White House seeks input on tightening rules for risky pathogen research
Request for comment suggests government may soften controversial proposed restrictions.
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U.S.-China Tensions Could Complicate Effort to Renew Key Research Pact
U.S.-China Tensions Could Complicate Effort to Renew Key Research Pact
Rising tensions between the United States and China could derail the renewal of a 44-year-old agreement on scientific cooperation between the two countries. Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden invited China to spend the next 6 months discussing changes to the broad agreement, first signed in 1979, that enables joint research.
Congress weighs far-reaching disclosure rules for academics doing military research
House defense bill would vastly expand information that must be disclosed and posted online.
Science History: Yue Xiong's Great Leap
Yue Xiong is a microbiologist who emigrated to the United States from China to complete his doctorate in 1989. He is the chief scientific officer of pharmaceutical company Cullgen and was a professor of biochemistry and biophysics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This article follows Yue Xiong’s quest for education and is based on an interview from the Science History Institute’s oral history archive conducted in 2000 by historian William Van Benschoten.
United States to End Race-Based University Admissions: What Now for Diversity in Science?
United States to End Race-Based University Admissions: What Now for Diversity in Science?
The US Supreme Court has struck down colleges’ and universities’ right to use race as a factor in deciding which students they admit.
For the First Time Ever, the White House Adopts a Model Scientific Integrity Policy
United States National Science Foundation: Making the Most of the "Ethical and Societal Considerations" in the CHIPS and Science Act
EU and US Hatch Transatlantic Plan to Rein in ChatGPT
The EU is calling on companies to join an international push to self-regulate generative artificial intelligence (AI) products such as ChatGPT, the chatbot launched last November that can write essays, engage in philosophical conversations and write computer code.
China Overtakes United States on Contribution to Research in Nature Index
Data on affiliations suggest that authors from China made the largest contribution to high-quality natural-science research in 2022.
'Why Aren't You Taking Care of Us?' - Why Long COVID Patients Struggle for Solutions
'Why Aren't You Taking Care of Us?' - Why Long COVID Patients Struggle for Solutions
The very patients who live with long-term illness and no approved treatment after COVID infection feel they must fend for themselves, even as the United States declares an end to the COVID public health emergency.
The Precarious Balance Between Research Openness and Security
The Precarious Balance Between Research Openness and Security
Amid increasing competition and conflict with countries such as China, calls to restrict international scientific cooperation overlook benefits to the United States.
China - Not The US - Is Now The Global Leader In Science & Tech
The United States and its Western neighbors are gradually losing ground to China in the race to develop advanced technologies and attract top talent.
Trust But Verify - U.S. Labs Are Overhauling the Nuclear Stockpile
Behind a guard shack and warning signs on the sprawling campus of Los Alamos National Laboratory is a forested spot where scientists mimic the first moments of a nuclear detonation. Here, in the Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test (DARHT) facility, they blow up models of the bowling ball–size spheres of plutonium, or “pits,” at the heart of bombs—and take x-ray pictures of the results.
Biden's Science Adviser on the US Push to Compete with China
Arati Prabhakar speaks to Nature about innovation, science's role in political decision-making and taking the reins after scandal.
Schisms in Research Collaboration Risk Worsening Global Crises, OECD Says
Schisms in Research Collaboration Risk Worsening Global Crises, OECD Says
China, the US and the EU's race to control their own scientific advances and cut out supply chain dependencies could lead to a "decoupling" of research activities at a time when collaboration to solve global issues is crucial, says a stark report by the OECD.
Biden Calls for Boosts in Science Spending to Keep US Competitive
Biden Calls for Boosts in Science Spending to Keep US Competitive
Facing a potential re-election battle next year, President Joe Biden laid out broad funding priorities for the US government on 9 March. His proposed budget for 2024 would invest new research funds into a range of programmes designed to achieve goals in scientific innovation, domestic manufacturing and clean energy, among others.
The End of the English Major?
During the past decade, the study of English and history at the collegiate level has fallen by a full third. Humanities enrollment in the United States has declined over all by seventeen per cent. What’s going on?
Top Three Findings from the Latest UCS Survey of Federal Scientists
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) recently conducted a survey of federal scientists to ask about the state of science, and the results are in. This is our tenth version of the survey since 2004 and, to our surprise and delight, while challenges remain, the widespread consensus is that scientists in the federal government feel more positive about their workplaces now than they have at any other time we have administered the survey.
Biden Administration’s Rule for Federal Scientists is a ‘Gag Order’, Critics Say
Biden Administration’s Rule for Federal Scientists is a ‘Gag Order’, Critics Say
Federal scientists would largely be barred from publicly discussing research, which could have a "chilling effect", experts say.
The 10 science policy stories to watch in 2023
The US government will be implementing science initiatives from recent legislation while battling over future funding.
US should expand rules for risky virus research to more pathogens, panel says
Draft report from biosecurity panel examining “gain-of-function” research policy gets mixed response from outside experts.
American postdoctoral salaries do not account for growing disparities in cost of living
American postdoctoral salaries do not account for growing disparities in cost of living
The NIH sets postdoctoral trainee stipend levels that many institutions use as a basis for postdoc salaries - but while salary standards are held constant across universities, the cost of living in those universities’ cities and towns vary widely.
China Now Publishes More High-quality Science Than Any Other Nation - Should the US Be Worried?
China Now Publishes More High-quality Science Than Any Other Nation - Should the US Be Worried?
In 2014, Chinese researchers published more papers than any other country for the first time. In 2019, China overtook the U.S. as the No. 1 publisher of the most influential papers.
NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy Going Into Effect
NIH to require researchers to submit a Data Management and Sharing Plan with grant applications submitted after Jan. 25, 2023
American Trust in Science & Institutions in the Time of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted many discussions about how people's trust in science shaped our ability to address the crisis. Early in the pandemic, our research team set out to understand how trust in science relates to support for public health guidelines, and to identify some trusted sources of science. In this essay, we share our findings and offer ideas about what might be done to strengthen the public's trust in science. Notably, our research shows a stark partisan divide: Republicans had lower support for public health guidelines, and their trust in science and institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health eroded over time. Meanwhile, Democrats' trust in science has remained high throughout the pandemic. In the context of this divide, we explore how trust in various information sources, from governmental institutions to the media, relates to trust in science, and suggest that the best avenue for rebuilding trust might be through empowering local institutions and leaders to help manage future crises.
EU and US Set out Plan to Create Rules of the Road for Artificial Intelligence
The EU and US have set out a joint roadmap to find common ways to define and evaluate artificial intelligence (AI), though critics say they are still not going far enough to make sure AI protects democracy and human rights.
White House Releases First-of-a-Kind Indigenous Knowledge Guidance for Federal Agencies | CEQ | The White House
White House Releases First-of-a-Kind Indigenous Knowledge Guidance for Federal Agencies | CEQ | The White House
Today, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) jointly released new government-wide guidance and an accompanying implementation memorandum for Federal Agencies on recognizing and including Indigenous Knowledge in Federal research, policy, and decision making. This announcement coincides with the Biden-Harris Administration's 2022 Tribal Nations Summit and…
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