CoR NEWSJanuary 18, 2019
To: APLU Council on ResearchFrom: APLU CoR Staff
- APLU Seeks Research-Related Government Shutdown Stories
- Senate Confirms Kelvin Droegemeier as OSTP Director
- Request for Comments on Laboratory Animal Welfare: Draft Report on Recommendations to Reduce Administrative Burden on Researchers
- Associations Respond to ANPRM on Emerging Technologies
- Associations Submit Comments on NIST ROI Green Paper
- Associations Express Support for Fetal Tissue Research
- NIH Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) Meeting Updates
- Revision of NSF Terms and Conditions
- Revised NSF Sexual Harassment Term and Condition FAQs
- Call for Nominations: Oregon State Seeks Science Departments for Study Exploring Promotion and Tenure Reform
- Call for Nominations: 2019 Golden Goose Awards
- Call for Sponsorship: AAAS Making Our CASE Workshop
- Call for Ideas: MetroLab Network Civic Innovation Challenge
- Call for Participation: National Academies Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education
- Call for Participation: US-China Smart Education Conference at the University of North Texas
- Call for Applications: 2019 University Innovation & Entrepreneurship Showcase
The partial federal government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history with no end in sight. APLU is working to communicate with policymakers and the news media how the partial government shutdown is impacting universities, as lawmakers continue to negotiate a deal to end the lapse in appropriations. If you have links, stories, or other information you would like for APLU to share with reporters writing about the shutdown, please send them to Sarah Rovito. APLU will additionally use such stories and information on social media and elsewhere to help draw attention to the real impact the shutdown is having at our member institutions. Furthermore, we thank several members of CoR who have gone on the record to discuss the impacts of the partial government shutdown in recent articles (see here, here, and here).
On January 2, the Senate confirmed Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier by voice vote to be the next Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Dr. Droegemeier is a meteorologist who served as Vice President for Research at the University of Oklahoma from 2009 until his nomination in 2018. An active member and past chair of the APLU Council on Research, his public service also includes his role as Secretary for Science and Technology to Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and past Vice Chair of the National Science Board. Shortly after the official nomination, APLU President Peter McPherson released a statement praising the administration’s decision. Kelvin, congratulations from your colleagues!
- Request for Comments on Laboratory Animal Welfare: Draft Report on Recommendations to Reduce Administrative Burden on Researchers
The NIH is seeking input on the Reducing Administrative Burden to Researchers for Animal Care and Use in Research draft report, released in November 2018 by the 21st Century Cures Act Sec. 2034(d) Working Group. The report describes proposed actions the group has identified to reduce administrative burden on investigators while maintaining the integrity and credibility of research findings and protection of research animals. Comments must be submitted electronically by February 5, 2019; please direct any questions to the Patricia Brown at the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) at olaw@od.nih.gov.
On January 10, APLU along with the Council On Governmental Relations (COGR), the Association of American Universities (AAU), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and the American Council on Education (ACE) responded to the Department of Commerce’s advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) issued last November which sought the public’s input on how to define emerging technologies that are essential to national security. The ANPRM was prompted by Section 1758 of the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which authorizes the Department to establish controls on the export, re-export, or transfer of emerging and foundational technologies. In the letter, the associations offer a definition for “emerging technologies” while noting its “definition does not apply to an exporter’s determination of whether a ‘technology’ is ‘emerging,’” but rather “governs BIS determinations regarding whether a specific ‘technology’ should be added to the Commerce Control List as an ‘emerging technology.’” The Association of University Export Control Officers also offered comments to the ANPRM.
On January 9, APLU joined AAU, AAMC, ACE, COGR, and the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) in submitting comments to the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) in response to the agency’s Return on Investment (ROI) Green Paper released last December. The comments support a number of NIST’s recommendations, including the adoption of some suggestions made by the associations last July. According to NIST’s Green Paper website, the agency will publish a final paper in February and initiate implementation as soon as March.
