Science Policy Report

Address all comments to the Science Policy Office at:
sciencepolicy@sciencesocieties.org

29 April 2020

In This Issue:

Policy News

Science and Society News

International Corner

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

Policy News

A bipartisan group of 182 lawmakers, led by U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Fred Upton (R-MI), are urging House Leadership to include $26 billion in the next coronavirus relief package for scientific and medical researchers who have been impacted by the pandemic. The funding would cover supplements for research grants and contracts. It would also cover costs of research support personnel and base operating costs for core research facilities and user-funded research services until facilities reopen and research activities return to pre-pandemic activity levels. Finally, this money would fund additional graduate student and postdoc fellowships, traineeships and research assistantships, with priority given to those who could not complete research or degrees due to the coronavirus. See the full House letter here. The Senate is now circulating a similar Dear Colleague letter. Email your Senators TODAY and ask them to support supplemental research funding. Senate letter deadline is April 30.

ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, along with more than 150 scientific, university, industry, and regional agricultural stakeholders, signed on to a letter to Congress urging them to provide supplemental funding for USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) researchers to respond to impacts from the COVID-19 outbreak. The letter requested $300 million for capacity and competitive funding and $80 million in extension funding. Read the letter here.
 

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) independent board of science advisers had harsh words for an agency plan to limit the types of studies it considers when crafting regulations, saying the EPA had failed to justify the need for the policy. The policy was first proposed by former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt in 2018 to battle “secret science.” He argued that in order to increase transparency, the agency should limit consideration of studies that don’t share their underlying data. But the agency’s own Science Advisory Board (SAB), in a review of the proposal released Tuesday, said it has “concerns about the scientific and technical challenges of implementing” a rule the EPA has not proved is necessary. Read the full article.
 

Annually, we ask members to become involved in the Societies through committee service. The Science Policy Committees provide scientific expertise to recent or emerging policy issues. Committee members provide invaluable insight and guidance on such issues as GMO labeling, student and workforce development, and federal funding priorities. If you would like to help shape the policy engagement of our Societies consider volunteering for the ASA, CSSA, or SSSA Science Policy Committee today. We encourage representatives from all career stages. The committee volunteer sign-up is done online. Deadline to apply is June 1. View committee guidelines and sign up at one of the following: 
ASA Committee Information
CSSA Committee Information
SSSA Committee Information

Science and Society News

It's been 50 years since the first Earth Day. This year’s Earth Day is focused on climate action. To mark Earth Day, Wiley has curated a research collection and a quiz to help you learn more about climate change. The free-to-read Earth Day content includes ASA-CSSA-SSSA member’s research! See the full collection here.
 

Make sure your voice is heard! You are the guides for the Societies in creating impact into the future. Register and attend. May’s virtual town hall: topic will cover additional strategic planning that crosses all societies. May 7, 12:30A EDT & May 14, 2:00P EDT. 
 

The novel corona virus (COVID‐19) has disrupted the structure of society across the globe. For researchers, faculty, and students, the cancellation of on‐site classes and the shutdown of labs and field sites makes for drastic changes in the way this year’s spring and summer projects can be completed. For those funded by grants, coming up with means to support students, post‐docs, and faculty is a major stressor. To address questions about research practices and funding affected by the COVID‐19 pandemic, CSA News magazine reached out to two scientists: Dr. Gary Pierzynski and Dr. J. Scott Angle. Read the full article.
 

The American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America will host approximately 4,000 scientists, professionals, educators, and students at the 2020 International Annual Meeting, "Translating Visionary Science to Practice," on November 8-11, 2020, in Phoenix, Arizona. We invite you to submit your abstract and help create solutions to advance science. Visit our meetings page for our latest updates.
 

Crops need a sufficient supply of nitrogen at each stage of growth to achieve optimum yields. However, nitrogen in excess of crop demand risks being lost to the environment and becoming a pollutant. Therefore, nitrogen needs to be available at just the right time and in the right quantities for crop growth. Synchronizing plant‐available nitrogen with crop demand is especially challenging for organic growers, whose fertility sources need to be microbially processed before the nitrogen is available to the plant. New research in the Journal of Environmental Quality measures nitrogen release from a wide variety of organic amendments over 12 weeks. The results of the study provide organic growers with up‐to‐date data to inform nitrogen management decisions. Read the full article.
 

Purdue University scientists have been searching for a way to increase a plant’s production of phenylalanine, a compound important for plant survival and used by humans in flavors, fragrances, biofuels, insecticides and pharmaceuticals. Their work led to discovery last year of a previously unknown metabolic pathway that they thought could be engineered to allow plants to produce more phenylalanine than they do on their own. A genetic modification that should have ramped up phenylalanine production led to an unexpected reduction of the compound. This setback, however, illuminated a hidden connection between phenylalanine biosynthesis and the plant hormone auxin, which has implications for not just amino acid metabolism, but also our understanding of growth and development. Read the full article.
 

