In this issue:
WHITE HOUSE AND NSF ANNOUNCE NEW WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY POLICIES
ASME President Victoria Rockwell and ASME Fellow Mary Kasarda, along with other leaders from the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and diversity communities, joined First Lady Michelle Obama last Monday at the White House where she spoke about the importance of supporting and retaining women and girls in STEM careers. The event focused on the “Career-Life Balance Initiative,” a 10-year plan sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and supported by the White House Council on Women and Girls and Office of Science and Technology Policy to provide greater workplace flexibility for researchers in the STEM fields. Among the best practices that NSF will expand Foundation-wide are ones that will allow researchers to delay or suspend their grants for up to one year in order to care for a newborn or newly adopted child or fulfill other family obligations.
NSF has launched targeted workplace flexibility efforts in the past, but the new initiative is the first to be applied Foundation-wide to help postdoctoral fellows and early-career faculty members more easily care for dependents while continuing their careers. The new initiative will offer a coherent and consistent set of family-friendly policies and practices to help eliminate some of the barriers to women’s advancement and retention in STEM careers. It will:
- Allow postponement of grants for child birth/adoption – Grant recipients can defer their awards for up to one year to care for their newborn or newly adopted children.
- Allow grant suspension for parental leave – Grant recipients who wish to suspend their grants to take parental leave can extend those grants by a comparable duration at no cost.
- Provide supplements to cover research technicians – Principal investigators (PIs) can apply for stipends to pay research technicians or equivalent staff to maintain labs while PIs are on family leave.
- Publicize the availability of family friendly opportunities – NSF will issue announcements and revise current program solicitations to expressly promote these opportunities to eligible awardees.
- Promote family friendliness for panel reviewers – STEM researchers who review the grant proposals of their peers will have greater opportunities to conduct virtual reviews rather than travel to a central location, increasing flexibility and reducing dependent-care needs.
- Support research and evaluation – NSF will continue to encourage the submission of proposals for research that would assess the effectiveness of policies aimed at keeping women in the STEM pipeline.
- Leverage and Expand Partnerships -- NSF will leverage existing relationships with academic institutions to encourage the extension of the tenure clock and allow for dual hiring opportunities.
Additional information on this initiative is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/09/26/white-house-and-national-science-foundation-announce-new-workplace-flexi
The previous day, a related op-ed appeared in the Washington Post by White House Council on Women and Girls Executive Director Tina Tchen and
Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Obama, which can be found at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/helping-women-reach-their-economic-potential/2011/09/25/gIQA1dODxK_story.html
Melissa Carl handles public policy-related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education issues for ASME. She can be reached at:
carlm@asme.org
ASME ISSUES GENERAL POSITION PAPER ON MANUFACTURING
ASME’s Board of Governors recently approved the release of a general position paper entitled, “Strengthening the U.S. Manufacturing Sector.” The ASME paper was developed as follow-up to a recent report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), which provided the overarching Administration strategy for revitalizing the nation’s leadership in advanced manufacturing.
The Administration’s proposed strategy, called the Advanced Manufacturing Initiative (AMI), will focus on utilizing and re-tooling existing programs at key science and engineering agencies. ASME Federal Fellow Dr. Sridhar Kota, Assistant Director for Advanced Manufacturing at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, served as an advisor for the report, which calls for investments in building domestic manufacturing capabilities in critical national security industries, in reducing the time needed to make advanced materials used in manufacturing products, and in establishing leadership in broadly applicable next-generation manufacturing technologies ranging from energy efficiency to design and development. As part of the launch of AMI, the National Institute of Standards and Technology recently announced that a former ASME Federal Fellow and manufacturing industry executive Michael Molnar would be appointed as the agency’s first-ever Chief Manufacturing Officer.
In the paper, ASME outlined the key steps the U.S. must take to nurture recovery in the manufacturing sector, including committing to long-term, broad-based federal investments in scientific and engineering research and policies to promote development in the U.S. manufacturing workforce. Highlights from the paper include:
- Prioritize long-term federal research projects and support a balanced portfolio of engineering and scientific research among the physical and life sciences. Congress should do this by supporting the goals of the America COMPETES Act – an effort focused on the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, and National Institute of Standards and Technology – agencies that support basic research in engineering and have a high impact on economic competitiveness.
- Support scholarships for students and workers pursuing science and engineering degrees and technical certificates for those who are willing to work in a manufacturing environment after graduation.
- Expand and make permanent the R&D tax credit and support new efforts to drive research through the ‘valley of death’ transition from initial technology concepts to commercialization.
