EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES POLICY NEWSLETTER
April 5, 2022 | Lewis-Burke Associates LLC
A View from Washington
This newsletter captures significant developments in the U.S. Congress and within the executive branch, as well as new federal funding and engagement opportunities that have been announced over the past month that are relevant to the environmental research and higher education community.
President Biden released first details of the fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget request this month, laying out topline funding levels and priorities in climate, renewable energy, innovation, and health. The budget request doubles down on some priorities that did not make it into the final FY 2022 appropriations agreement within the spending limits set by Congressional Republicans. In the budget request, the Administration seeks to advance these priorities by proposing significant increases to environment and climate-focused research across the agencies, with exceptionally large increases for federal programs and initiatives focused on climate adaptation and resilience, environmental justice, and health disparities. The release of the budget request kicks off the FY 2023 Congressional appropriations process; Congress has already begun holding budget hearings and is expected to start advancing appropriations bills in May.
With FY 2022 appropriations finalized, federal agencies will continue to release new funding opportunities with the goal of having funds obligated before the end of September. Several large opportunities have already been released, including the Department of Energy’s (DOE) highly-anticipated Urban Integrated Field Labs solicitation, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) new solicitation for its National Coastal Resilience Fund program, with an additional $100 million in available funds over the previous year’s competition. In addition, several agencies have released or will release guidance on how they will implement the funding from the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law last November, which will include attention to how they will implement the Justice40 Initiative, which stipulates that at least 40 percent of investments should benefit disadvantaged populations. While most of these funds will not be utilized to support research, a small portion may be eligible for non-profits including universities to assist with program implementation and capacity development activities.
The House made progress in advancing its competitiveness package, moving on to a conference between the two chambers to iron out a final bill. The
America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength Act of 2022 (
COMPETES Act) is the House companion to the
United States Innovation and Competition Act (
USICA), which passed the Senate last summer. While these bills would be the largest federal measures in support of research and innovation in a generation, most of the provisions would not include actual funding and would be contingent upon future appropriations. The two bills must now be negotiated, and Congressional leadership intend have a final vote on the conferenced bill by Memorial Day.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Congressional Updates
Federal Agency and Administration Updates
Funding and Engagement Opportunities
Congressional Updates
Congress Finalizes Fiscal Year 2022 Funding for Federal Government and Environmental Research
On March 15, 2022, President Biden signed into law a $1.5 trillion spending package, which includes all 12 annual appropriations bills, to finalize fiscal year (FY) 2022 appropriations. The spending package also includes $13.6 billion in emergency supplemental aid for Ukraine and, for the first time in over a decade, congressionally directed spending, also known as earmarks. The final spending package increases funding for many federal programs of interest to the environment and climate change research community. Overall, many of the climate- and environment-focused programs received significant increases compared to the overall average increase of 6.7 percent for non-defense spending relative to FY 2021 levels. Nonetheless, the final numbers for most of these programs were below or far below the President’s budget request and the House and Senate bills.
Climate change mitigation- and adaptation-focused programs were, for the most part, increased across agencies including at the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the
Department of Energy (DOE), and the
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at levels that exceeded the average growth rate across the agencies. There was also an order of magnitude increase to environment justice programs at the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The climate change and clean energy programs received only a modest 5 percent increase at the
National Science Foundation (NSF), far below the 41 percent increase proposed in the FY 2022 President’s Budget Request. Further, the climate and health programs at the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also did not receive the proposed $100 million increases for climate change and health programs which were included in the FY 2022 budget request and in the House and Senate bills.
The FY 2022 appropriations bills also included the following provisions for environmental programs:
- An increase of $698 million or 12 percent in DOE’s clean energy programs, including renewables, nuclear, fossil, energy efficiency, and demonstration activities, to address climate change and accelerate deployment of energy technologies;
- An increase of $23 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), for a total of $450 million, with guidance for ARPA-E to explore and potentially fund projects and activities that were proposed for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Climate (ARPA-C);
- At least $900 million for NSF to support Climate Science and Sustainability Research through the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and Clean Energy Technology priority areas;
- Creation of NSF’s Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate, which will support innovative, use-inspired work to address global challenges including those relevant to climate and the environment;
- A $19.3 million or 10.7 percent increase to NOAA’s Climate Research Program relative to the FY 2021 enacted level;
- $100 million for EPA environmental justice programs in disadvantaged communities, an eight-fold increase in funding relative to FY 2021;
- $51.9 million for the USGS National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs), an increase of $10.6 million or 25.6 percent;
- A 33 percent increase in funding for the Joint Fire Science Program, jointly supported by the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Interior, for a total FY 2022 investment of 8 million; and
- A $40 million increase for the Department of Defense (DOD) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and a $51 million increase for the DOD Environmental Security Technical Certification Program (ESTC), with funding increases for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remediation and disposal technology.
