What’s Happening With the Federal Budget: Upgrading Shutdown Watch to a Shutdown Warning
For anyone who pays attention to the happenings of official Washington, it’s been an eventful week, even though it is just Wednesday.
CRA Government Affairs
NSF Funded IoT Security Research Excites at the 2017 CNSF Exhibition
/In: Events, Internet of Things Highlights, People, Research /by Brian MosleyOn May 16th, the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF), an alliance of over 140 professional organizations, universities, and businesses, held their 23rd Annual Capitol Hill Exhibition. CNSF supports the goal of increasing the federal investment in the National Science Foundation’s research and education programs, and the exhibition itself is a great way to show members of Congress and their staff what research the American people have funded.
Fiscal Year 2017 Omnibus Released; Not Great, but also not Terrible, for Science
/In: FY17 Appropriations, Research /by Brian MosleyLate last night, the House Rules Committee released the agreed upon omnibus spending bill for Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17), which Congress has been negotiating for the past few months. The bill released last night, which incorporates all twelve unfinished FY17 appropriations bills into one, must-pass $1.1 trillion spending bill, doesn’t provide for increases to most science research agencies. However, it also doesn’t have cuts to those agencies or proscriptive policy provisions. The negotiators also have mostly ignored President Trump’s proposed cuts to science programs in this final version. So it’s pretty much even for our community; not great but also not a catastrophe either.
Trump Budget Blueprint Slashes Science, Boosts Defense
/In: Funding, FY18 Appropriations, Research /by Peter HarshaThis budget is short on details — the President will release a more traditional, detailed budget in early to mid-May — but what is included will not breed much faith that the new Administration sees much value in federal investments in research.
Travel Ban v. 2.0
/In: CRA, People, Policy, Research /by Peter HarshaOn Monday, President Trump issued a new executive order designed to suspend immigration to the U.S. from six countries considered either state-sponsors of terrorism or homes to terrorist activities, for 90 days beginning March 16, 2017.
PCAST Releases Report on Ensuring US Leadership in Semiconductors
/In: Policy, Research /by Brian MosleyThe President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), an independent advisory group of the Nation’s leading scientists and engineers, released a report to the President today on semiconductor innovation, competitiveness, and security. Titled simply, “Ensuring Long-Term U.S. Leadership in Semiconductors,” the report looks at the challenges facing the semiconductor community and outlines recommendations for possible actions for the Federal Government to take in order to ensure US leadership in the field.
Unexpectedly, House passes COMPETES Act Reauthorization, including NITRD Authorization; Bill Sent to President for Signature!
/In: COMPETES, Policy, Research /by Brian MosleyIn a surprising move today, the House of Representatives passed S. 3084, “The American Innovation and Competitiveness Act.”
Clinton Unveils New Tech and Innovation Agenda
/In: People, Policy, Research /by Brian MosleyOn June 28th, Secretary Hillary Clinton unveiled her “Tech and Innovation Agenda” which outlines how her administration will approach technology. The presumptive Democratic nominee is positioning herself as a strong supporter of the advancement and expansion of technology through education, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure. This agenda in many ways continues the Obama Administration’s efforts to expand federally supported research efforts and expand their impact on the nation’s economic ecosystem.
Robotics Researchers Wow Congress with All Day Exhibition
/In: Computing Community Consortium (CCC), Events, People, Research /by Brian MosleyOn June 9th, the Congressional Robotics Caucus, with support from the National Science Foundation, held an all day event on Capitol Hill marking five years of the National Robotics Initiative (NRI).
House Science Committee Passes NITRD Reauthorization!
/In: Policy, Research /by Brian MosleyToday the House Science, Space, & Technology Committee unanimously passed the “Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Modernization Act of 2016.” The bill is written to update the High Performance Computing Act of 1991 and modernize the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program in line with recent recommendations from the President’s Council of Advisors for Science and Technology (PCast).
