Science Policy Report

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13 May 2020

In This Issue:

Policy News

Science and Society News

International Corner

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

Policy News

Eighteen professional societies, trade groups. and other organizations urged Congress to include scientific research funding in any future coronavirus response legislation. The letter requested $26 billion in supplemental funding across all federal research programs. Last week, a Senate letter in support of supplemental research funding, led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), received 33 signatures. Read the Coalition letter here.
 

House Democrats unveiled a coronavirus rescue bill Tuesday that would direct more than $3 trillion for state and local governments, health systems, a second round of stimulus checks, and a range of other priorities. Republicans rejected the legislation even before they saw it, describing it as a liberal wish list that would go nowhere in the Republican-led Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he was at work on crafting liability protections for businesses instead. The House bill is less an opening bid in a bipartisan negotiation than an expression of House Democrats’ priorities that they hope will resonate with the public as the nation suffers through the worst economic calamity since the Great Depression. Read the full article.
 

Science and Society News

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: topics will cover additional strategic planning that crosses all societies. Thursday, May 14, 2:00P EDT. Register here.
 

Soil‐test biological activity is becoming increasingly popular as an indicator of soil health. It signals the quality of the microbial habitat and nutrient cycling as well as the potential for organic carbon sequestration. Researchers currently use a variety of laboratory approaches to make this assessment, but the different approaches can lead to varying estimates for the same soil sample. Standardization of this methodology would create more consistent interpretations of soil health conditions. A new article in the Soil Science Society of America Journal reports on an experiment conducted on five different soils varying in physical and organic matter characteristics. Read the full article.
 

The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on research around the globe, shuttering laboratories, aborting field projects, and costing scientists months—if not years—of work. Even as labs contemplate reopening—if and when federal and local governments ease lockdown restrictions—the challenges will be enormous. Most will have to operate with just a few individuals at a time, working in shifts. All large gatherings, including lab meetings and lectures, are likely to be prohibited. And there will be stark differences in strategy between fields—and sometimes even within the same building. At the same time, many institutions are still trying to figure out how and whether to test employees for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing the current pandemic, and what to do if infections resurge. 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 and details on our no-risk guarantee. Submit today to gain professional recognition, share information for all to succeed, and foster collaborations with your peers.
 

Dr. J. Scott Angle accepted an offer to become the Vice President for the University of Florida College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Gainesville, Florida. He will assume this role in July 2020. The Department will appoint an Acting Director, who will be based in Washington, D.C., and will serve following Dr. Angle’s departure. In the meantime, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) leadership team will work closely with Dr. Angle to plan for the Agency’s transition and ensure operations will continue seamlessly without effecting mission continuity. Dr. Angle has been a steady hand and visible leader for NIFA since being sworn in by Secretary Perdue on October 29, 2018. Read the full article.
 

If warming continues unabated in the Midwest, in 50 years we can expect the best conditions for corn and soybean production to have shifted from Iowa and Illinois to Minnesota and the Dakotas, according to Penn State researchers. Using machine learning — a form of artificial intelligence that enables a computer system to learn from data — the team considered more than three decades of county-level, crop-yield data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service for 18 states in the central region of the United States. That area produces the majority of these crops. Read the full article.
 

The National Science Board (NSB) announced a new chair and vice chair to lead the NSB for the next two years. NSB is unique in that it serves as both the policymaking body of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and as an independent advisor to Congress and the President on science and engineering (S&E) and education in S&E policy matters. NSB elected Ellen Ochoa, former director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center as its chair and Victor McCrary, Vice President for Research and Graduate Programs at the University of the District of Columbia as its vice chair. Read the full article.
 

Healthy soil should have abundant nitrogen to supply plant growth needs, but it should not all be in the inorganic fraction. Rather, organic nitrogen is the preferred storage warehouse from which soil microorganisms can decompose and release inorganic nitrogen to soil and then to plants. This system avoids leaching and volatile losses of nitrogen. Historically, scientists have had difficulty predicting how much nitrogen is made available to plants by soil biological activity due to time and resource constraints. In an article in Agricultural & Environmental Letters, an experiment on five different soils determined the short‐and long‐term release of carbon and nitrogen via mineralization by soil microorganisms. Read the full article.
 

