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Month: April 2010

Immigration Reform Framework Released

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Despite the absence of any support from the minority party, which will be necessary to advance a bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and two of his colleagues — Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) — have released a rough framework for comprehensive immigration reform. The outline serves as a starting point for public discussions and negotiations on a comprehensive package, and should not viewed as actual legislation. Political observers remain skeptical of the prospects for immigration reforming passing in the partisan atmosphere that exists in advance of a mid-term election.

In its current form, the outline contains a number of provisions and addresses issues of interest to the academic and higher education communities, such as reform of the H-1B visa process that has come under fire for obstructing efforts to retain and attract highly skilled labor (i.e. research scientitst) from abroad.

Reid-Schumer-Menendez Immigration Reform Outline

America COMPETES Reauthorization Moving Forward

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The University of Washington has joined dozens of institutions of higher education in calling on Congress to continue the investments in research and STEM education that were authorized in the America COMPETES Act of 2007. Both the House and Senate are on a path to reauthorize the legislation before the July 4th congressional recess. The House is slightly ahead of the Senate in its work on the legislation, as a draft bill was released late last week. The House bill (HR 515 – Amendment in the Nature of a Subsitute) continues the doubling path for three core science agencies (National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science, and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology). Additionally, the legislation proposes a 5-year authorization period in order to give more predictability of R&D/STEM education funding. A full committte markup on the House bill is scheduled for April 28th, with a vote on the floor of the House around May 12th.

This Week on Capitol Hill, April 26-30

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FLOOR ACTION
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The Senate will reconvene at 2 p.m. today, and proceed to a period of morning business for one hour. Thereafter, the chamber will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to the financial regulatory overhaul measure, S 3217, Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010. A vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed will occur at 5 p.m.  The Senate is expected to be in session on April 27.
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The House will convene at 2 p.m. today for legislative business. The chamber is expected to consider two naming bills and a resolution for Sam Houston. Votes are expected at 6:30 p.m.
April 27, noon
The House will convene at 12 p.m. for legislative business and is expected to consider resolutions under suspension of the rules.
April 28, 10 a.m.
The House will convene at 10 a.m. for legislative business and is expected to consider a bill (HR 2499) that would set up a federally sanctioned vote on Puerto Rico’s political status.
April 29, 10 a.m.
The House will convene at 10 a.m. for legislative business and is expected to consider a bill (HR 5013) to overhaul the defense acquisition system.
April 30
The House is not in session.
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SENATE HEARINGS AND MARKUPS
Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION
April 28, 2 p.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg.
April 29, 10 a.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg.
May 4, 2 p.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing
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Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES CONTRACT MANAGEMENT April 28, 2:30 p.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Oversight Hearing
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Appropriations
FISCAL 2011 APPROPRIATIONS: FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT
April 28, 2:30 p.m., 138 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
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FISCAL 2011 APPROPRIATIONS: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
April 29, 2:30 p.m., 138 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
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FISCAL 2011 APPROPRIATIONS:  COMMERCE, JUSTICE AND SCIENCE
April 29, 10 a.m., 192 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
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FISCAL 2011 APPROPRIATIONS: TRANSPORTATION AND HUD
April 29, 9:30 a.m., 138 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
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HOUSE HEARINGS AND MARKUPS
Appropriations
FISCAL 2011 APPROPRIATIONS: FINANCIAL SERVICES
April 27, 10 a.m., 2226 Rayburn Bldg.
April 28, 10:30 a.m., 2362-B Rayburn Bldg.
April 29, 10 a.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
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FISCAL 2011 APPROPRIATIONS: LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION
April 28, 10 a.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
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Energy & Commerce
REDUCING DEPENDENCE ON OIL
April 28, 9:30 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
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Science & Technology
AMERICA COMPETES ACT
April 28, 10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.
Full Committee Markup

NIH and NSF Announce New Research Programs

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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) have jointly announced two new research grant programs to bridge the sciences: New Biomedical Frontiers at the Interface of the Life and Physical Sciences (R01)  and Transforming Biomedicine at the Interface of the Life and Physical Sciences (R01) PAR-10-141. The former focuses on basic research and the latter on clinical and translational research.

The purpose of these two programs is to provide support for cutting-edge, visionary research, only possible through cross disciplinary research. Breakthroughs such as x-ray crystallography, CAT scans, and magnetic resonance imaging have had an enormous and important effect on biology. These discoveries were funded by sources, such as the Bell Labs, which are no longer in existence. Thus, it is very difficult for researchers to work on similar breakthrough technologies today.

Both programs will provide grants of varying sizes and lengths to accommodate a variety of research, encourage young investigators with novel ideas to apply, and will be reviewed by special review panels that include reviewers from the physical, mathematical, and computational sciences selected by NSF.  Applications will be accepted once a year in May through 2012.  The first deadline is May 18, 2010.