Dr. Eric Lander, the President’s Chief Science Advisor and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, has reportedly submitted his resignation effective February 18th. The resignation comes amidst several reports that he bullied subordinates. Read more here.
News and updates
House Passes America COMPETES Act
The House passed the America COMPETES Act of 2022 (H.R. 4521) on a nearly party-line vote. The bill has a broad focus attempting to tackle research, climate, supply chain, education, and immigration issues. As it stands, the legislation reauthorizes the NSF and key components of the Department of Energy, invests in semiconductor chips production, and contains diplomatic, research security, and immigration provisions. Several amendments were adopted, and the bill will need to be conferenced with the bipartisan US Innovation and Competition Act (USICA, S. 1260). You can find a fact sheet here.
Register Now: Federal Relations Spring Town Hall
The Office of Federal Relations will host a virtual town hall for the campus community on Thursday, March 24th from 12pm-1pm PT. Our staff will provide an update on the federal budget, infrastructure and competitiveness bills, and preview the UW’s 2022 federal agenda. This will be followed by an opportunity for Q&A. Register here (NetID restricted).
Shelly Lowe Confirmed as NEH Chair
Yesterday the Senate confirmed Shelly Lowe, of Arizona, to be the Chairperson of the National Endowment of the Humanities for a four year term. President Biden is expected to make the appointment in the coming days and she will begin her term shortly after. Ms. Lowe previously served in positions at the University of Arizona and Yale University, and is currently completing her doctorate in higher education. She grew up in Arizona and is a member of the Navajo Nation.
You can read her statement on being confirmed here.
Guidebook to Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The White House has released a guidebook for state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to navigate the bipartisan infrastructure law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) which was signed into law in November 2021. The guidebook is intended to serve as a “one stop shop” on the law and contains all the most up-to-date information. The law contains numerous provisions and $1.2 trillion in spending, over half of which is dedicated to improving hard infrastructure such as roads, ports, and bridges.
A press statement is available here.