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) announces that the 2020 Borlaug CAST Communication Award goes to Alexa Lamm, an Associate Professor of Science Communication at the University of Georgia. With a long list of accomplishments as a scientist, educator, and writer, Dr. Lamm is recognized nationally and internationally as an acclaimed research scholar. Colleagues and associates praise her intelligence and hard work, and they note that she is a “skilled translator”---Lamm has a way of making tech and science accessible for all, from policymakers to the general public. Read the full article.
 

The first of many publications associated with the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements (NAPESHM) has been published open source in Agronomy Journal. “Introducing the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements” describes the rationale, approach, and methods used in this continental-scale, collaborative soil health research project conducted by SHI. The paper documents the core strategic design, soil health measurements being evaluated, methods used, and sites participating in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The overall goal of the project is to identify the most effective measures of soil health across a wide range of climates, production systems, management practices, and inherent soil properties. The paper also provides other researchers and stakeholders a clear roadmap for obtaining results relevant to the database being developed and offers a reference for protocols used by SHI. Read the full article.
 

Using Discussion Boards for communication allows us to better connect and give all members ability to join the conversation, find resources, and start topics. We will fully transition to the Discussion Boards for all Community, Division and Specialty Group communication on July 1.  Be sure to read the Daily Digest recaps of the days topics that are sent direct to your member email. Join the conversation! Visit the ASA Boards, the CSSA Boards, and the SSSA Boards.
 

International Corner

Debal Deb, a researcher and ecologist from Odisha, India, has been conserving indigenous seeds for decades. Before the Green Revolution in India in the 1960’s, the number of indigenous rice types was over 100,000, but the number has shrunk to around 7000 today. In response, Deb has been cultivating an open-source seed bank, through which he distributes seeds to farmers around the country in order to maintain the country’s vast agricultural diversity. Read the full article.
 

A bacterium, xylella fastidiosa, has killed millions of olive trees around Italy in recent years, and is now threatening other olive producing countries in Southern Europe. A recent study projects the bacteria could lead to $22 billion in losses to the olive oil market over the next 50 years should the bacteria spread. There is currently no cure for the bacterium, and current strategies to combat its spread, such as isolating infected trees, have been largely ineffective. Read the full article.
 

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

As part of the Borlaug Fellowship Program, Fellows will attend the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium (Borlaug Dialogue) hosted by the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa during the week of October 11, 2020. The selected award recipient will collaborate with FAS Global Programs, Fellowship Programs staff members to organize and execute two workshops adjacent to the annual World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue: Borlaug Fellows and their mentors. Approximately 60 Borlaug Fellows and their Mentors attend the Borlaug Dialogue each year providing opportunities to the USDA Borlaug Fellowship Program World Food Prize Event. This event should stimulate discussion among fellows and mentors regarding collaborative agricultural research, transfer of new science and agricultural technologies to strengthen agricultural practice, reduction of barriers to technology adoption, and/or development of agricultural extension services. It should also provide an opportunity for fellows to build a community of practice to foster improved use of agricultural science worldwide. Deadline, June 5. Read the full announcement.
 

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. 
New Hampshire – Deadline June 13
Arkansas – Deadline June 30
 

USDA will provide opportunities to eligible U.S. citizens to assist developing countries in establishing school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs under the International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP). The intention of the IAEFP is to develop globally minded United States agriculturalists with experience living abroad, focus on meeting the food and fiber needs of the domestic population of eligible countries, and strengthen and enhance trade linkages between eligible countries and the United States agricultural industry. Proposal submission should include, but not limited to, classroom instruction, field demonstrations, entrepreneurship projects, and leadership development. The proposal should address host country’s receptiveness of the IAEFP. Host country’s government, agriculture community, and local authorities should demonstrate support and commitment to collaborate on the implementation and execution of the IAEFP. The recipient should provide a suggested curriculum to all fellows that is tailored to the needs of the host country. Fellows training topics should align with USDA and the host country’s agricultural policy, development, and extension goals. Topics should also promote bilateral agricultural trade between the host country and the United States. For additional recipient requirements, please see the performance expectations section. United States fellows participating under IAEFP must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in an agriculture-related field and understand U.S. school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs. In addition, the NaCouncil must be consulted on U.S. fellow selections. Fellows do not need to be previously affiliated with the selected recipients. Deadline, June 15. Read the full announcement.
 

