FYI: Science Policy News

NSF Seeks Paradigm-Shifting Results Through New TRAILBLAZER Program Last week, the National Science Foundation announced the first grants from the Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award (TRAILBLAZER) program, which will fund especially creative and unconventional engineering projects. Unlike typical NSF-funded grants, Trailblazer projects must take a direction distinct  from researchers’ previous work, using “potentially paradigm-shifting leaps and hypotheses.” Accordingly, the program application makes no request for preliminary data or detailed experimental plans. “This is an inaugural program to enable researchers to pursue novel engineering projects. Not the regular run-of-the-mill, as important as they are, but thinking outside the box,” NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said at a meeting of NSF’s governing board in July. “Something that will be thought of as, ‘Oh, it’s not possible.’” The program aligns with agency priorities expressed at the meeting,  where Chair Darío Gil emphasized the importance of patient government funding for basic research even before practical applications are realized. The program divided $18 million among six three-year projects that span several scientific fields, including quantum technology, thermodynamics, biotechnology, and sustainability. Keep reading: https://lnkd.in/eiUEFMFp

White House Issues New Security Rules for Government-Funded Research The White House published long-awaited guidelines this month that will govern efforts to ensure research institutions funded by federal agencies take adequate measures to protect their work from theft or misappropriation. The guidelines will require institutions receiving $50 million or more per year in federal R&D funding to operate research security programs that meet certain standards regarding staff training and cybersecurity. The guidelines are meant to help researchers navigate a world that is characterized by “fierce military and economic competition,” explained White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar in a preamble to the document, singling out actions by the Chinese government as especially concerning. Prabhakar said the guidelines aim to ensure research institutions “recognize the altered global landscape and fulfill their responsibilities as the first line of defense against improper or illicit activity.”  Keep reading: https://lnkd.in/gfTEVX49

This week in science policy: - Senate Wrapping Up Science Budget Proposals - Bundle of AI Bills Advancing in Senate - Research Security Risk Analysis Center Spinning Up Click the link to see our news roundup, upcoming science policy events, and job opportunities: https://lnkd.in/eYP2HaJv

Ocean Acoustics Seeks Greater Profile The field of ocean acoustics in the U.S. has few dedicated educational programs and lacks public visibility at a time when career opportunities tied to the discipline are expanding well beyond military roles, according to a consensus report released this week by the National Academies. “What was once a niche subdiscipline in acoustics created from military need and investment has blossomed, seeding innovations in science and technology that impact society through exploration, policy, and environmentally responsible use of marine resources,” writes study committee chair Jennifer Miksis-Olds in the report’s preface. “Although still fiercely committed to and dependent upon its defense-related roots, the ocean acoustics community has proliferated in applied uses of ocean sound to include those outside the traditional disciplines of math, physics, and engineering,” adds Miksis-Olds, who directs the Center for Acoustics Research and Education at the University of New Hampshire. For instance, the growth of commercial sectors tied to marine technology has created new demand for expertise in areas such as the impacts of human-generated noise on marine life. Read the rest of the article: https://lnkd.in/eXNWHw2K

This week in science policy: - Senate to Release First Science Budgets, Challenge FY25 Caps - IBM Executive Takes Helm of NSF Board - VIPER Rover a Victim of Cost Constraints Click the link to see our news roundup, upcoming science policy events, and job opportunities: https://lnkd.in/eDnEFEvc

Inaugural ‘State of the Science’ Speech Charts Headwinds Facing the US In the inaugural State of the Science address last month, National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt argued the U.S. needs to reinforce its position as a leader in scientific research to ensure continued national security, economic security, and soft power on the global stage. McNutt made the case for a new era of societal support for science that she termed “The Endless Frontier 2.0,” a successor to Vannevar Bush’s post-World War II call to action for the government to nurture the scientific enterprise. Click here to keep reading: https://lnkd.in/eeuKVUdS

FYI is accepting applications for the fall 2024 session of its science policy internship! As an intern at FYI, you will gain valuable experience studying and writing about science policy developments in Washington and beyond. This is a paid, part-time internship. You’ll learn the ins and outs of the federal legislative process. You’ll learn how to read funding legislation and how to find stories in dense reports and bills. Finally, you’ll learn about the processes that the U.S. government uses to allocate billions of dollars in research funding each year. You’ll be exposed to intersections of science, money, and politics. Applications are due by midnight on August 18, 2024. https://lnkd.in/eiTDVhBk

This week in science policy: - Senators Pitching $12 Billion AI Initiative at DOE - Clock Starts on Long-Awaited Research Security Policy - NASA Policy Bill Advances in House Click the link to see our news roundup, upcoming science policy events, and job opportunities: https://lnkd.in/eBmJ7uWT

Timelines Set for First CHIPS R&D Facilities Today, the Department of Commerce announced the process for siting the first three semiconductor R&D facilities that will comprise the National Semiconductor Technology Center, a multi-billion-dollar initiative funded by the CHIPS and Science Act. Natcast, the NSTC operating organization, intends to make the facilities operational over the next four years. All three facilities will have research capabilities and serve various additional purposes, with one housing the administration headquarters to be operational in 2025, one to provide extreme-ultraviolet technology for intricate printing by 2026, and one to have advanced prototyping and packaging capabilities in 2028. Read the rest of the article: https://lnkd.in/ehDqwRSq

FYI is accepting applications for the fall 2024 session of its science policy internship! As an intern at FYI, you will gain valuable experience studying and writing about science policy developments in Washington and beyond. This is a paid, part-time internship. You’ll learn the ins and outs of the federal legislative process. You’ll learn how to read funding legislation and how to find stories in dense reports and bills. Finally, you’ll learn about the processes that the U.S. government uses to allocate billions of dollars in research funding each year. You’ll be exposed to intersections of science, money, and politics. Applications are due by midnight on August 18, 2024. https://lnkd.in/eiTDVhBk