President Obama and Secretary Chu Announce New Energy Efficiency Grants
Today President Obama and the Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, announced a $346 million investment from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to expand and accelerate the development, deployment, and use of energy efficient technologies in all major types of commercial buildings as well as new and existing homes. $50 million will be used for research to aid in the development and reduce the first cost of high performance lighting products. For more information, please visit the Department of Energy’s Website.
Posted: June 29, 2009
SBIR/STTR Legislation Moves in House & Senate
Legislation to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through 2023 was approved by the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on June 18, 2009. Earlier in the month, a House subcommittee approved legislation to reauthorize both programs through 2011.
The SBIR program was set to expire at the end of July and the STTR at the end of September. Previous attempts to reauthorize the programs failed in part because of a fight over the extent to which small high-tech firms backed by venture capital groups should be able to participate in grant awards. The Senate-passed version limits the amount of awards that go to small companies owned by venture capital.
The legislation now must be approved by the full Senate and House, although a vote has not yet been scheduled.
Posted: June 26, 2009
House of Representatives Passes NIST, NSF Funding; Senate Next
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the first of the FY 2010 Appropriations (funding) Bills June 18. The $64.3 billion Commerce-Justice-Science Bill includes funding for two key science agencies – the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. NSF received $6.94 billion, which is an increase of 6.87% over the FY 2009 appropriated level. NIST received $781.1 million, which is a decrease of 4.7% over the FY 2009. Funding levels at both agencies are below the President’s FY 2010 request. View OSA’s FY 2010 budget tracker for more details.
Before the bill becomes law, the Senate must pass its version of the bill. Then the two sides will meet to hash out a compromise bill to send to the President for signature. The Senate Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee is meeting today to discuss the first draft of the bill.
Posted: June 24, 2009
House Committees Approve FY 2010 Funding for NIST, NSF
The House Committee on Appropriations approved a draft bill this week that included FY 2010 funds for two key science agencies – the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) bill provides $6.937 billion for NSF. This is slightly less than President Obama’s FY 2010 Budget Request of $7.045 billion and an increase of 6.89% over the current FY 2009 appropriated level of $6.49 billion. NIST received $781.1 million, which is a decrease over both Obama’s Budget Request ($846.1 million) the FY 2009 appropriated level ($819 million). However, when funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is taken to account, both agencies remain on the path for doubling laid out by the 2007 America COMPETES Act.
The full House of Representatives is expected to vote on the CJS bill next week. The Senate has yet to mark up any FY 2010 appropriations bills.
Posted: June 10, 2009
House Passes Bill on International Scientific Cooperation
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill today designed to enhance international cooperation in science and technology (S&T) and advance the foreign policy priorities of the U.S. The International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2009 will recreate a committee under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) to coordinate the international science and technology activities across U.S. federal agencies.
The bill outlines several responsibilities of the committee including to: plan and coordinate interagency international S&T cooperative research and training activities and partnerships supported or managed by Federal agencies, and work with other NSTC committees to help plan and coordinate the international component of national S&T priorities; establish Federal priorities and policies for aligning, as appropriate, international S&T cooperative research and training activities and partnerships; identify opportunities for new international S&T cooperative research and training; solicit input and recommendations from non-Federal S&T stakeholders, including universities, scientific and professional societies, industry, and relevant organizations and institutions, through workshops and other appropriate venues; address broad issues that influence the ability of United States scientists and engineers to collaborate with foreign counterparts, including barriers to collaboration and access to scientific information.
Posted: June 8, 2009
OSA Members Meet with Legislators to Discuss R&D Funding
OSA members visited Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. June 4 as part of the successful Capitol Hill Day 2009 event held in conjunction with CLEO/IQEC. The more than 30 participants met one-on-one with U.S. senators and representatives and their staff to urge support for continued federal investments in scientific research and development for fiscal year 2010. The participants visited approximately 50 Congressional offices from 18 states, and attended a personal meeting with 2009 OSA Advocate of Optics Congressman Rush Holt (D - N.J.). The event was co-sponsored by OSA, APS, IEEE-USA and OIDA. More information is can be found in the OSA press release and photos are available on the OSA Web site.
