Issue 11 (May 28)

You can catch up on the recording here featuring special guest Dr. Robert L. Santos, Director of the U.S. Census Bureau!

Watch for additional COSSA Headlines announcements and view previous webinar recordings on the COSSA website.

Earlier this month, two Congressional committees heard testimony on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget request. On May 23, the Senate Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee heard testimony from the NSF Director and the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the agencies’ budget requests for fiscal year (FY) 2025.

In her opening remarks, Chairwoman Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) expressed her interest in the committee working on a bipartisan CJS appropriations bill again this year; however, she noted the challenging budget environment, specifically the cuts taken to federal science agencies in FY 2024 as a result of the caps set in the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Noting that the budgets included in the FY 2025 request are significant, Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS) also acknowledged the tough financial road ahead. With respect to the NSF and NASA budgets, Moran expressed primary concern over scientific competition with China, specifically with respect to space science, noting, “Our country desperately needs your agencies [NASA and NSF] to be successful.”

NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan used his testimony to highlight some of NSF’s notable investments, including new activities enabled through enactment of the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022. Panchanathan highlighted NSF’s latest major investment, the Regional Innovation Hubs, and noted the need for sustained investment if the Hubs are to be successful. He also discussed the agency’s efforts to grow the STEM workforce, advance research security, and seize the opportunities of technology, including through investments in areas like artificial intelligence and research infrastructure.

Chairwoman Shaheen asked the NSF Director how the agency would spend a 12 percent increase if Congress were to appropriate the amount proposed in the President’s budget. Panchanathan replied that funding in FY 2025 at the requested level would allow the agency to “catch up” from the 8 percent cut taken in FY 2024, specifically to address cuts to NSF’s core programs and graduate research fellowships. Additional funds will also be needed for the next round of Regional Innovation Hubs, said Panchanathan.

The director was also asked how the creation of the new Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships Directorate (TIP) is impacting the budgets of the rest of the agency, especially given declining appropriations. Panchanathan replied by arguing that TIP is not a separate directorate but instead acts as a crosscut, working with and providing resources to all other directorates. He does not see increases for TIP as decreases for other parts of the agency, a fact that many stakeholders may not totally agree with given TIP’s mission to support “use-inspired” research with the goal of “fostering innovation and technology ecosystems, establishing translation pathways, and partnering across sectors to engage the nation’s diverse talent.”

Other members of the committee questioned Panchanathan on topics like AI education and workforce and concerns about the administration of the EPSCoR program, specifically with respect to meeting the spending targets set in the CHIPS and Science Act.

A week earlier on May 16, Panchanathan was joined by the past Chair of the National Science Board, Dan Reed, to testify before the House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology.

In his opening remarks, Subcommittee Chair Mike Collins (R-GA) expressed concern about the U.S. losing its science leadership globally, specifically to China. Adding that we are currently “in the midst of a technological revolution,” he expressed the need to act quickly in order to keep pace. However, later in the hearing Chairman Collins expressed his objection to the proposed increases for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at NSF.

Subcommittee Ranking Member Haley Stevens (D-MI) noted, noting that this is “the moment for NSF to shine” and that the U.S. “must put our money where our mouth is,” calling the 8 percent cut to NSF in FY 2024 “unacceptable.” In addition, full Science Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) expressed concern about the TIP directorate diverting funding away from the rest of the agency in FY 2024, which she called “unacceptable” and “not what the Congress intended.”

In response to the concerns about China, the witnesses underscored the need for urgency, noting that China has already surpassed the U.S. in STEM doctorate production and publications, and is close to beating the U.S. in R&D expenditures.

Details of the President’s FY 2025 budget request can be found in COSSA’s analysis.

Earlier this month, the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), newly appointed in April, released subcommittee allocations and a preliminary schedule for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget. The subcommittee allocations were approved on May 23 with a vote of 30-22. While defense would see an increase of nearly $9 billion in funding, the total allocation to the non-defense discretionary funding would see a decrease of approximately 6 percent. This decrease, however, would not be evenly distributed across the twelve bills, with some subcommittees receiving significant cuts, including the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) subcommittee which would receive $194.4 million, a decrease of $7.8 million or 4 percent from FY 2024 levels. Initially, LHHS was expected to receive $184.5 million but, in a substitute amendment, the committee offered LHHS a $2 billion increase that was originally allocated to the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) subcommittee. CJS, after this substitute amendment, would receive $78.3 million, an increase of $11.8 million or 17.7 percent from FY 2024 levels.