On December 12, APLU, AAMC, and AAU sent a letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on Government Operations expressing support for continued investment in fetal tissue research, along with efforts to identify potential alternatives.
The NIH Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) held a meeting on December 13 – 14, 2018. Among other topics, the agenda included a report from the Foreign Influences on Research Integrity Working Group and an update on NIH policies and approaches to prevent and address sexual harassment. The Foreign Influences on Research Integrity Working Group, which includes several APLU university presidents and MIT Vice President for Research Maria Zuber, issued a report containing recommendations to address concerns involving undue foreign influence on NIH-supported research. Wayne State University President Roy Wilson, who co-chaired the group, outlined concerns and presented recommendations.
During the update on NIH policies and approaches to prevent and address sexual harassment, NIH leadership announced a newly-formed ACD Working Group on Sexual Harassment. The three co-chairs of the working group are SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson, Dr. Carrie Wolinetz of NIH, and Dr. Francis Cuss, formerly of Bristol-Myers Squibb. The group is charged with creating opportunities to hear from stakeholders across the enterprise and issuing a preliminary report with recommendations by June 2019.
NSF recently sent the letter below concerning revisions to the agency’s award terms and conditions:
Dear Colleagues:
I wanted to make you aware that the following sets of NSF Award Terms and Conditions have been revised: NSF Agency Specific Requirements to the Research Terms and Conditions (ASR); Cooperative Agreement Financial & Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC); Cooperative Agreement Modifications and Supplemental Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions for Major Multi-User Research Facility Projects and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers; Grant General Conditions (GC-1); and Special Terms and Conditions (FL 26) for Administration of NSF Conference or Travel Grants. Each set of terms and conditions is accompanied by a summary of changes made to that document.
The revised Terms and Conditions will apply to all new NSF awards and funding amendments to existing NSF awards made on or after January 28, 2019.
Questions regarding NSF terms and conditions may be sent to the DIAS Policy Office at policy@nsf.gov.
Regards,
Jean Feldman
(on detail)
Lead for EC (European Commission) Framework Programme Engagement
Office of International Science and Engineering
National Science Foundation
Voice: (703) 292-4573
Email: jfeldman@nsf.gov
NSF recently sent the letter below concerning revisions to the agency’s sexual harassment term and condition FAQs:
Dear Colleagues:
A revised set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding NSF’s Award Term and Condition Entitled, “Notification Requirements Regarding Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Harassment, or Sexual Assault” has been posted to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s harassment website. These revised FAQS are dated December 4, 2018, and include 16 additional questions and responses.
Any additional questions regarding the term and condition should be submitted to sexualharassmenttandc@nsf.gov.
Best,
Jean Feldman
(on detail)
Lead for EC (European Commission) Framework Programme Engagement
Office of International Science and Engineering
National Science Foundation
Voice: (703) 292-4573
Email: jfeldman@nsf.gov
- Call for Nominations: Oregon State Seeks Science Departments for Study Exploring Promotion and Tenure Reform
Colleagues at Oregon State University are recruiting science (including applied sciences) departments for a study that seeks to reveal progress toward promotion and tenure reform. If you know of departments that are reimagining their reward and advancement practices to improve teaching, public engagement, retention, diversity and inclusion, multidisciplinary collaboration, and/or partnerships, please contact Julie Risien and Brianna Keys with nominations. The study is supported by the Kavli Foundation, and investigators are working closely with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), AAU, and APLU, who all have great interest in this topic.
