Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
september 2016

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education

Senate committee passes two bills on women in STEM

September 21, 2016

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee considered two House bills promoting women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields on September 21, 2016.  The bills considered include the Inspiring Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers Act (INSPIRE) (H.R. 4755) and the Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act (H.R. 4742). The two bills were passed in the House simultaneously on March 22, 2016, and were approved by the Senate committee during the markup session. The next step will be consideration by the full Senate.

According to a 2011 report by the Department of Commerce, women hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs in the U.S. The INSPIRE Act, introduced by Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA), serves to encourage and support young students, particularly women, in STEM career endeavors. The bill also refers to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) GIRLS and NASA BOYS programs as exemplary efforts to open science careers to young students. In addition, Section 4 of the bill outlines a plan to institute a program involving current and retired scientists engaging with K-12 female STEM students.

The Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act asserts that “technology and commercialization ventures are successful when women are in top management positions,” and calls upon the National Science Foundation (NSF) to, “support women in STEM disciplines,” as outlined in its 2011-2016 Strategic Plan.

Specific new programs that will be introduced as a result of these bills are yet to be established, but the INSPIRE Act requires NASA to develop a plan for the future of these proposed programs.

Sources: Congress.gov, Department of Commerce, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

House subcommittee on research and technology holds hearing on academic research regulations

September 29, 2016

On September 29, 2016, the House Science, Space, & Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing on restrictive and costly academic research regulations. Chairwoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) opened the hearing with a statement declaring the need to “cut the red tape to optimize our nation’s investment in scientific research.”

According to House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), up to 25 percent of federal grant funding is spent on complying with research regulations. While this funding is required to satisfy such regulations, its value is removed from the research budget provided by the grant, lessening its support for scientific research. Hearing witness, Dr. Angel Cabrera, George Mason University (GMU) President, stated that while “no one is advocating for weak accountability,” his university could save an estimated $50,000 in grant funds for scientific research per year if unnecessary regulations were addressed. One such regulation that is blamed for these costs is the Micro-Purchase Threshold, which requires documentation of multiple bids for research equipment that costs over $3,000.

Research regulations were addressed in the University Streamlining and Harmonization Act of 2016 (H.R.5583), which calls for the creation of a Research Policy Board housed within the Office of Management and Budget and which is tasked with overseeing research regulations and policies to cut costly and unnecessary compliance measures. Additionally, the bill would raise the Micro-Purchase Threshold to $10,000. The bill was introduced on June 24, 2016 by Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) and was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Sources: Subcommittee on Research and Technology, Congress.gov, Lipinski.house.gov,