- Strengthen tax incentives for workforce development and continuing education, including those at the graduate level, both for employers and employees.
- Encourage and sustain the formation of R&D and STEM education partnerships among government, industry, and universities.
To view the complete ASME position paper on “Strengthening the U.S. Manufacturing Sector”, please visit: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/advocacy-government-relations/position-statements The paper was endorsed by ASME’s Manufacturing Technical Group (MTG).
The full PCAST Report to the President on “Ensuring American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing” is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast-advanced-manufacturing-june2011.pdf
Paul Fakes handles public policy-related manufacturing issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
fakesp@asme.org
DOE RELEASES QUADRENNIAL TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its first multi-year energy research blueprint on September 27, prioritizing those “technologies most likely to have significant impact on timescales commensurate with the urgency of national energy challenges.” The 168-page Quadrennial Technology Review (QTR) report highlights two themes which will guide DOE’s overall research and development (R&D) investment:
- Balancing more assured activities against higher-risk transformational work to hedge against situations where reasonably assured paths become blocked by insurmountable challenges; and,
- Ensuring that its R&D activities are relevant to the private sector.
In an effort to address the nation’s challenges, energy security and U.S. competitiveness, the DOE-QTR defines six key strategies: increase vehicle efficiency; electrification of the light duty fleet; deploy alternative fuels; increase building and industrial efficiency; modernize the electrical grid; and deploy clean electricity.
Other findings of the DOE-QTR include:
- DOE should give greater emphasis to the transport sector relative to the stationary sector;
- Among the transport strategies, DOE will devote its greatest effort to electrification of the vehicle fleet, a sweet spot for pre-competitive DOE R&D;
- Within the stationary heat and power sector, the DOE-QTR finds that the Department should increase emphasis on efficiency and understanding the grid;
- Finally, the DOE-QTR highlights the need for the Department to develop stronger, more integrated policy, economics, and technical analyses of its research and development activities.
The full report is available for review at: http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/ReportOnTheFirstQTR.pdf
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
rainsr@asme.org
EPA'S IG RELEASES A PROCEDURAL REVIEW OF EPA'S GREENHOUSE GASES ENDANGERMENT FINDING DATA QUALITY PROCESSES
The Inspector General (IP) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a report assessing whether the Agency followed key federal and EPA regulations and policies in developing and reviewing the technical data used to make and support its greenhouse gases (GHG) endangerment finding. The Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and an outspoken skeptic of climate change, Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), initially requested the review.
On December 15, 2009, EPA published its Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act. As the primary scientific basis for EPA’s finding, the Agency relied upon assessments conducted by other organizations, such as the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council. EPA summarized the results of these and other scientific assessments in a technical support document (TSD).
The IG report concluded that the EPA met statutory requirements for rulemaking and generally followed requirements and guidance related to ensuring the quality of the supporting technical information. Whether EPA’s review of its endangerment finding TSD met the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requirements for peer review depends on whether the TSD is considered a highly influential scientific assessment. The review found the TSD to be a highly influential scientific assessment because EPA weighed the strength of the available science by its choices of information, data, studies, and conclusions included in and excluded from the TSD.
EPA had the TSD reviewed by a panel of 12 federal climate change scientists but only one of the scientists represented the EPA, and the review results were not publicly reported. While the report affirms the endangerment finding by the EPA, it did not address climate change science, or the conclusions made by the EPA.
The IG recommended that EPA:
- Revise its Peer Review Handbook to accurately reflect OMB requirements for peer review of highly influential scientific assessments;
- Instruct program offices to state in proposed and final rules whether the action is supported by influential scientific information or a highly influential scientific assessment; and,
- Revise its assessment factors guidance to establish minimum review and documentation requirements for assessing and accepting data from other organizations.
The complete report, entitled “Procedural Review of EPA’s Greenhouse Gases Endangerment Finding Data Quality Processes” (Report No. 11-P-0702, September 26, 2011), is available for review at: http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2011/20110926-11-P-0702.pdf
Robert Rains handles public policy-related environmental issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
rainsr@asme.org
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO DELAY CAFE STANDARDS UNTIL NOVEMBER
Last week, the Obama Administration announced that it was delaying the scheduled release of standards that would double the fuel economy of cars and light trucks from the original September 30 deadline to mid-November. The rules, when finalized, will set a fleet-wide target of 54.5 mpg by model year 2025.