NNF trains students for masters and/or doctoral degrees. It also provides additional post-doctoral training for National Needs Fellows who have completed their doctoral degrees at institutions that have demonstrable teaching and research competencies in the food and agricultural sciences. Fellowships and Special International Study or Thesis/Dissertation Research Travel Allowances (IRTA) are specifically intended to support traineeship programs that encourage outstanding students to pursue and complete their degrees or obtain post-doctoral training in areas where there is an identified national need for the development of scientific and professional. Funds from the fellowships and IRTA awards are invested in graduate training and relevant international experiential learning. The NNF program provides funding to support graduate training through a student stipend and a cost-of-education allowance to the institution. Deadline, June 22. Read the full announcement.
 

The Equipment Grant Program (EGP) serves to increase access to shared-use special purpose equipment/instruments for fundamental and applied research for use in the food and agricultural sciences programs at institutions of higher education, including State Cooperative Extension Systems. The program seeks to strengthen the quality and expand the scope of fundamental and applied research at eligible institutions, by providing them with opportunities to acquire one major piece of equipment/instruments that support their research, training, and extension goals and may be too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NIFA grant programs. The EGP is intended to help fund items of equipment that will upgrade infrastructure. Moreover, EGP does not fund research projects, including research that uses the equipment acquired with support from the program nor does it support the operation and maintenance of facilities. Deadline, June 23. Read the full announcement.
 

The Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is designed to fulfill the mandate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote scientific progress nationwide. Through this program, NSF facilitates the establishment of partnerships among government, higher education, and industry that are designed to effect sustainable improvements in a jurisdiction's research infrastructure, Research and Development (R&D) capacity, and hence, its R&D competitiveness. Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-1 (RII Track-1) awards provide up to $20 million total over five years to support research-driven improvements to jurisdictions’ physical and cyber infrastructure and human capital development in topical areas selected by the jurisdiction's EPSCoR steering committee as having the best potential to improve future R&D competitiveness. The project’s research activities must align with the specific research priorities identified in the submitting jurisdiction’s approved Science and Technology (S&T) Plan. Letter of intent deadline, July 1. Read the full announcement. 
 

The IUCRC program provides a structure for academic researchers to conduct fundamental, pre-competitive research of shared interest to industry and government organizations. IUCRCs are formed around research areas of strategic interest to U.S. industry. Industry is defined very broadly to include companies (large and small), startups and non-profit organizations. Principal Investigators form a Center around emerging research topics of current research interest, in a pre-competitive space but with clear pathways to applied research and commercial development. Industry partners join at inception, as an existing Center grows or they inspire the creation of a new Center by recruiting university partners to leverage NSF support. Government agencies participate in IUCRCs as Members or by partnering directly with NSF at the strategic level. Universities, academic researchers, and students benefit from IUCRC participation through the research funding, the establishment and growth of industry partnerships, and educational and career placement opportunities for students. Industry Members benefit by accessing knowledge, facilities, equipment, and intellectual property in a highly cost-efficient model; leveraging Center research outcomes in their future proprietary projects; interacting in an informal, collaborative way with other private sector and government entities with shared interests; and identifying and recruiting talent. NSF provides funding to support Center administrative costs and a governance framework to manage membership, operations, and evaluation. Preliminary proposal deadline, July 7. Read the full announcement.
 

EPA is seeking grant funding applications proposing research to support the development of improved science-based human health and environmental risk assessments of new biotechnology products, including those developed through synthetic biology, genome editing, and metabolic engineering. EPA notes that information and effective tools are needed to evaluate and monitor parameters such as long-term stability, persistence, efficacy, and reliability of synthetic biology products in order to assess any potential unintended human and ecological impacts. EPA has also scheduled an informational webinar for May 28, 2020 on the Assessment Tools for Biotechnology Products Request for Application (RFA). Deadline, July 15. Read the full announcement. 
 

Lever for Change, an affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, has announced a $10 million grant competition aimed at reducing U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. The 2030 Climate Challenge will award a single $10 million grant in support of an "impactful, feasible, scalable, and durable" solution that cuts GHG emissions from the building, industry, and/or transportation sectors over the next decade. The 2030 Climate Challenge is open to nonprofits or coalitions of organizations that also include individuals, for-profits, and government agencies, but only registered 501(c)(3) entities may serve as the lead applicant for a coalition. Deadline, July 23. Read the full announcement.
 

Sources: Washington Post; ScienceInsider; IFAS Blogs; PSU News; NSF; CAST; Food Tank; NRP;

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.