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News and updates

Education Jobs Funds Uncertain

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In April, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the Keep Our Educators Working Act of 2010 –cosponsored by Senator Patty Murray and 28 other Democratic Senators. The legislation provided for $23 billion to be distributed to governors to save or create K-12 and higher education jobs. According to the formula in the bill, the State of Washington would receive $478.3 million –roughly 6,500 jobs .

Senator Harkin sought to attach the jobs provisions to a supplemental appropriations bill that is currently moving through Congress, primarily for military operations and disaster relief. However, efforts to include the education provisions in the Senate version have ceased, as there are not 60 votes present to move forward. Several Democratic Senators, including Washington’s Maria Cantwell, and the entire Republican caucus have expressed concerns that the education provisions would add to the deficit. Continue reading “Education Jobs Funds Uncertain”

House Passes COMPETES Act Reauthorization

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After a couple of procedural setbacks, the House of Representatives passed a 5-year reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act on Friday May 28th. The legislation provides for 7% annual increases to the budgets of the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science, and National Institutes of Standards and Technology -keeping them on a path to double funding by 2016. Sights are now set on the Senate, which aims to pass a companion bill by the July 4th congressional recess.

One issue of concern in the bill for the university research community is an amendment approved by the House that links public universities’ response to information requests from their labor unions with their ability to collect facilities and administrative costs for their research grants.  The UW Office of Federal Relations is working towards a modification or elimination of the language in the final bill that emerges.

House Science and Technology Committee Statement on COMPETES Passage

This Week on Capitol Hill, May 24-28

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FLOOR ACTION

The Senate continues consideration of the fiscal 2010 supplemental appropriations bill (HR 4899).

 On Tuesday, the House is expected to consider several measures under suspension of the rules. Later in the week, the House could also consider a motion to concur in the Senate amendment with a House amendment to a bill (HR 4213) that would extend certain tax cuts.

 On Thursday, the House could consider a bill (HR 5116) that would reauthorize education and research programs in science and technology.

 HEARINGS AND MARKUPS

Tuesday

  • the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions will hold a full committee hearing on the ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION.  2 p.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg. 
  • House Appropriations Committee will hold a full committee markup on FISCAL 2010 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS, 5:00 p.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.

NIH Changes to Conflict of Interest Policy

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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) published in the Federal Register on Friday, May 21, 2010 a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) outlining new Responsibility of Applicants for Promoting Objectivity in Research for which Public Health Service Funding is Sought and Responsible Prospective Contractors – NIH’s Financial Conflict of Interest policy (75FR 28688).   The text of Federal Register notice  is also available on the NIH conflicts of interest website.  Comments are due July 21, 2010.  This long anticipated proposed rule is a result of NIH’s consideration of the comments it received on the Advanced NPRM in May 2009.  The description of the proposed revisions (Section II of the Supplemental Information in the Register notice) addresses the responses NIH received to the Advanced NPRM. 

There are substantive and significant changes being proposed by NIH.  Some of those changes have been anticipated by the research community; others have not.  Some of the changes will require changes in how many research organizations have designed and implemented the current NIH requirements; others will not.  It is important to remember that the proposed policy is NIH’s requirement and sets a minimum set of standards.  Organizations can implement policies the meet and exceed these requirements.  The reference to “minimum standards” is not to suggest that the current NIH policy is insufficient in achieving the goal of objectivity.  Rather, it is to remind organizations of how NIH views the reporting requirements – for purposes of reporting to NIH and – under the proposed rule – posting to public websites, organizations must report on financial conflicts of interest (FCOI) according to the organization’s standards, if they are different.   For example, the proposed rule lowers the threshold for a “significant financial interest” from $10,000 or equity interests of 5% to $5,000 total value in remuneration and/or equity in a publically traded company.  If the organization sets a $0 value, the organization must report and post interests from $0.   Continue reading “NIH Changes to Conflict of Interest Policy”

NOAA Funds Likely in Supplemental Spending Bill

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NOAA has been responding to the Deepwater Horizon incident and providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services. We are also waiting for action on the FY10 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill (H.R. 4899), which the Senate is set to consider starting Monday.
 
On May 12, the Administration requested $20 M from Congress for supplemental funds for NOAA, which includes:

  • $15 M for fisheries related impacts
  • $5 M for “activities that support the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but that may not qualify as recoverable from the responsible parties under the Oil Pollution Act or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.” 

Also last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported out a spending measure with an oil-spill amendment that contains support for NOAA:

  • $13 M for fisheries
  • $7.0 M for scientific investigations and sampling, with universities, colleges and other research partners eligible for grants to support this work.

Courtesy of NOAA OAR