Farmers, beset with a plague of economic complications after 2019’s weather calamities, will need more scientific innovation to thrive in the future. A report released by the Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation illustrates how federally funded agricultural research generates outsized economic benefits that extend for decades. The report was released as Congress works on federal spending for Fiscal Year 2021 and additional economic stimulus to address the COVID-19 pandemic-generated economic downturn. Read the full report here.
 

As the novel coronavirus outbreak shutters businesses and disrupts everyday life for billions around the globe, massive annual conferences and small society meetings alike have moved online. The new format poses numerous technical and organizational challenges, but it also offers opportunities—for reaching wider audiences, reducing the carbon footprint of meeting travel, and improving diversity and equity. For some meetings, the shift may be permanent. Read the full article.
 

Ten years ago, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill started a cascade of environmental and human health issues. Crude oil, spilled over 87 days, impacted 687 miles of Gulf coast wetlands. The economy along coastal shores was deeply affected. Research on the long‐term impacts of the spill on the Louisiana salt marshes indicates complex relationships between soil, meiofauna, and plant health when affected by oiling and pollutants. Read the full article.
 

A Boston based startup has developed a process for growing cotton that is 10 times faster than growing traditional cotton, as well as more sustainable. The company, Galy, grows the cotton from stem cells of other cotton plants, which takes only 18 days to grow cotton fibers. Additionally, the plants use 80 percent less water and have less greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditionally grown cotton. Read the full article.
 

The American Geosciences Institute is offering a free 90-minute webinar, Federal Grant Proposal Writing 101 for Students on May 6th at 1:00 PM EDT. This webinar will provide an insight into the federal grant proposal opportunities available for geoscience students pursuing careers within academia. Speakers from four federal agencies will discuss the nuances of each of their individual programs as well as provide some advice on how to submit successful applications. This webinar will introduce a variety of federal fellowship programs, examine the key components of the application materials including eligibility and deadlines, and provide advice to submit successful applications. Register here: 
 

For the 2020 award cycle, the Golden Goose Steering Committee has chosen to recognize those individuals or teams whose federally funded research has had a significant and demonstratable impact in responding to COVID-19. We aim to demonstrate the benefits of federally funded scientific research that has contributed to global understanding, breakthroughs in treatment, and innovative and science-based responses to the human and/or economic impact of the virus. We are therefore seeking GGA nominations highlighting these scientific and technological advances relating to COVID-19 that could not have been predicted at the time of initial study or which were focused on other work and have now pivoted to address the current pandemic. It also seeks to highlight and honor examples of scientific studies or research that may not have seemed relevant to a real world problem or societal challenge or for which the results and application were totally unforeseen, but which have serendipitously led to a major breakthroughs and clear impact in our fight against COVID-19. Nomination deadline, May 22. Read the full announcement.
 

ASA, CSSA, and SSSA are doing our part to support our students. We understand that in these changing times, many internships have been cancelled. We're working with employers to rapidly gather a list of summer opportunities that are still open. Check back frequently for new opportunities!  Students- search our career center for openings and Employers can post internships for free!
 

International Corner

It’s no longer hard to imagine: a highly virulent pathogen spreads through susceptible individuals over ever-larger areas, aided by global travel and trade, threatening the lives of millions of people. Except this scenario is not about a disease that affects people. Rather, it will attack our food crops, with very high costs in lives and treasure. The threats to crops are greater today because our food systems rely on fewer crops, planted at high density, over wide areas, with great homogeneity, providing an attractive buffet for pathogens. Read the full article.
 

Genome editing technology has the potential to revolutionize crop development on the African continent, especially in sub-Sahara Africa, according to a new paper published in the Frontiers in Plant Science Journal. The paper noted that CRISPR-Cas9 is already being used to improve major staple foods in Africa, such as wheat, cassava and banana, among others, and the research results are looking promising. International agricultural research centers, in collaboration with national research organizations in Africa, also are adopting genome editing in their research and development programs, the paper said. Read the full article.
 

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Proposals will be accepted from the following several states. See the links for full announcement details and deadlines. 
Georgia – Deadline May 28
Iowa – Deadline June 26
Kansas – Deadline June 26
 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced that it is investing in research on the impact of COVID-19 on American agriculture. Last week, NIFA opened its request for applications on research or extension activities that focus on developing and deploying rapid, reliable, and readily adoptable COVID-19 agricultural strategies across the food and agriculture enterprise. Through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, NIFA will invest up to $9 million for research in the following areas: health and security of livestock; food and food processing; well-being of farm workforce, food service providers, and rural Americans; and economic security. Deadline, June 4. Read the full announcement. 
 

The purpose of the Crop Protection and Pest Management program is to address high priority issues related to pests and their management using IPM approaches at the state, regional and national levels. The CPPM program supports projects that will ensure food security and respond effectively to other major societal pest management challenges with comprehensive IPM approaches that are economically viable, ecologically prudent, and safe for human health. The CPPM program addresses IPM challenges for emerging issues and existing priority pest concerns that can be addressed more effectively with new and emerging technologies. The outcomes of the CPPM program are effective, affordable, and environmentally sound IPM practices and strategies needed to maintain agricultural productivity and healthy communities. In FY 2020, NIFA will only accept competitive applications for funding in the Applied Research and Development program area (ARDP) of the CPPM program. Deadline, June 8. Read the full announcement.
 

