Senate Committee Funds Defense, Energy Research
BU IN DC
Danielle Citron of the School of Law spoke on an American Enterprise Institute panel on internet liability law on September 6.
Jonathan Woodson, director of the Institute for Health System Innovation & Policy, discussed the military health system at a Health Affairs event on September 12.
Pamela Parker of Development and Alumni Relations met with a group of alumni from the Pardee School of Global Studies on September 12.
SENATE COMMITTEE FUNDS DEFENSE, ENERGY RESEARCH
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill on Thursday that would provide funding for defense and energy research in fiscal year 2020. The bill recommends $7.22 billion for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, a $633 million increase over current levels. It also proposes a $307.8 million increase over the Trump Administration’s suggested funding level for basic research at the Department of Defense. Although the U.S. House of Representatives has already approved its defense and energy spending bills, it is unlikely the two chambers will reach agreement on spending matters prior to the October 1 start of the fiscal year. Therefore, a continuing resolution to keep federal agencies open will likely be needed.
BUZZ BITS…
- The U.S. Department of Energy announced the creation of a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Technology Office to coordinate all AI and machine learning research activities across the agency.
- The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing to examine government oversight of federal student loans. Witnesses criticized the Trump Administration’s supervision of student loan servicers.
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that Dr. Susan Gregurick will serve as its next associate director for data science. Dr. Gregurick is a computational biologist who has been with NIH since 2013.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
BU Research is bringing back its popular Research on Tap series, which invites BU faculty to share their expertise through a curated series of microtalks. Dr. Andy Henderson of the School of Medicine will host “Working on an HIV Cure” on Tuesday, September 24th from 4 to 6 pm in the Kilachand Center. Investigators will discuss their research on HIV infection and pathogenesis. After the presentations, participants can meet potential research collaborators during a wine and cheese reception.