Nelson to Depart OSTP Post

Dr. Alondra Nelson, Deputy Director for Science and Society at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is stepping down from her position and returning to academia effective February 10, according to reports. Nelson was appointed to the newly-created position by then-President-elect Biden in January 2021. A large focus of her work has been on advancing equity in science and using science to inform more equitable policies for the public good. She also served as acting director of OSTP for several months following the departure of Eric Lander in February 2022 amid reports of workplace bullying.

In her two years at OSTP, Nelson oversaw Administration efforts on research security, research integrity, ethical artificial intelligence, and greater transparency in science. She gained added attention last summer when OSTP released a memorandum directing federal agencies to eliminate the optional 12-month publication embargo period for federally funded peer reviewed research articles and to make data associated with peer reviewed research articles immediately available upon publication.

Nelson will reportedly return to her professorship at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J.