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House Agriculture Committee Holds Hearing on USDA Climate Programs
In their efforts to prepare for 2023 Farm Bill negotiations, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing focused on the role of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs in addressing climate change. Chairman David Scott (D-GA) argued in his opening statement that agriculture must lead American efforts to combat climate change, while Ranking Member Glenn Thompson (R-PA) stated that he did not want climate to be the focus of the Farm Bill reauthorization. Other Republican Committee members also questioned USDA’s authority to launch its new $1 billion Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program which the agency announced in February and expressed concern over the use of Commodity Credit Corporation funds for the program. Witnesses documented difficulties in growing and sustaining agricultural production due to the greater frequency and severity of natural hazards caused by climate change, and argued that USDA should incentivize producers to adopt conservation and resilience practices. Witnesses also stated that such programs and incentives should reach underserved producers and address historic inequities. To this end, witnesses encouraged USDA to share data and leverage partnerships with academic institutions and researchers; expand the Climate Hubs to engage with new stakeholders; invest in agricultural research facilities; and grow and support the agricultural workforce, particularly through outreach to tribal colleges. Climate-related research and programming at USDA is anticipated to be a significant point of debate leading up to the Farm Bill reauthorization in 2023.
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Federal Agency and Administration Updates
President Biden Releases FY 2023 Budget Request Reflecting Climate and Environment Priorities
On March 28, the Biden Administration released a $1.6 trillion budget proposal to Congress for fiscal year (FY) 2023, providing an indication of agency priorities and future directions. Overall, the budget request would increase funding for many research and development, climate and environment, manufacturing, education, and healthcare programs of interest to the research and higher education communities, with a proposed 6 percent boost in non-defense related discretionary spending relative to the FY 2022 enacted level. Consistent with FY 2022 priorities, climate- and environment-focused programs are proposed to receive proportionally larger increases compared to other programs.
Notably, while the budget proposal would increase funding for fundamental research at most science agencies, its primary focus is on use-inspired research, translation, and technology development and deployment. For example, the budget proposal includes $880 million for the new
National Science Foundation (NSF) Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate to support use-inspired research and technology development, which is likely to support climate relevant work; $700 million for
Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to fund new programs in climate change adaptation, mitigation, and resilience; and an increase of nearly $1 billion to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of which much would support significant increases to adaptation and resilience initiatives. The release of the budget request marks the beginning of the FY 2023 appropriations process, at which point Congress will decide to accept, modify, or reject the President’s budget proposals.
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PCAST Discusses Wildfire Prevention, Tracking, and Mitigation
The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) held a public meeting focused on detecting, tracking, mitigating, and preventing wildfires on March 24. This meeting, the third PCAST discussion focused on climate change-related topics since the beginning of the Biden Administration, highlighted wildfire-related challenges including insufficient numbers of first responders; poor wildfire and firefighter tracking and data collection infrastructure; enhanced wildfire-related risks due to the expansion of the wildland-urban interface and an increasingly long fire season; and the impacts of wildfire smoke on ecosystems and human health. During the discussions, PCAST members concluded that difficulties in tracking, mitigating, and preventing wildfires are not solely anchored in a lack of scientific understanding of the challenges. Instead, they supported remarks by Sean Triplett, Branch Leader for Tools and Technology at the National Interagency Fire Center within the U.S. Forest Service, stating that improved interagency coordination and an expansion of partnership opportunities to bring together diverse stakeholders including academics, agency officials, and private sector actors, can lead to significant improvements in the federal approach to wildfire suppression, management, and prevention. Although the Biden Administration has emphasized the importance of enhanced interagency coordination to facilitate a “government-wide” approach to wildfires and climate change, the PCAST meeting further emphasized that there has not yet been a significant effort to define a cross-cutting wildfire research agenda or to clarify the types of partnerships that are needed.