The aggressive preliminary schedule for passing the twelve appropriations bills has already begun with the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Bill as well as the Legislative Branch Bill, both of which have held mark-up hearings as expected. However, these two bills are considered far less contentious than bills such as the LHHS and CJS bills. According to the schedule, the subcommittee mark-up for the CJS bill would take place on June 12, with full-committee mark-ups scheduled for July 9. The LHHS bill would consequently have a subcommittee mark-up on June 27, with full-committee mark-ups scheduled for July 10. It is anticipated that the report language for each bill will be released the day before subcommittee mark-ups are scheduled.

Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage of the FY 2025 budget process.

On May 23, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee held a budget hearing on the National institutes of Health (NIH) fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget request. Witnesses included NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli as well as directors of the following NIH institutes and centers: National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The hearing focused on advancements in medical research and treatment on topics such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and drug addiction, with an increased interest in youth health and rural health.

In her opening statement, the Chair of the LHHS Subcommittee, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), highlighted the importance of meaningful, increased funding for the NIH to bolster U.S. competitiveness in research with international competitors, including China.

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) raised concerns about the data collection process for medical research, to which Dr. Bertagnolli highlighted the importance of collecting data that is “good enough that we can make life-altering decisions based on it.” She continued to confirm that the NIH is working with various partners to improve their ability to harness real-world data. This was later affirmed by NIDA Director Nora Volkow as she discussed programs intended to provide community-specific interventions through working with them directly to collect data and implement intervention strategies.

Chairwoman Baldwin addressed rising concerns about the decreasing workforce in research, seeking to understand how the NIH intends to prioritize and incentivize future researchers. Dr. Bertagnolli addressed the difficult decision between funding more research with lower training stipends or less research with higher stipends. She also confirmed that these discussions are being held in virtually all NIH meetings and that, with increased funding, the NIH would have the potential to fully fund graduate researchers at the amount they have outlined in their budget request. To better understand the importance of finalizing the budget on time, Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) asked Dr. Bertagnolli to underscore the detrimental impacts of a continuing resolution (CR) on the NIH, in which Dr. Bertagnolli confirmed that without a final budget, strategic decisions are more difficult to make when planning for the year.

Lastly, Ranking Member Shelley Capito (R-WV) and Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) both sought clarity for Congress and the American public on gain of function research, particularly related to the origins of COVID-19. Kennedy recommended the NIH provide clarity on gain of function research through either extended press conferences or a symposium for the public as well as an NIH-led symposium on what was learned from the pandemic. While this topic remains contentious for the NIH, the budget hearing was all-around supportive of the NIH and their research priorities.

The recording of the hearing can be found here. Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage of the Congressional budget process.

The Bipartisan Senate Artificial Intelligence (AI) Working Group led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Mike Rounds, Senator Martin Heinrich, and Senator Todd Young, recently released a report, Driving U.S. Innovation in Artificial Intelligence: A Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence Policy in the United States Senate. As AI becomes a topical issue in virtually all aspects of life, the Senate working group held a series of forums dedicated to understanding the benefits and detriments of potential uses of AI technology prior to the release of this report (see COSSA’s previous coverage on AI). The report recommends committees continue to collaborate on AI legislation and consider the synergies between AI and other emerging technologies. The committee also supports the development of AI programs within key federal agencies, including the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) (see previous COSSA coverage), and cross-collaboration between Congress and these agencies to develop AI-focused legislation.

While the report recognizes the potential scientific and societal advancements anticipated by the development of AI, it also encourages the committees to thoughtfully consider the negative impacts of AI, particularly on workforce development, elections and democracy, privacy and liability, intellectual property and copyright, and national security, as well as concerns surrounding the creation of harmful deepfakes. In order to mitigate potential harm from AI, the report encourages committees to support efforts to develop safeguards to protect the public. The working group suggests the development of legislation for the support of research and development (R&D) efforts that address and provide solutions for potential risks of AI to the public.

The full report can be found here. 