Posted: June 5, 2009
Energy Frontier Research Centers Announced
The Obama Administration announced last month the creation of 46 new Energy Frontier Research Centers that will open across the U.S. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science will invest $777 million in these centers over the next five years. Supported in part by funds made available in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (a.k.a. the economic stimulus bill),the centers will be established at universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private firms and will conduct research in areas such as solar energy, electricity storage and carbon capture and sequestration.
A full list of the new centers and the research they will conduct is available on the DOE Office of Science’s Web site.
Posted: May 29, 2009
OSA Member Confirmed as Under Secretary for Energy
This week, the United States Senate confirmed six of President Obama’s DOE nominees including Under Secretary for Energy Kristina Johnson and Under Secretary for Science Steven Koonin. Johnson, an OSA Fellow, was previously the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs of Johns Hopkins University. Prior to that, Johnson served as the Dean of Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering from 1999-2007 where she helped to set up interdisciplinary efforts in photonics, bioengineering and biologically inspired materials, and energy and the environment. Before that she was on the faculty at the University of Colorado, Boulder from 1985-1999 where she led an NSF Engineering Research Center and involved engineers, mathematicians, physicists, chemists and psychologists in working to make computers faster and better connected. Johnson is an electrical engineer with more than 129 U.S. and foreign patents or patents pending.
Dr. Steven E. Koonin was previously chief scientist for BP, plc, where he was responsible for guiding the company's long-range technology strategy, particularly in alternative and renewable energy sources. Koonin joined BP in 2004 following a 29-year career at the California Institute of Technology as a professor of theoretical physics, including a nine-year term as the Institute's Provost. Koonin's research interests have included theoretical and computational physics, as well as global environmental science. He did his undergraduate work at Caltech and has a Ph.D. from MIT.
According to Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, “we are fortunate to have such talented and dedicated leaders joining our team at the Department of Energy. The Department has set aggressive goals for creating green jobs, addressing our climate crisis and putting the country on a path to energy independence, and these confirmations are an important step toward reaching those goals.”
Posted: May 21, 2009
President Obama Releases FY2010 Budget Request
On Thursday, President Obama unveiled the details of his FY2010 budget plan. Earlier this year, he outlined a $3.6 trillion budget blueprint and yesterday's release fills in the details of this plan. In addition to increases in funding at S&T agencies, it recommends eliminating more than 120 programs across the federal government to save $17 billion. The only identifiable S&T cuts are at DOE for deep-water and unconventional oil and gas research and moving away from funding vehicular hydrogen fuel cells to technologies with more immediate promise.
The Department of Energy received a sizeable increase. In a roll-out of the budget to stakeholders, DOE Secretary of Energy Steven Chu characterized the budget as placing an emphasis on clean energy investments through creating jobs, reducing dependence on oil, and confronting climate change. The DOE Office of Science would receive a 3.9% increase over FY 2009 funds. Note: the FY 2009 figure does not include the $1.6 billion provided to the Office of Science as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The ARPA-E program is slated to receive an additional $10 million in FY 2010. This is in addition to the $400 million received in FY 2009 as part of the Recovery Act.
The National Science Foundation also fared well under the President’s budget proposal with an increase of 8.55% over the FY 2009 level to $7.045 billion. This increase, coupled with the $3 billion increase as part of the Recovery Act, puts the NSF budget on the path to double its budget over the next 10 years as outlined by the America COMPETES Act.
The President proposes $240 millionfor NIST scientific research facilities and $180 million for lab equipment in FY 2010. In addition, the budget proposes $70 million for NIST’s Technology Innovation Program, which invests in high-impact research that addresses critical national needs and advance innovation. According to budget documents, “The President’s budget recognizes the important role of NIST programs to advance innovation and high-risk research. NIST 2010 initiatives focus directly on addressing measurement-related barriers and other technical challenges related to achieving energy independence, protecting the environment, rebuilding America's physical infrastructure, strengthening information technology security, and improving the delivery and cost-effectiveness of health care.”
The President’s budget request is just one step in the long process of determining the actual funding levels for FY 2010. Congress now must go through the appropriations process and determine what programs to fund and at what levels.
