AAAS Policy Alert -- December 14, 2011

IN THIS ISSUE

BUDGET NEWS

House and Senate appropriators were poised at press time to unveil a $900 billion-plus compromise appropriations package containing the nine remaining spending bills for FY 2012. All sides, including the White House, are said to be proceeding cautiously in the negotiations, but if successful this week, the bill's passage could allow lawmakers to wrap up FY 2012 appropriations before the latest continuing resolution expires on Dec. 16. According to National Journal, the agreement is the result of "intense closed-door talks over the weekend." Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say they are awaiting an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office before filing the legislation.

Visit the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program Website to stay up-to-date on the latest congressional action on the FY 2012 budget.

OTHER CONGRESSIONAL NEWS

House Passes Bill to Prevent EPA Regulation of "Nuisance Dust." On Dec. 8 the House approved The Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act (H.R. 1633), which Republicans say is aimed at ensuring that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cannot regulate so-called "farm dust." Democrats said the bill is unnecessary, given EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson's assurance that the EPA has no plans to regulate farm dust. There are also concerns that the definition of "nuisance dust" in the bill could be used to exempt coal mining operations and cement plants, as well as farmers, from air quality regulations. The bill passed the House in a 268-150 vote but is unlikely to be taken up by the Senate. The Obama administration has already announced (PDF file) that it would veto the bill.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

White House Announces New Innovation Fund. On Dec. 8 the White House announced the launch of the Early Stage Innovation Fund, which will provide $1 billion in matching capital to Small Business Investment Companies (SBIC), targeting early-stage small businesses. The fund is part of the administration's Startup America initiative and is included in proposed rule changes from the Small Business Administration that allow private investment in SBIC participants. The proposals are open for comment until Feb. 7, 2012. The fund will be fully implemented in 2012.

OSTP Releases Cybersecurity R&D Plan. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has released a strategic plan for cybersecurity research. The plan, Trustworthy Cyberspace: Strategic Plan for the Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Program, can be found here (PDF file). Developed under the leadership of the National Science and Technology Council's Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program, the plan describes several research themes worthy of further inquiry, sets priorities among them, and identifies opportunities to engage the private sector in activities for transitioning promising R&D into practice.

Bioethics Commission to Release Report on Protecting Human Subjects. The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues is set to release its report, Moral Science: Protecting Participants in Human Subjects Research, on Dec. 15. The report was requested by President Obama, who asked the Commission to assess existing policies and rules regarding their effectiveness in protecting human research subjects in both domestic and international research. The Commission will host a pre-release Media Teleconference on Dec. 14. The report will be available on the Commission's website. On Nov. 23 the President issued an Executive Order (PDF file) extending the life of the Commission through Sept. 30, 2013.

NSABB Discusses Treatment of Dual-Use Research. On Dec. 9 the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity hosted a meeting on "The Intersection of Science and Security: a Case Study Approach" (see agenda here)(PDF file). The meeting focused on two case studies that raised questions about the oversight of dangerous dual-use life sciences research, with some participants arguing for government regulation and others urging more oversight by the relevant professional communities (overview of the discussions found here).
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NOAA Issues Scientific Integrity Policy. NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco released her agency's new scientific integrity policy in a Dec. 7 announcement at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The policy, developed in response to a March 2009 presidential executive order for federal departments and agencies, forbids suppression, distortion, or alteration of scientific findings by NOAA employees. A key provision affirms that NOAA scientists may talk to the news media about their work without approval from their supervisors or the public affairs office. The policy also says managers must judge research on its scientific merits, not their personal or political views. More information about the policy can be found here.

State Department Launches STEM Program for Women from Muslim Nations. The Department of State launched the new NeXXt Scholars Program (PDF file) in partnership with 36 American women's colleges on Dec. 11. The program is aimed at female STEM students from predominantly Muslim countries and hopes to recruit 75 students in its first two years. NeXXt Scholars will be paired with a female scientist as a mentor, given a 5-year membership to the New York Academy of Sciences, and have access to internship and research opportunities. Outreach will be led by local EducationUSA advising centers. All admissions and financial aid decisions will be made by the participating women's colleges, and each college that admits a NeXXt student from overseas will be able to designate an incoming American student as a "STEM sister," who will also be given a mentor and a science-academy membership.

