Federal Relations
May 22, 2014
House Science Committee Passes FIRST (almost)
In an incredibly partisan and late mark up, the House Science Committee finally finished considering the 27 proposed and debated amendments to the FIRST Act (HR 4186). Given the lengthy and contentious nature of the hearing, the roll call votes and final passage of the measure have been postponed until next week. Therefore, as of
Patent Reform Legislation Pulled from Agenda
Consideration of comprehensive patent legislation appears to be off the agenda for the year after Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Leahy (D-VT) pulled it from his committee’s agenda on Wednesday. He cited frustration with unproductive negotiations as the reason for the turnaround. The measure had been slated for consideration by the committee today but less than
May 21, 2014
U.S. Department of Education Announces $75 Million First in the World Competition
To spur innovation in higher education aimed at helping more students access and complete a college degree or credential, the U.S. Department of Education announced late last week the availability of $75 million in the First in the World (FITW) program. The grants will fund the development and testing of innovative approaches and strategies at
ED Announces Plan College Ratings Timeframe
Today, the Department of Education (ED) announced a timeframe for rolling out the Administration’s proposed College Ratings system. In a post by Deputy Under Secretary Jamienne Studley entitled, “Making it Easier to Pick and Pay for College through Ratings“, the Administration announced that the college ratings system will be ready this Fall and a final
May 20, 2014
UW Professor to Present Disaster Bots to Obama
UW Professor Howard Chizek will present his team’s Smart Emergency Response System (SERS) to President Obama and senior White House officials on June 10th. Chizek is participating in the Smart America Challenge hosted by the White House. The audience will be White House staffers, cabinet members, and White House Press Corps. The UW team is
May 19, 2014
House Committee to Consider the FIRST Act
On Wednesday, the House Science Committee will mark up HR 4186, the FIRST Act, a bill which will reauthorize NIST, NSF and a host of other federal science-focused programs. This is the 113th Congress’s version of the America COMPETES reauthorization. While in previous Congresses this legislation has been bipartisan and uncontroversial, the FIRST Act has
This week in Congress
It’s another busy week in Congress with both chambers in session. Here are some committee meetings we’ll be paying attention to throughout the week. MONDAY Senate Financial & Contract Oversight Subcommittee Sexual Assault on College Campuses Subcommittee Discussion 2 PM; 342 Dirksen Senate Building House Rules Committee Considering Rules for Floor Debate on HR 4660
Congress: Issues to Watch this Week
The House is back in session this week after a weeklong recess period. They will be in session for two weeks before taking another break during the first week in June. The Senate is in this week, but will recess during the week of Memorial Day. Appropriations: Appropriators appear to be adhering to their plans
May 14, 2014
OSTP Accepting Applications for Fall 2014 Policy Internship
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is currently accepting applications for its Fall 2014 Policy Internship Program. The application deadline is11:59pm, Friday, Jun 20. Students who are U.S. citizens and who will be actively enrolled during the Fall 2014 semester are eligible to apply. More information and application instructions are available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/about/student/. About OSTP. The
May 12, 2014
This Week in Congress
While the House of Representatives began a week-long recess today, the Senate will continue to work this week and next, and then take their own recess the last week of May. Here are a few Senate hearings we’re paying attention to this week. TUESDAY Senate HELP Minority Serving Institutions Full Committee Hearing 10 AM; 430