Detailed information on the President’s S&T budget request is available on the Office of Science & Technology Policy’s Web site.
Posted: May 8, 2009
President Obama Makes Major Science Policy Speech
President Obama today addressed the annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences, announcing his Administration’s emphasis on investments in scientific research and development.
President Obama said he wants the U.S. to exceed the level of scientific innovation achieved at the height of the space race. “The commitment I am making today will fuel our success for another 50 years,” he said. “This work begins with an historic commitment to basic science and applied research, from the labs of renowned universities to the proving grounds of innovative companies.”
Highlights of the speech included a goal to spend 3 percent of U.S. GDP on scientific R&D, a renewed commitment to double the budgets at NSF, NIST and DOE Office of Science; support for programs to strengthen U.S. STEM education; support for renewable energy research through programs like ARPA-E and 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers; and the appointment of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Highlights of the speech appear in a White House Fact Sheet.
A full transcript of the speech appears on OSA’s Web site.
An audio transcript is available on the National Academies’ Web site.
Posted: April 27, 2009
NSF Seeks Public Comment on Sustainable Energy Report
The National Science Board, an oversight group within the National Science Foundation, recently released a Draft Report on Sustainable Energy. The report makes several recommendations and offers advice on how to “promote national security through increasing U.S. energy independence, ensure environmental stewardship and reduce energy and carbon intensity, and generate continued economic growth through innovation in energy technologies and increases in green jobs.”
The Board is seeking public comments on the draft report. Comments must be submitted by May 1 to Tami Tamashiro, executive secretary, Task Force on Sustainable Energy, at NSBenergy@nsf.gov.
The report is available on the NSF Web site.
Posted: April 23, 2009
Obama Names Nation’s First Chief Technology Officer
President Obama over the weekend nominated Aneesh Chopra to be the Administration’s new Chief Technology Officer. Chopra currently serves as Virginia’s Secretary of Technology and in his new position with the White House will be responsible for promoting technological innovation to bolster job creation, reduce health care costs, protect the homeland and the like.
The Obama Administration says it created the new position of Chief Technology Officer to “ensure the safety of our networks and lead an interagency effort, working with chief technology and chief information officers of each of the federal agencies, to ensure that they use best-in-class technologies and share best practices.”
Chopra will face a Congressional confirmation hearing and vote.
Following are resources for more information on this appointment:
White House Announcement
MIT Technology Review article
Aneesh Chopra bio
Posted: April 20, 2009
OSA Launches Stimulus Bill Resource Page
OSA has launched a funding information resource page pertaining to science funding processes in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the economic stimulus bill. The page contains updates on new funding details and how to apply for that funding at the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Defense and National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
The page is available on OSA’s Website.
Posted: March 31, 2009
Agencies Announce Spending Guidelines for Stimulus Funds
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the economic stimulus bill, requires each government entity to be open and transparent in the distribution of their funds in order to allow taxpayers to know how, when and where their funds are being spent. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced how the DOE Office of Science will distribute their $1.2 billion in new science funding. The funds will to be used for major construction, laboratory infrastructure, and research efforts sponsored by the Office of Science. To view the details of the plan, view the DOE announcement or the detailed breakdown of lab funding.
The Department of Defense has also announced their spending plan for the $7.4 billion allocated to the department as part of the economic stimulus bill. For more details, view the DoD Expenditure Plans.
Posted: March 23, 2009
Dr. John Holdren Confirmed
The U.S. Senate voted unanimously today to confirm John P. Holdren as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President. Holdren also serves as assistant to the
President for science and technology and co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
Up until his confirmation, John Holdren was a professor of environmental policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program at the school's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Dr. Holdren has also served as the president of AAAS.
Posted: March 20, 2009
SBIR/STTR Extension
The House and Senate have reached a compromise on extending the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program until July 31, 2009. There is hope that Congress can come to agreement during this time on a longer, more thorough reauthorization bill. Last year, Congress could not come to agreement on reauthorizing both the SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The House passed reauthorization legislation with overwhelming support but the Senate failed to act. A six-month extension was passed to keep the program operating until March 20, 2009. (STTR is reauthorized through September 30, 2009.)
