Science Policy Report | Sept. 28, 2022

September 29, 2022 - Rachel K. Owen

White House announces fertilizer grants, hunger and nutrition roadmap

What’s new: The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced several new programs and funding opportunities in the past two weeks, many in response to global supply chain challenges and concerns about U.S. food production.

Innovative Fertilizer Grants: You may remember earlier this year that ASA, CSSA, and SSSA submitted comments to USDA about fertilizer use. Building off of that comment period, USDA has opened applications for the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program. Proposals for technology to meet immediate needs are due November 14 and all other proposals are due December 29.
Hunger Summit: For the first time in 50 years, the White House is hosting a conference on Food, Nutrition, and Hunger to address food insecurity in America on Sept. 28. Along with the conference, the White House released a National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Related, the Food and Drug Administration is also proposing a new definition of ‘healthy’ foods - and you can weigh in! 🌱
International Food Aid: Last week, the White House announced $2.9 billion in additional funding to strengthen global food security at the United Nations Global Food Security Summit. The Global Food Security Summit reaffirmed the commitment of world leaders to act with urgency and at scale to respond to the pressing global food crisis and avert extreme hunger for hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Commitment to Equity: After two days of public meetings last week, the USDA Equity Commission released their DEIA Strategic Plan. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA weighed in last spring and will remain engaged with USDA as they begin to implement this roadmap.

On the Hill: Lawmakers are working to pass a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government ahead of the fiscal year end on September 30th. The continuing resolution will act as a stopgap measure and not as the official budget for FY23. Check out our Funding Chart to see the status of FY23 appropriations.

New Leadership at OSTP: This week, Dr. Arati Prabhakar was confirmed as the next director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Her confirmations comes as OSTP begins to implement the CHIPS and Science Act, passed by Congress last month.

SSSA leaders participate in Geoscience Hill Visit

More than Rocks: On Sept. 15-16, Drs. Ron Turco and Xia Zhu-Barker participated in the Geosciences Congressional Visits Day (GeoCVD) in Washington, DC. In visits with lawmakers, Ron and Xia emphasized that ‘geo’ does not just mean rocks, but relates to all earth and ocean systems, including soil.

Science Policy Committees: In September, the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Science Policy Committee met for a joint meeting to discuss updates from DC and upcoming comment opportunities. Some of the key topics included:

Updates on the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Farm Bill priorities - coming soon!
Discussion on the recent OSTP memo on open and public access. If you are interested in weighing in on this topic by serving on a working group, please email Send Message. 🌱
Review of the recently released Biochar Research Network Act of 2022.

Take action to inform policy conversations

Apply to be a SEED Ambassador: The Scientists Engaging and Educating Decision-makers (SEED) Ambassador leadership program is a year-long, immersive advocacy training program with the goal of developing trusted relationships between Society members and Members of Congress. Each year the SEED Ambassador program will develop a class of Society Ambassadors that can influence decision-makers through their established connections.

Go Deeper: The application period for the 2022 class of SEED Ambassadors will open from Sept. 1 to Oct. 5. You can learn more and access the award application here. 🌱

Serve as a Reviewer for the NSF Engines Program: The U.S. National Science Foundation's Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program is recruiting reviewers to evaluate its first set of NSF Engines proposals. With awards of up to $160M per NSF Engine, the program focuses on driving innovation and regional economic growth in all parts of the U.S. Fill out the Reviewer Interest Form by October 7th.

New reports and policy-relevant science

Emphasis on Ag Research: A recent report by the Breakthrough Institute titled “Growing Green: The Environmental Benefits of Public Agricultural Research and Development” highlighted the need for increased support for USDA research programs. Their policy recommendations include:

Double research funding through USDA’s ARS, FFAR, and NIFA programs
Establish the Agriculture Research & Development Authority (AgARDA)
Increase funding for climate change mitigation priorities, including crop breeding, livestock agriculture, and soil carbon sequestration.

From our Magazines:

From our Blogs:

Upcoming funding and award opportunities

NSF-NIFA Plant Biotic Interactions Program | Sept 30
NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences | Oct 3
NSF Synthetic Microbial Communities Grants | Oct 3
Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program | Oct 7
USDA Small Business Research and Tech Transfer Programs | Oct 25
USDA-AFRI Education and Workforce Development | Oct 27
SERDP Environmental Restoration Program Area | Oct 28
ASA, CSSA, SSSA Peer Review Mentorship Program | Nov 1
AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships | Nov 1
DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program | Nov 9
NIFA-SARE Regional Host Institutions RFA | Nov 14
USDA-AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program | Dec 31
FFAR Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research | Ongoing

Featured Fellowship: The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a new $20 million investment in Entrepreneurial Fellowships through a multi-year cooperative agreement with Activate.org. The Activate Fellows supported by NSF will be scientists and engineers from a variety of backgrounds and regions across the U.S. who will translate research breakthroughs to new products and services with broad societal benefits.

To learn more about Entrepreneurial Fellowships including how to apply, visit https://www.activate.org/apply.

Early Registration for the ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meeting Ends October 4!

Join us in Baltimore: The ASA, CSSA, and SSSA annual meeting will take place in Baltimore, MD from November 6-9. Check out the line-up of events hosted by the Science Policy Office!

SciPol in the Societies Center: Throughout the week, stop by the Societies Center in the exhibit hall to make your midterm election predictions and learn about the Science Policy Specialty Group. We will end the week with a Science Policy Reception and Midterm Election Debrief on Wednesday afternoon (yes, there will be free food and drinks 🥂).
Focus on Federal Funding: Events on Monday, November 7 will bring officials from USDA, NSF, DOE and more to share opportunities and tips for earning federal research funding. Check out the special session on Emerging Federal Funding Opportunities and the Federal Funding Corner networking session.
Workshops to Build Advocacy Skills: This year, our workshops will be split by where you engage. Learn how to become a civic leader in your community at the Local Civic Engagement workshop, and find out more about advocating in Washington, DC at the Federal Engagement Opportunities workshop.
Calling Graduate Students! Check out the Graduate Student Science Policy Luncheon to learn from ASA, CSSA, and SSSA scientists who have transitioned to policy careers.

The bottom line: There are so many ways to learn about science policy at the annual meeting this fall. Be sure to register by October 4 for the early registration price! See the full program at acsmeetings.org.

Don’t forget to vote! The 2022 midterm election will take place on November 8, in the middle of our annual meeting. Find out more about how you can vote before you journey to Baltimore.