summit & MTO Symposium
https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/eri-summit-mto-symposium-2021
From October 19-21, DARPA will host its fourth Electronics Resurgence Initiative (ERI) Summit and Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) Symposium. The annual event brings together leaders from across the electronics ecosystem – spanning government, defense, academia, and industry – to foster collaboration and share technical progress on DARPA’s five-year, $1.5B dollar investment into the advancement of the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Department of Commerce (DOC)
NIST seeks feedback on potential ‘moonshot’ of supply chain security project
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, tasked by the White House with developing a supply chain security framework applicable to the broad information and communications technology sector, isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel.
“We know there’s a lot of work that already has been done, that is being done,” Jon Boyens, the deputy chief of NIST’s Computer Security Division, said during a virtual event today. “We want to magnify that work, or bring it together, make it more consumable, and find the gaps.”
Department of Defense (DoD)
Pentagon’s Top Science Official Adds to Tech-Breakthrough Wishlist
In her confirmation hearing, Heidi Shyu, new DoD R&D undersecretary, outlined the technology areas that will be priorities moving forward. These include areas designated by her predecessor, such as hypersonics, AI, microprocessors, space defense, and biotechnology. She also named advanced materials as an area of critical importance to the defense effort.
Department of Energy (DoE)
DOE Imposes Strict Domestic Manufacturing Requirements on R&D Funding Recipients
As of Oct. 1, the Department of Energy has begun implementing a policy requiring inventions resulting from DOE-funded R&D to be “substantially manufactured” in the U.S. First announced in June, the move is part of a broader Biden administration push to build up domestic supply chains for critical technologies and it expands on similar, albeit more targeted requirements DOE has previously implemented.
DOE Announces Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator Program to Modernize the Grid
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) today announced the launch of the Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator, a technology partnership of federal experts, industry partners in the energy sector, and innovators to accelerate the development of new cybersecurity solutions for the nation’s evolving grid. The program will support efforts to modernize the grid, address cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and create a grid that will withstand the transition to a clean energy economy in the effort to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA Publishes its 2021 Climate Adaptation Action Plan
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-publishes-its-2021-climate-adaptation-action-plan
On 10/7/2021, the EPA released its Climate Adaptation Action Plan, which describes steps EPA will take to address the impacts of climate change on communities across the Nation, as part of President Joe Biden’s whole-of-government approach to confronting the climate crisis. EPA also launched a new Climate Adaptation web page that will act as a hub for climate adaptation resources from across EPA.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
NASA Releases Climate Action Plan
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-releases-climate-action-plan
On 10/7/2021, NASA released a climate action plan aimed at averting mission impacts due to climate change, ensuring the resiliency of facilities and assets, and providing the nation and world unique climate observations, analysis, and modeling through scientific research. The plan is part of President Biden’s whole-of-government approach to confronting the climate crisis. Federal agencies face rising maintenance and repair costs due to more frequent and extreme weather events, health and safety challenges to employees for work outside, and potential issues with program effectiveness.
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
USDA Announces Plan to Integrate Climate Adaptation Into its Missions and Programs
As part of President Biden’s whole-of-government approach to confronting the climate crisis, the USDA released its climate adaptation and resilience plan on 10/7/2021 describing how USDA will prepare for current and future impacts of climate change.
USDA Announces Commitment to Strengthen Hispanic-serving Higher Education Institutions
On 10/8/2021, the USDA announced a $12 million investment to Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs) of higher education. The investment to HSIs will help strengthen their ability to attract, retain and graduate underrepresented students pursuing careers in agriculture, natural resources and human sciences. University Arizona was among the institutions to receive funding.