Posted: March 16, 2009
Updated Information on Broadband Funding Available under American Recovery & Reinvestment Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the economic stimulus bill, contains $7 billion in funding for broadband deployment. The Act requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to establish the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program and authorizes the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) of the Department of Agriculture to issue grants and loans for broadband deployment. Both entities issued a joint Request for Information with comments due April 13, 2009.
In order to facilitate the coordinated development of this program, public meetings with NTIA and RUS will take place in Washington, D.C. on March 16, 19, 23, and 24, 2009 at 10 a.m. at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Field hearings will be held on March 17 in Las Vegas and March 18 in Flagstaff, Ariz., with the possibility of additional hearings announced at a later time. NTIA and RUS plan to publish agenda topics for the meetings on their Web sites.
For more information on the program, visit NTIA’s Website. To learn about the meetings, see the Federal Register Notice.
Posted: March 12, 2009
FY 2009 Omnibus Bill Signed into Law
President Obama today signed into law an omnibus funding bill for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2009. The legislation includes funding for most of the government agencies, including NSF, NIST, and DOE Office of Science.
Last year, Congress and the then-Bush Administration could not come to agreement on key funding levels for many of the government agencies. As a result, a short-term continuing resolution (CR) was passed to keep the government funded through March 6, 2009 and then subsequently March 11, 2009. Funding for the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs was originally passed in September of 2008 for the entire fiscal year.
To view funding levels for FY 2009 please visit OSA’s FY2009 budget tracker.
Posted: March 11, 2009
President Obama Signs Memorandum on Scientific Integrity
President Obama today signed a memorandum, which according to the White House, is designed to return scientific integrity to policymaking. The memorandum was a result of controversy during the Bush Administration regarding federal policies on stem cell research, global climate change and a number of other high profile scientific and medical issues.
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu released a statement that in part said, “President Obama also made clear today that his commitment to decisions based on science instead of ideology extends beyond stem cell research -- tasking every agency to ensure that sound science is at the heart of decisions we make. From energy to environmental protection to health care reform, Americans will be well served by this approach.”
For more information on the memorandum, visit the White House’s Web site. The full text of the memorandum is also available on the site.
Posted: March 9, 2009
Obama Releases Budget Proposal ‘Blueprint’
President Obama yesterday released his Fiscal Year 2010 budget proposal. While the full request that includes specific funding levels for all agencies will not be released until April, yesterday’s proposal is considered a blueprint for the direction the Administration wants to go with the budget.
Specifically, the budget proposal includes $7 billion for the National Science Foundation, an increase of 16 percent over the FY 2008 level (note: FY 2009 appropriations have not been enacted yet). This includes increased support for graduate research fellowships and “high-risk” research grants. While specific numbers were not released for the DOE Office of Science, the Administration indicated it will receive “substantial increases” in an effort toward doubling its budget over the next several years. The amount of funding the National Institute of Standards and Technolgy (NIST) is set to receive is also unclear, but the proposal does include $70 million for NIST’s Technology Innovation Program.
See below for specific agency budgets:
National Science Foundation
Department of Energy (includes Office of Science)
Department of Commerce (includes NIST)
For more details on the budget, visit the Office of Management and Budget’s Website.
Posted: February 27, 2009
SBIR/STTR Program Update
On February 17, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as the economic stimulus bill. Although the legislation contains increased funding for S&T programs throughout the federal government, it is not good news for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs’ funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A last minute, behind-the-scenes change was made to the stimulus bill that exempts NIH stimulus funding from the SBIR/STTR programs. According to estimates, this would have been $250 million available for these programs. Please note that this includes only funding under the stimulus bill; existing grants will not be affected. In addition to funding not being available for small businesses, it sets a dangerous precedent for the future of SBIR/STTR.
At the same time, in less than two weeks, the SBIR program is set to expire. Last year, Congress could not come to agreement on reauthorizing both the SBIR and STTR programs. The House passed reauthorization legislation with overwhelming support but the Senate failed to act. A six-month extension was passed to keep the program operating until March 20, 2009. (STTR is reauthorized through September 30, 2009.) When the extensions were passed, there was hope that the six months would be enough time to get a reauthorization bill passed and signed into law. Without action by Congress, the SBIR program will no longer exist after March 20.