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing the potential availability of funding for agreements for the purposes of: 1) Promoting research collaboration between the NRCS Soil and Plant Science Division (SPSD) and university cooperators on significant national issues; 2) Providing technology transfer and training for NRCS staff; and 3) Assisting in training of students in soil science and related fields. Proposals must be for projects based in the United States and its territories. Proposals submitted under this request must be aligned with one or more components of the national Soil and Plant Science Division (SPSD) priorities, which are: 1) Novel techniques to leverage big data for applications in soil survey; 2) Spatial and temporal variability of dynamic soil properties; 3) Inventory of blue carbon soil stocks in coastal ecosystems; 4) Incorporation of technologies to enhance soil survey –geospatial focus on fine
scale –urban, proximal sensing, Mid-Infra Red (MIR) Spectra in biological context. All research areas should be explicitly transferable to soil survey. Deadline, June 11. Read the full announcement.
 

The New Beginning for Tribal Students makes competitive grants to land-grant colleges and universities to provide identifiable support specifically targeted for Tribal students. A land-grant college or university that receives this grant will use funds for, but not limited to, support of Tribal students for articulation agreements with 1994’s; dual credit programs; recruiting; tuition and related fees; experiential learning; student services, including tutoring; counseling; academic advising; and other student services that would increase the retention and graduation rate of Tribal students enrolled at the land-grant college or university, as determined by the Secretary. Deadline, June 12. Read the full announcement.
 

The purpose of the grant program is to provide funds for pilot projects that: (1) Address emerging forest and rangeland resource issues, (2) Have national or regional relevancy, or (3) Develop new and innovative projects that can be replicated at other institutions. Deadline, June 28. Read the full announcement.
 

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing the availability of up to $15 million in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) funding. The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) to agricultural producers, into NRCS technical manuals and guides, or to the private sector. CIG generally funds pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. On-farm conservation research is defined as an investigation conducted to answer a specific applied conservation question using a statistically valid design while employing farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches, or private forest lands. Deadline, June 29. Read the full announcement.
 

The OPUS program provides an opportunity for an individual or a group of investigators to revisit and synthesize a significant body of their prior research or data they have previously collected to enable new understanding. This program is appropriate for scientists at any career stage and for any synthetic activities that aim to produce unique, integrated insight useful to the scientific community, now and in the future. All four clusters within the Division of Environmental Biology (Ecosystem Science, Evolutionary Processes, Population and Community Ecology, and Systematics and Biodiversity Science) encourage the submission of OPUS proposals. Deadline, August 3. Read the full announcement.
 

Scientific research into complex coastal systems and the interplay with coastal hazards is vital for predicting, responding to and mitigating threats in these regions. Understanding the risks associated with coastal hazards requires a holistic Earth Systems approach that integrates improved understanding of and, where possible, predictions about natural, social, and technological processes with efforts to increase the resilience of coastal systems. The Coastlines and People program supports diverse, innovative, multi-institution awards that are focused on critically important coastlines and people research that is integrated with broadening participation goals. The objective of this solicitation is to support Coastal Research Hubs, structured using a convergent science approach, at the nexus between coastal sustainability, human dimensions, and coastal processes to transform understanding of interactions among natural, human-built, and social systems in coastal, populated environments. Letter of intent deadline, August 10. Read the full announcement. 
 

The Antarctic Sciences Section (ANT) of the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) supports cutting-edge research to: 1) Expand fundamental knowledge of Antarctic systems, biota, and processes; 2) Improve understanding of interactions among the Antarctic region and global systems; and 3) Utilize the unique characteristics of the Antarctic region as a science observing platform. The U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) supports scientific research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean with logistics provided by OPP’s Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics Section (AIL). Antarctic fieldwork is supported only for research that must be performed, or is best performed, in Antarctica. ANT encourages research, using existing samples, data, and models, that does not require fieldwork. ANT also encourages research that crosses and combines, disciplinary perspectives and approaches. Proposals accepted at any time. Read the full announcement. 
 

Sources: The Hill; Purdue News; SoAR News; ScienceInsider; Forbes; AGI; Golden Goose Award; The Chicago Council; Alliance for Science; USDA; NRCS; NSF;

Vision: The Societies Washington, DC Science Policy Office (SPO) will advocate the importance and value of the agronomic, crop and soil sciences in developing national science policy and ensuring the necessary public-sector investment in the continued health of the environment for the well being of humanity. The SPO will assimilate, interpret, and disseminate in a timely manner to Society members information about relevant agricultural, natural resources and environmental legislation, rules and regulations under consideration by Congress and the Administration.

This page of the ASA-CSSA-SSSA web site will highlight current news items relevant to Science Policy. It is not an endorsement of any position.