In a joint statement, EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said, “We are working to complete these historic fuel economy and greenhouse gas pollution reduction standards which will save consumers money, help protect the air we breathe, and strengthen our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
“We have worked closely with all key stakeholders including the car companies, the State of California, and others as we move toward releasing the proposed rule. Given the historic nature of this joint rule between EPA and DOT, as well as the necessary coordination with California, it was recently determined that additional time was needed and we expect to issue a proposal for MY 2017-2025 vehicles by mid-November.”
The final rule is expected to be issued in July 2012.
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
rainsr@asme.org
ARPA-E ANNOUNCES NEW ROUND OF AWARDS
Arun Majumdar, Director of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), today announced 60 cutting-edge research projects aimed at dramatically improving how the U.S. produces and uses energy. With $156 million from the Fiscal Year 2011 budget, the new ARPA-E selections focus on accelerating innovations in clean technology while increasing America's competitiveness in rare earth alternatives and breakthroughs in biofuels, thermal storage, grid controls, and solar power electronics. ARPA-E has also announced this year that eleven of its projects secured more than $200 million in outside private capital investment.
“These innovative projects are at the forefront of a new technological frontier that plays a critical role in our future energy security and economic growth, “said Majumdar. “It is now more important than ever to invest in game-changing ideas that will build the technological infrastructure for a new, clean energy economy.”
The projects selected are located in 25 states, with 50% of projects led by universities, 23% by small businesses, 12% by large businesses, 13% by national labs, and 2% by non-profits. Prior to today, ARPA-E has awarded $365.7 million in funds to approximately 120 groundbreaking energy projects within seven program areas. This most recent round of selections brings the total to 180 projects, 12 program areas and $521.7 million in awards at ARPA-E to date.
As reported in the September 12, 2011 Edition of Capitol Update, under the Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee ARPA-E would receive $250 million in funding for fiscal year (FY) 2012, $70 million above the House’s figure, and a somewhat remarkable feat given the inclination of the committee to cut funding in order to address budget deficits.
A full list of ARPA-E awarded projects can be read here http://arpa-e.energy.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=QHWJySjQEbk%3d&tabid=83
For more information about ARPA-E please click here http://arpa-e.energy.gov/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=September+29+2011+Newsletter&utm_content=September+29+2011+Newsletter+CID_10d30f99764ad9964bb4dc0eb51b0f9c&utm_source=Email+marketing+software
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
rainsr@asme.org
DOE SOLAR DECATHLON 2011 FEATURES 4,000 STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Collegiate teams featuring over 4,000 students from around the world descended on the National Mall’s West Potomac Park to showcase the highly energy efficient solar-powered houses they created for DOE Solar Decathlon 2011. The September 22 opening ceremony kicked off the biennial competition that challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate houses powered by the sun that are affordable, energy efficient, attractive, and easy to live in.
In addition to educating the public about how to save energy and save money, the Solar Decathlon also provides unique training to the next generation of engineers and architects. Over the last decade, the competition has prepared approximately 15,000 students to become future innovators and entrepreneurs in clean energy technology and efficient building design.
“This award-winning competition engages students from across the nation, and around the world, to develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the clean energy workforce,” said Arun Majumdar, Senior Advisor to DOE Secretary Chu. “These collegiate teams are demonstrating the talent and ingenuity required to expand our nation’s clean energy economy and keep America competitive in the race to solve our global energy challenges.”
Student teams in the 2011 competition hail from five countries across four continents, including the United States, Belgium, Canada, China and New Zealand. The competition involves 10 contests during 10 days that gauge each house’s performance, livability and affordability. New this year, an affordability contest rewards teams that build houses with estimated costs at or below $250,000. The teams will have to perform everyday tasks, including cooking, laundry, and washing dishes, to test the energy efficiency of their houses.
The winner of the overall competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.
For additional information on the Solar Decathlon, please visit: http://www.solardecathlon.gov/blog/archives/1584
Melissa Carl handles public policy-related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education issues for ASME. She can be reached at: carlm@asme.org
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
rainsr@asme.org
THE ARTICLES CONTAINED IN CAPITOL UPDATE ARE NOT POSITIONS OF ASME OR ANY OF
ITS SUB-ENTITIES, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY NOTED AS SUCH. THIS PUBLICATION IS DESIGNED
TO INFORM ASME MEMBERS ABOUT ISSUES OF CONCERN BEING DEBATED AND DISCUSSED IN
THE HALLS OF CONGRESS, IN THE STATES, AND IN THE FEDERAL AGENCIES.
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