For more information about the SBIR/STTR programs, visit: http://www.sba.gov/SBIR/.
Posted: February 27, 2009
House Releases Omnibus Funding Bill for Fiscal Year 2009
Last year, Congress and the then-Bush Administration could not come to agreement on key funding levels for many of the government agencies. As a result, a short-term continuing resolution (CR) was passed to keep the government funded through March 6, 2009. Funding for the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs was extended beyond March, through the entire Fiscal Year 2009.
Now that the deadline is quickly approaching, Congressman David Obey (D-WI), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, has released a draft funding bill for the remainder of FY 2009. The bill provides funding for many key S&T agencies including NSF, DOE Office of Science, and NIST. The legislation must now be considered by the Appropriations Committees, passed by both the House and Senate and then signed into law by March 6.
To view the proposed funding levels, please visit OSA’s FY 2009 Budget Tracker.
Posted: February 24, 2009
President Signs Stimulus Bill; Science Funds Included
Yesterday, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the economic stimulus bill. The final bill includes several billion dollars of funding for key U.S. science agencies like NSF, DOE’s Office of Science and NIST. This funding will be in addition to the annual fiscal year appropriations for the next two years.
Specifically, the Act:
- Provides $2.5 billion for NSF for basic research in fundamental science and engineering and $100 million for improving instruction in science, technology, engineering, and math education.
- Provides $1.6 billion for DOE Office of Science, which funds research in such areas as climate science, biofuels, high-energy physics, nuclear physics and fusion energy sciences
- Provides $400 million for the DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program, which supports high-risk research into energy sources and energy efficiency in collaboration with industry
- Provides $580 million overall for NIST, including funding for renovation, repair and modernization of NIST facilities
For additional information on science funding in this bill, please view the chart on OSA's Web site (all figures are in millions of dollars).
At this point in time, it is unclear when the agencies will distribute the stimulus package funding. The intent is to get the money out the door as quickly as possible to jumpstart the economy.
Posted: February 18, 2009
Secretary Chu Highlights Science in New York Times Interview
The New York Times interviewed U.S. Secretary of Energy and OSA member Steve Chu this week. Yesterday’s article, “Big Science Role Is Seen in Global Warming Cure,” discusses Chu’s intent to focus on science as the way to solve U.S. energy issues. Secretary Chu highlighted three areas in which scientific breakthroughs are needed: electric batteries, solar energy and biofuels.
The full article is available on the New York Times website. An audio interview is also available with the article.
Posted: February 13, 2009
Economic Stimulus Package Passes in the U.S. Senate
Today, the United States Senate passed their version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009 (commonly known as the economic stimulus package). This version differs substantially from the House passed package (see below) in terms of funding priorities. The Senate version also includes a one-year “patch” to prevent the alternative minimum tax (AMT) from affecting millions of taxpayers in 2009.
During debate of the legislation, a group of three Senate Republicans (Sens. Collins, Specter and Snowe) worked with Democrats and the White House to pull together a compromise bill that could gather enough support for passage. Funding for key science and technology programs were scaled back from the original draft, as a result. Still, the House version contains substantial increases for NSF, DOE, and NIST. The House and Senate are expected to immediately meet in a conference to hammer out the differences between the two bills. Senate and House Leaders have expressed a desire to present a bill for signature to President Obama by next Monday, President’s Day.
To see the funding levels in the two bills, please view this chart provided by ASTRA.
Posted: February 10, 2009
Economic Stimulus Package Advances in Congress
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009 (commonly known as the economic stimulus package) by a vote of 244 to 188. The $819 billion bill contains new spending for S&T, including increases for NSF, DOE Office of Science, and NIST.
The Senate will consider their version of the stimulus package next week, which greatly differs from the House passed version. The primary difference is that the Senate bill includes a one-year “patch” to prevent the alternative minimum tax (AMT) from affecting millions of taxpayers in 2009. For a look at the proposed numbers for science agencies in both the House and Senate bills, view this analysis.