The 2019 Golden Goose Awards Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Golden Goose Award, which seeks to demonstrate the human and/or economic benefits of federally-funded scientific research. The award highlights and honors examples of scientific studies or research that may have seemed obscure, sounded funny, or for which the results were totally unforeseen at the outset, but ultimately led to major breakthroughs with significant societal impact. The deadline to submit nominations is January 21, 2019; please direct questions to info@goldengooseaward.org.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Office of Government Relations is excited to announce that the 6th annual CASE Workshop: Catalyzing Advocacy for Science and Engineering will take place on March 24-27, 2019 in Washington, D.C. Created by a coalition of scientific and engineering societies, universities, advocacy, and academic organizations, CASE presents an exciting opportunity for upperclassmen and graduate students in science, mathematics, and engineering disciplines to learn about science policy and advocacy.
We invite you to be a sponsoring institution for the upcoming 2019 CASE Workshop. Any university or professional, scientific, and/or engineering society may become a sponsor and send up to four students to Washington, D.C. for the workshop. Sponsoring institutions are responsible for a $225 registration fee per student, as well as all associated travel and lodging costs for your student(s). Students, who are selected by their institution to participate in the workshop, will spend several days learning about the structure and organization of Congress, the federal budget and appropriations process, and tools for effective science communication and civic engagement. Sponsoring institutions will also have the opportunity to schedule Congressional visits on Capitol Hill for their students on March 27, 2019.
If you would like to sponsor students from your institution, please send an email containing the name, email address, and phone number for the person who will serve as your institution’s point of contact to govrelations@aaas.org and cc jcarney@aaas.org with the subject line: “2019 CASE Sponsoring Institution.” The deadline to register as a sponsoring institution is January 25, 2019; space is limited and is first-come, first-served. We will confirm your institution’s participation, and then follow up later in January with information regarding the hotel block, workshop logistics, and student selection.
MetroLab, a city + university collaborative for urban innovation, is asking for your help in designing the Civic Innovation Challenge by submitting your ideas to the Ideas Competition. With support from the National Science Foundation, MetroLab Network and Smart Cities Lab will be designing a research and action competition in the smart and connected communities domain. The Civic Innovation Challenge will launch in 2019, with anticipated support from NSF and other stakeholders. The Civic Innovation Challenge aims to leverage social science, data, and technology to address complex community challenges, enhance job growth and economic competitiveness, and address equity in our communities. The Ideas Competition is open through January 31, 2019, and ideas for topics that the Civic Innovation Challenge should address may be submitted here.
- Call for Participation: National Academies Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are seeking to advance efforts to prevent and effectively respond to sexual harassment in higher education. To do so they are organizing a group of higher education institutions and foundations that want to lead the way and form an Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education. The group will work toward targeted, collective action for addressing and preventing all forms of sexual harassment and promoting a culture of civility and respect. Members of the Action Collaborative will meet in-person twice a year to collaborate on developing new campus policies, strategies, and programs; to share and exchange promising practices; to develop a shared research agenda; to conduct research on effective ways to prevent sexual harassment; and to coordinate with foundations and professional and disciplinary societies on addressing sexual harassment in higher education. If institutions are interested in joining the Action Collaborative, they should contact Frazier Benya and Tom Rudin at the National Academies by February 28, 2019.
On March 18-20, 2019, the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas will host the US-China Smart Education Conference. The conference will bring together technology experts, industry leaders, developers, and educators from all stages of learning to examine the role that artificial intelligence and emerging technologies play in the evolution of smart education. Conference attendees will learn about state of the art technologies, experience the latest smart education devices, and participate in discussions and tutorials with national and international experts who are transforming education through intelligent technologies. Please direct any questions to Julie Payne.
On April 10, 2019 from 5 – 7pm, APLU and AAU will host the second “University Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) Showcase” on Capitol Hill, highlighting APLU and AAU university-affiliated startup businesses. The showcase will promote the importance of federally-funded university research and demonstrate how university-led entrepreneurial engagement contributes to the innovation economy. Applications to participate in the showcase are due by February 27, 2019 and must be submitted via this form. Universities may nominate multiple startups, and additional information about the showcase can be found in the official flyer. For questions about the event, contact Joe Bañez or Shalin Jyotishi at APLU. Please share widely!
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