Competitiveness package clears Science Committee by unanimous vote

The House Science Committee voted unanimously to approve H.R. 5358 and H.R. 5356, legislation to improve U.S. competitiveness by strengthening science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research programs.

Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y, a co-sponsor of each of the bills, said, "If we are to remain competitive, then we have to bolster key programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF), especially programs focused on K-12 and undergraduate education."

H.R. 5358, the Science and Mathematics Education for Competitiveness Act, was amended to strengthen STEM education at all levels: K-12, undergraduate, and graduate. The legislation builds on and expands existing programs at NSF. The Early Career Research Act, H.R. 5356, was amended to also include the language contained in H.R. 5357, the Research for Competitiveness Act. As amended, H.R. 5356 authorizes programs at NSF and the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science to provide researchers with grants to conduct high-risk, high-return research.

These bills comprise the Science Committee's competitiveness package, which builds upon the President's American Competitiveness Initiative and implements key recommendations from several recent reports on U.S. economic competitiveness, including the National Academy of Sciences' report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm. Additional information on the American Competitiveness Initiative is available at www.engineeringpolicy.org/Innovation_US_Economic.cfm and www.capwiz.com/asme/issues/alert/?alertid=8821476&type=CO.

For more information about these bills, please visit www.house.gov/science/press/109/109-273.htm. To review the legislation as passed, go to http://thomas.loc and search by bill number.

Melissa Murray covers public policy-related NSF research issues for ASME. She can be reached at murraym@asme.org.

NIST Task Force urges Senate to fund ATP at $149 million in fiscal 2007 budget

The ASME National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Task Force recently sent a letter on the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) to members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, encouraging them to fund the program at $149 million and to oppose all amendments to eliminate or reduce funding.

ASME also signed onto a similar letter sponsored by a coalition of science, engineering, and technology societies whose memberships are impacted by ATP.

The ATP program was eliminated from the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Science, State, and Commerce markup last month. House appropriators attempted to eliminate ATP last year, but it was restored during House and Senate conference negotiations.

The ATP encourages public-private cooperation in the development of pre-competitive technologies with broad applications across industries. The Department of Commerce estimates that returns from ATP projects exceeded $17 billion in economic benefits.

Position statements 06- 20 and 06-21 are available for review at www.asme.org/NewsPublicPolicy/GovRelations/PositionStatements.

NASA workforce challenges are not easy to solve

On June 13, the House Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics heard expert witnesses speak about the needs of NASA's workforce. Subcommittee Chair Ken Calvert, R-Calif., said, "It is vital that NASA have access to the critical skills necessary to lead America and the world in the areas of space, aeronautics, and science. There are hard fiscal realities facing NASA, but just as important and disconcerting are the hard technical realities of which the agency will be reliant on its workforce to manage."

All the witnesses and subcommittee members agreed that the space agency faces major workforce challenges in a number of areas in the next few years. These challenges are due to budget constants and to its expanding goals, which include retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2010; development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and the Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV); and the return to the moon by 2020.

Toni Dawsey, NASA assistant administrator for human capital management, estimates that about 800 employees are underutilized. NASA is trying to get these employees to accept buyouts, but is reserving the option to initiate a layoff. However, the NASA Authorization Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-155) forbids layoffs before March 16, 2007.

Additionally, the agency faces a potential surge of retirements in the coming years. Approximately 28 percent of its engineers and 45 percent of its scientists will be eligible to retire. Less than 20 percent of NASA's overall workforce is under 40, and less than 10 percent of NASA's scientists are under 40.

NASA released its Workforce Strategy in April 2006. In the report, the space agency outlined those skills that will be needed to a greater or lesser degree over the next five years. Although the agency's report has identified the obvious need for competencies in program management and systems integration, the report is far less specific on other skills needed or potential retention of such skills once identified. In 2004, President Bush signed into law language put forth by the House Science Committee to allow NASA special authority to offer recruitment and retention bonuses.

For a complete witness list and hearing testimony, visit:
www.house.gov/science/hearings/space06/June%2013/index.htm.

Anthony R. Quinn covers public policy-related aerospace and aeronautics issues for ASME. He can be reached at quinna@asme.org.

 

U.S. joins six partners in signing ITER agreement

The United States and six partnering nations have signed a $12.8 billion agreement to build the world's first experimental nuclear-fusion test reactor. Negotiations on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) have been underway since 2001. The United States, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, and Russia are partners in the venture, which will be built at Cadarache in the south of France beginning in 2007.

"As partners in ITER, we are pursuing the promise of unlimited, clean, safe, renewable, and commercially available energy from nuclear fusion, which has the potential to significantly strengthen energy security, at home and abroad," said Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman.

Participation in ITER is part of President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI). In fiscal 2006, DOE allocated $25 million to ITER, and the president, as part of the AEI, has requested $60 million for the project in fiscal 2007.

The European Union will contribute approximately 45 percent of the construction cost, while the United States and other partners will contribute about nine percent each. The total U.S. contribution to ITER is expected to be $1.1 billion.

For additional information, go to www.doe.gov/news/3666.htm.

Josh Craft covers public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at craftj@asme.org.

— Anthony Quinn
ASME Government Relations

 

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