After the Senate passes their version, they will meet with the House to hammer out the differences between the two bills. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has vowed to send a stimulus package to the President by mid-February.
Posted: January 29, 2009
First Draft of Economic Stimulus Package Contains Funds for Science, Energy, Broadband Access
U.S. Rep. David Obey (D-Wisc.), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, just released a draft proposal of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009 (commonly known as the economic stimulus package). President-elect Obama has been working with Congressional leaders in putting together a massive bill to stimulate the economy.
According to Rep. Obey, “this package is the first crucial step in a concerted effort to create and save 3 to 4 million jobs, jumpstart our economy, and begin the process of transforming it for the 21st century with $275 billion in economic recovery tax cuts and $550 billion in thoughtful and carefully targeted priority investments with unprecedented accountability measures built in.”
The legislation contains:
- $10 billion for science facilities, research, and instrumentation.
- $6 billion to expand broadband Internet access so businesses in rural and other underserved areas can link up to the global economy.
- $32 billion to transform the nation’s energy transmission, distribution, and production systems by allowing for a smarter and better grid and focusing investment in renewable technology.
- $16 billion to repair public housing and make key energy efficiency retrofits.
The legislation is expected to go before the House of Representatives for a vote next week. The Senate will then need to act on it. The goal of Congressional leaders is to send President Obama a bill to sign into law by mid-February.
Full details of the Act, including a breakdown of the funds listed above, are available on the House Appropriations Committee’s Web site.
Posted: January 15, 2009
Pelosi Comments on Science in the Economic Stimulus Package
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in an interview with National Public Radio today that science will be a driving force behind the economic stimulus package currently being hashed out in Congress.
“In the economic recovery package, we are going with proposals that we have in general, for infrastructure, for innovation, for health care and for energy independence,” Pelosi said. “If you want four words to describe this: science, science, science, and science; the science, technology, and engineering to build the infrastructure for the future, the science for the innovation to keep us competitive and number one in the world markets.”
The comments from Pelosi came as part of an NPR interview on the future of the SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) bill. The full story is available on NPR’s Web site. The science comments occur about half-way through the interview.
Posted: January 14, 2009
Steve Chu Nomination Hearing Held
Today the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing on the nomination of Dr. Steven Chu as U.S. Secretary of Energy. Chu, the head of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and an honorary OSA member, was nominated by President-elect Obama in late December. During the hearing, senators asked for Chu’s positions on a variety of issues including new nuclear reactors, offshore drilling, and new coal-burning power plants. According to the Committee Chair, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), “President-elect Obama has made an excellent choice in nominating Dr. Chu to be the Secretary of Energy. I strongly support his nomination and, as I said, I hope the Committee will approve his nomination later this week and the full Senate will confirm him next Tuesday.”
The full hearing is available via video Webcast on the Energy Committee’s Web site.
Posted: January 13, 2009
National Research Council Committee on Export Controls
Last week, the National Research Council issued a report calling on President Obama to ease restriction on regulations of high-tech exports and on immigration by foreign scientists. The panel, headed by Stanford University President John Hennessy and Brent Scowcroft, a former national security adviser to Presidents Ford and Bush, stated that the regulations do little for the nation’s security while hampering economic growth and innovation. According to the report, the current system of export controls and visa regulations uses a series of lists to inform the licensing decisions of the Departments of State and Commerce, including the United States Munitions List and the Commerce Control List. Items are regularly added to the lists but rarely taken off.
To view the full report, please visit the National Academies’ Web site.
Posted: January 12, 2009
Chu Confirmation Hearing Scheduled
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has announced the confirmation hearing of Steven Chu, who has been nominated by President-elect Obama as secretary of energy. The hearing will take place Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. in Washington, D.C. The committee, chaired by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), will hold the hearing to question and receive testimony from Chu about his views on energy policy. The committee will then send their recommendation on whether he should be confirmed to the full Senate for a vote. The nomination is unlikely to hit any major roadblocks.
Chu, a distinguished OSA member, is currently the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and professor of physics and molecular and cellular biology at the University of California, Berkeley.
It is anticipated that the hearing will be available via Web cast. For more information, consult the committee’s Web site.
Posted: January 2, 2009
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