June 6, 2014

CONGRESS AND THE BUDGET

Steering $25 billion to science agencies, Senate appropriators propose $7.2 billion for the National Science Foundation (see the chart below for a breakdown); $900 milion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and $17.9 billion for NASA. Cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing,  weather warnings, and minority STEM education are top priorities. Also gaining are high tech in Maryland, represented by committee chair Barbara Mikulski, and Gulf Coast fisheries, an interest of ranking Republican Richard Shelby of Alabama. See a summary. The measure still has to pass the full Senate, get through a House-Senate conference and get signed by the president before its provisions become law.

Chart courtesy of the Coalition for National Science Funding.

NSF PRODDED ON MINORITIES IN STEM: Senate appropriators devote several passages of their report to historically black colleges and universities. They decry a relative lack of National Science Foundation support for these schools outside that provided by the Education and Human Resources directorate. So, NSF is urged to put three of 15 new Innovation Corps (I-Corps) sites at HBCUs. In addition, "the NSF director shall convene a high-level panel to devise a comprehensive strategy to accelerate significant competitive opportunities for HBCUs that can continuously tap NSF's core research directorates rather than its [EHR] program base." The panel should comprise primarily HBCU leaders. NSF is also told to report back on "transformative learning and professional development approaches, particularly with respect to undergraduate programs at urban universities and HBCUs." And there's more: Up to $7.5 million from existing programs should target broadening participation, "particularly at HBCUs," and NSF should aim to find effective models for pipelines that increase numbers of underrepresented minorities in advanced science fields. Another $5 million, appropriators say, should go toward increasing recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of Hispanic students pursuing STEM degrees.

NOT SATISFIED: For a second year, the Obama administration's STEM reorganization fails to pass muster with lawmakers. Senate appropriators want to continue funding mission-oriented STEM programs at various agencies, and tell the administration to come up with a plan that draws wider support. Further, they say "scientists supported by  the federal government are not absolved of the responsibility to educate and train the next generation."

IMAGE-MAKING: Seeing potential for "revolutionary new imaging technology for medical professionals and researchers to combat disease and support high-skilled manufacturing jobs," appropriators instruct the Office of Science and Technology Policy to set up an interagency group to coordinate imaging research funding and come up with a "roadmap for the full scope of imaging research and development," including incentives for export-oriented manufacturing. 

MANUFACTURING STRATEGY: Their idea may draw opposition from the GOP-controlled House, but Senate appropriators want to see a "recurring national strategic plan for manufacturing." With help from the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, OSTP should identify agencies to be included, topics to be addressed, stakeholders that should be consulted, say "how a comparative international perspective could improve the plan, what resources may be needed to produce an expanded plan, and an identification of metrics by which the success of a strategy can be measured . . . ."

'cyber-OBSESSED': That's what the Commerce Department needs to be, say the senators, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology gets a big role with its Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. There's something in this for Mikulski's state of Maryland, where NIST is headquartered: The appropriations panel expects the center "to evolve into a technology transfer hub for cyber solutions," It encourages NIST "to create a plan for increasing innovation opportunities by encouraging companies to co-locate near the center."

ROAD, RAIL AND SKY: Research projects are scattered throughout the Senate's Transportation and Housing appropriations bill. Although the transportation secretary's R&D budget gets cut, there's $72,500,000 for University Transportation Centers. In addition, "the vast and growing shipments of crude oil and ethanol by rail" require research as well as regulation and enforcement, the panel says. At the Federal Aviation Administration, research, engineering, and development would get $156.7 million. Some operations and facilities money can also go toward R&D. Special mentions include the $21.5 million for NextGen environmental research. -- Environment program; nearly $13 million for unmanned aerial systems research, and $15 million for Airport Cooperative Research.

DATA POINTS

THE ADMINISTRATION AND RESEARCH AGENCIES

'MY BROTHER's KEEPER': Recommendations in the first report of the president's initiative aimed at young males of color include a "public-private campaign to actively recruit high-quality, sustained mentors for all youth and improve the quality of mentoring programs." The campaign would tap national networks capable of recruiting large numbers of mentors. Other recommendations include: At high schools, expanded access to advanced-placement and international baccalaureate courses and rigorous college prep; improved college advising services; encouragement of students and families to complete college applications and FAFSA forms.

