The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched UNITE, an initiative aimed at identifying and addressing structural racism within NIH programs and the scientific community. The initiative is being informed by five committees with experts from all 27 NIH institutes and centers. Read more here.
Category: Biomedical Research
UW Publishes 2021 Federal Agenda
The University of Washington has published our 2021 Federal Agenda outlining our top priorities for the coming year. Our agenda reflects a commitment to service, excellence, and innovation, taking into account the unique challenges of the past year.
We are proud of our longstanding partnership with the federal government and look forward to further collaboration in 2021.
Hearing on Research Infrastructure
The US House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology will host a hearing titled “Building Back the U.S. Research Enterprise: COVID Impacts and Recovery”.
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2021
Time: 10:00 a.m. EST (7:00 a.m. PST)
Place: Online via videoconferencing. Link will be posted here.
Witnesses:
• Dr. Sudip Parikh, Chief Executive Officer, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Dr. Christopher Keane, Vice President for Research, Washington State University
• Dr. Felice J. Levine, Executive Director, American Educational Research Association
• Mr. Thomas Quaadman, Executive Vice President, Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
JCORE Publishes Report on Research Security, White House Issues Accompanying Memo
The National Science and Technology Council Joint Committee on the Research Environment, Subcommittee on Research Security released its final report Recommended Practices for Strengthening the Security and Integrity of America’s Science and Technology Research Enterprise. The report is developed by the Subcommittee, in coordination with the National Security Council, and aims to protect US research integrity and the R&D enterprise.
The document outlines several recommended practices for research organizations based on the following high-level objectives:
Demonstrate organizational leadership and oversight;
Establish an expectation of openness and transparency;
Provide and share training, support, and information;
Ensure effective mechanisms for compliance with organizational policies; and
Manage potential risks associated with collaborations and data.
The full report is available here. In addition, the President issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 33, available here, outlining guidance for agencies to implement best practices. A fact sheet on the memo is available here.
Biden Announces Top Scientific Positions
President-elect Joe Biden has announced several key scientific positions in his administration.
Dr. Eric Lander will serve as Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the White House. Dr Lander is currently a professor at MIT. The President-elect also announced he will elevate the position to cabinet-level rank.
Dr. Francis Collins will continue serving as Director of the National Institutes of Health.
Several deputies were also announced. The full press release is available here.