Court Orders FDA to Decide on BPA in Food Packaging. A legal settlement requires the FDA to make a final decision on whether to ban bisphenol A (BPA) from food packaging products, according to a Washington Post article. A U.S. District Court judge in New York approved an agreement in a lawsuit brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council against the agency. The FDA has maintained that low doses of BPA are safe, but recent scientific research has raised doubts about that claim. The judge set a deadline of March 31, 2012 for the FDA's decision.

ELSEWHERE

BU Gets Preliminary Approval for Reduced-Hazard Lab. Boston University has received preliminary approval to open a research facility by year's end, according to a Boston Globe article, but only for research that would be less hazardous than was initially planned in 2003, when the university received a related federal grant. At that time, the university expected to build a biosafety Level 4 lab for working on some of the most dangerous pathogens known. That plan drew considerable local opposition, and the lab now proposed would be a Level 2. One more public comment period will be needed before a final waiver will be granted.

Supreme Court Hears Major Patent Case. Last week the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a closely watched patent suit brought by the Mayo Clinic against Prometheus Laboratories, which holds patents for a test that helps set dosages for drugs that treat Crohn's disease and other autoimmune diseases. According to Mayo, the Prometheus patents are improper because they merely recognize a natural phenomenon. The federal government has sided with Mayo (more details found here).

Mexican Professor Injured by Letter Bomb. A faculty member at Pachuca Polytechnic Institute in Hildago State, Mexico, was slightly injured when a letter bomb addressed to a different faculty member exploded in his hands. Although authorities refused to speculate on a motive, suspicion fell on a group opposed to nanotechnology that has claimed responsibility for a number of similar incidents in Mexico, including one at the Monterrey Institute of Technology last August that wounded two professors. (Reported in several places including The Chronicle of Higher Education.)

Canadian Government Revises Policy on Responsible Conduct of Research. The Canadian government has adopted a revised grant-making policy (PDF file) on the responsible conduct of research. The revised policy sets out "the responsibilities and corresponding policies for researchers, Institutions, and the Agencies, that together help support and promote a positive research environment." One of the major changes is that previously funding agencies did not disclose the names of individuals who committed serious misconduct. With the revised policy, the agencies will now require all researchers applying for funding to provide a Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information, (PDF file) allowing them, subject to applicable laws, to publicly disclose: 1) the name of the researcher; 2) the nature of the breach; 3) the name of the institution where the researcher was employed at the time of the breach; and 4) the name of the institution where the researcher is currently employed. Another change involves the creation of a government Panel on Responsible Conduct of Research to ensure a uniform approach for promoting responsible conduct of research and for addressing allegations of violations of the new policy.

India's Innovation Council Issues Status Report. The National Innovation Council of India has released a report of its status and plans after one year of operation. The Council was established in conjunction with the government's declaration of 2010-2020 as the Decade of Innovation. The report includes the proposal now before the Ministry of Finance to establish a roughly $1 billion India Inclusive Innovation Fund to promote innovation and entrepreneurship with commercial and social returns. The plan, Report to the People 2011, can be found here.

UNESCO Launches Global Open Access Portal. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched its Global Open Access Portal last month, a website designed to inform policymakers about the current status of open access (OA) to scientific information both from a global and country-specific perspective. According to the website, features include: "critical assessments of major barriers to OA in each country; key organizations engaged in OA; and funding and deposit mandates."

People in the News. David E. Wright is to be the new head of the Office of Research Integrity at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The office supervises research integrity activities for most of the Public Health Service, including the National Institutes of Health. Wright has served as Michigan State University's Assistant Vice President for Research Ethics and Standards, as well as Intellectual Integrity Officer. He succeeds Don Wright, who has been ORI's acting director since 2009.

Archived issues of AAAS Policy Alert can be found at http://www.aaas.org/spp/policyalert.

Publisher: Alan I. Leshner
Editor: Steve Nelson
Contributors: Ed Derrick, Mark Frankel, Erin Heath, Emily Lamb, Earl Lane, Gretchen Seiler, Al Teich, Ric Weibl

NOTE: The AAAS Policy Alert is a newsletter provided to AAAS Members to inform them of developments in science and technology policy that may be of interest. Information in the Policy Alert is gathered from published news reports, unpublished documents, and personal communications. Although the information contained in this newsletter is regarded as reliable, it is provided only for the convenience and private use of our members. Comments and suggestions regarding the Policy Alert are welcome. Please write to alert@aaas.org.


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