ENERGY DEPT. FAULTED ON DISsEMINATION: DOE's inspector general  looked into the agency's publication of federally funded research findings and found it wanting. As explained in a report to Congress, grant recipients "had not always submitted final technical reports to the responsible office, unrestricted reports submitted to Energy Link were not always reviewed and subsequently released publicly, and reports were not released after the expiration of associated data protection periods."

NASA RFP FOR 'DEEP SPACE AND MARS': The space agency's Early Stage Innovations announcement seeks proposals from universities for pioneering approaches that can help solve "tough space technology challenges" and "benefit the space program, other government agencies, and the greater aerospace community."  Find out more.

Meanwhile, NASA has tapped 13 teams from minority-serving institutions to test their science experiments in microgravity conditions.  

PARTNERSHIPS FOR INNOVATION: The National Science Foundation's description of the PFI Accelerating Innovation Research-Technology Translation program makes it sound strikingly similar to Innovation Corps (I-Corps): "an early opportunity to move previously NSF-funded research results with promising commercial potential along the path toward commercialization  . . . while engaging faculty and students in entrepreneurial/innovative thinking." Anyway, 35-40 awards are offered at up to $200,000 each for 18 months. Learn more. 

IN SEARCH OF . . . a deputy head of NSF's Office of International and Integrative Activities. The application window closes July 8. Learn more.

DUE PROCESS FOR ROTATORS: That's the rallying cry  of a group of scientists concerned about the rights of faculty brought in to work temporarily at NSF under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act. As Jeff Mervis explains in this ScienceInsider article, the group has warned that absent an explanation of due process policies, "we will advise our peers against service as rotators.” NSF general counsel Lawrence Rudolph retorted that "it would be sad and unfortunate if your misguided beliefs in this matter would serve as a basis for persuading your peers against coming to NSF."

ADVANCE . . . the NSF program aimed at "Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers," has scheduled two webinars on its new solicitation. 

NATIONAL ACADEMIES

'NO EASY MATTER' is how the co-chair of a National Academies panel describes the challenge of gaining the benefit of aerial drones while "maintaining the safety and efficiency of the nation's  civil aviation system." The panel's report recommends eight research projects, the most urgent and difficult of which involve: behavior of adaptive/nondeterministic systems; operation without continuous human oversight; modeling and simulation; and verification,validation, and certification.

PATHWAY TO MARS: Mitch Daniels, Purdue president and keynoter at ASEE's upcoming annual conference in Indianapolis, co-chaired a National Academies panel that urges a national "horizon goal" of putting humans on Mars. A press release says: "The success of this approach would require a steadfast commitment to a consensus goal, international collaboration, and a budget that increases by more than the rate of inflation." Read the report.

   PUBLIC POLICY  AND HIGHER ED

NEW ENGINEERING DEANS: Stanford has tapped Persis Drell, right, a physics professor and former director of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. At the University of Texas-Austin, interim dean Sharon Wood, left, takes over the Cockrell School. She's an engineering professor and earthquake response expert. 

PROTECTING THE COAST: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stevens Institute of Technology, MIT, the Parsons School of Constructed Environments, and TU Delfteach participated in winning teams in the Housing and Urban Development-sponsored Rebuild by Design competition. The post-Superstorm Sandy effort aimed at connecting designers, researchers  and New York-area coastal communities to plan environmentally and economically healthy redevelopment. See the projects.

  ASEE & COMMUNITY NEWS

ASEE DIVERSITY COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER: The spring edition of the semi-annual newsletter is now available. ASEE Past President J.P. Mohsen discusses a proposed Year of Dialogue on Diversity and details on safe zone ally training at the annual conference are posted, among other items.

 
VIDEOS OF THE PPC: View sessions from February's Public Policy Colloquium of the Engineering Deans Council dealing with advanced manufacturing, federal R&D, and K-12 engineering.

INTERNATIONAL FORUM: The 3rd Annual ASEE International Forum, will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, on June 14, 2014, immediately preceding the 2014 ASEE Annual Meeting. The forum will bring together engineering professionals from academia and industry from around the globe who are engaged in novel engineering education initiatives to share information on experiences and best practices. The theme this year is “Preparing Students to Meet Global Engineering Challenges."

on ASEE's Retention Project by clicking here for updates.

EDITOR: Mark Matthews; CONTRIBUTOR: William E. Kelly