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a request for information (RFI) seeking input on ways to improve research frameworks on studying racism on brain and behavioral health. The RFI seeks input on identifying and addressing gaps in the impact of structural racism on brain, cognitive, and behavioral function, and the role of structural and systemic racism on the conduct of brain and behavioral health research.

Comments will be accepted through June 14, 2024. Submissions can be made here. 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), in partnership with the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) housed within the agency, has released a NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for the Research on the Health of Women. The strategic plan outlines five goals, including:

• Advancing research on biological, behavioral, social, structural, and environmental determinants of women’s health with an emphasis on innovative research that prioritizes and mitigates health disparities experienced by historically marginalized women;
• Encouraging the use of various forms of data collection, including using methods such as statistical modeling, data visualization, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), in research to prevent and treat conditions affecting women;
• Elevating women’s health training and education through providing sex and gender training programs that accelerate biomedical research as well as facilitating opportunities and eliminating barriers for women entering the biomedical research workforce;
• Supporting mechanistic, basic, and translational research on the study of the biology of underlying sex influences and its intersection with disease and health preservation in women across the life course;
• Prioritize community-engaged science through developing culturally responsive communication and support to foster the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based solutions to improve the health of women.

Further, the report underscores the importance of utilizing behavioral and social sciences research (BSSR) when addressing women’s health by affirming that “continued and expanded support for BSSR can enhance understanding of factors that influence the health of women and can facilitate the development of actionable interventions that address health disparities and advance equity for women.”

More information about the report can be found on the NIH-ORWH website. 

On May 9, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, released a white paper titled NIH in the 21 Century: Ensuring Transparency and American Biomedical Leadership. The white paper was released following the collection of comments from a request for information (RFI) from Cassidy’s office on reforming the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (see previous COSSA coverage). In the white paper, Cassidy underscored the importance of NIH-funded research, citing that “every dollar NIH spends on research generates $2.46 in economic activity” and the “FY 23 investments provided support for over 400,000 jobs and generated nearly $93 billion.” He discussed a lack of formal review of NIH operations, which Congress has not completed since the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016 (see previous COSSA coverage), and suggested that a critical review of the NIH is required to encourage improved efficiency within the agency.

Further, Cassidy encouraged collaboration between Congress and the NIH to improve the efficiency of the agency, particularly with interest in building upon current initiatives to bolster competitiveness within biomedical research, improve the research application process within the agency and address challenges of current grant programs, and restore public trust in scientific research. Cassidy suggested that the NIH focus on broadening research participants. In reference to the NIH application process, Cassidy recommended that the NIH address challenges reported by researchers in the comments collected from his RFI, including perceived biases that researchers may have towards their own topics. Cassidy also suggested that the NIH prioritize restoring public trust in science, detailing the exacerbating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on trust in science, through promoting transparency and research integrity. He also raised concerns regarding the potential misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) to alter data results.

While NIH in the 21 Century: Ensuring Transparency and Biomedical Leadership offered various recommendations for improving NIH operations, Cassidy also mentioned recent initiatives that have sought to address these concerns, such as the recently approved Clinical Trials Network to provide opportunities for researchers to collect data in broader communities, the NIH recent announcement in peer-review changes intended to take effect in 2025, and the newly implemented NIH data sharing policy intended to allow researchers to validate and reuse data. In his conclusion, Cassidy highlighted the importance of Congress working together and with stakeholders “to harness this opportunity to strengthen NIH for the next generation of Americans.”

The full report can be found in Cassidy’s announcement. 

On May 9, the Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a request for information (RFI). The RFI invites feedback from the community on the development of the Fiscal Years 2026-2030 NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research. The plan will describe future directions in sexual and gender minority health and research to optimize NIH’s research investments.

Comments must be received by June 26, 2024. All responses should be submitted here.

On May 10, the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) announced the launch of their Child Policy Hub.

Child Policy Hub was designed with leading policy and academic experts with the goal to transform SRCD’s policy programs. The Hub, exclusive to SRCD members, includes a suite of policy trainings and programs that will give members new ways to improve evidence-based policymaking. Members will be able to answer policymakers’ research questions, access new trainings, network with policymakers, hear from esteemed scholars, submit ideas for policy briefs, and more.

To learn more, visit here. SRCD is a COSSA member organization.