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NSF Announces New TIP Directorate
On March 16, National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Sethuraman Panchanathan announced the establishment of the Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate, the first new NSF Directorate in over thirty years. Dr. Erwin Gianchandani has been selected as the inaugural Assistant Director for TIP. Previously, Dr. Gianchandani served as Dr. Panchanathan’s Senior Advisor for Translation, Innovation and Partnerships, and was also the NSF Deputy Assistant Director for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE).
The TIP Directorate will focus on accelerating the development of new technologies; advancing the frontiers of research and education across STEM fields; meeting societal challenges like climate change; and sustaining U.S. competitiveness. TIP will serve as a crosscutting platform at NSF, intended to collaborate across NSF Directorates to leverage capabilities and form partnerships that will reinvigorate U.S. research and innovation. It will administer new programming and incorporate several existing innovation-focused opportunities, including the NSF Lab-to-Market Platform comprising the NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps™), Partnerships for Innovation, SBIR/STTR, and the NSF Convergence Accelerators. The long-awaited solicitation for the Regional Innovation Engines (RIEs) is likely to be released in the near future, noting that the FY 2022 appropriations bill encouraged NSF to award at least one RIE in FY 2022.
Sources and additional information:
Carrie Castille and Parag Chitnis to Leave NIFA
Dr. Carrie Castille, who was appointed to a six-year term as Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in December of 2020, has resigned her position to lead the Institute of Agriculture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville beginning July 1. NIFA serves as the primary extramural funding arm for USDA and oversees many programs pertaining to agricultural competitiveness and conservation. During her 14 months as NIFA Director, Dr. Castille helped fill over one hundred vacancies at the agency and promoted innovation within agricultural sciences. Dr. Parag Chitnis, who currently serves as NIFA’s Associate Director for Programs and Action Associate Director for Operations, is also departing USDA in the coming months to begin a new role as Vice President for Research and Economic Development at the University of Wyoming beginning May 31. In his current roles, Dr. Chitnis oversees and implements NIFA’s programs which amount to $1.75 billion for research and extension initiatives in food and agricultural sciences. The USDA has not yet announced who will be filling either of these positions.
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Cisco Werner Takes Over as Acting Assistant Administrator of OAR
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that Dr. Cisco Werner would assume the position of both Assistant Administrator for Oceans and Atmospheric Research (OAR) and Chief Scientist following Dr. Craig McLean’s retirement. OAR is the primary funder of competitive extramural research at NOAA and oversees key programs such as Sea Grant, many Cooperative Institutes, and the Climate Program Office. Dr. Werner currently serves as the head of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) within NOAA and is a well-respected figure but is not expected to be the final appointee for the positions. Dr. McLean’s final day in office was March 31, and the search for a permanent replacement is ongoing.
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Negotiations Ongoing on Issues Impacting Biosciences Under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity
Representatives from over 164 countries convened in Geneva, Switzerland under the auspices of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) from March 13-30 to agree on the targets to be included in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The GBF, which is scheduled to be agreed upon during negotiations known as CBD COP15 this August in Kunming, China, is intended to enable people to “live in harmony with nature.” To this end, the framework is likely to have implications not only for biodiversity conservation, but also for global approaches to climate change and international research in the biosciences. During the most recent negotiations, progress was slow due to ongoing, difficult policy debates on a variety of complex issues. As a result, negotiators will meet during an emergency session in Nairobi, Kenya this June to make progress on the GBF ahead of COP15.
One highly technical issue which led to significant disagreement between developing and developed countries and is of significant note to the international science community, concerns how to apply access and benefit sharing mechanisms to digital sequence information (DSI) (eg: a place holder term that is understood to refer to genetic sequence data like DNA and RNA). Many of the discussions have focused on how the monetary benefits of a commercialized product that has been based on the use of DSI derived from a physical biological sample within a country’s borders should be shared with the people who live there. However, there is significant concern among scientists that restrictions on the open sharing and use of DSI could present significant barriers to the conduct of international scientific research. While there is not a clear path forward on how DSI will be addressed under the GBF, the scientific community has been advocating for a role for public DSI databases, data aggregators, and users of DSI including academic scientists, to contribute to solutions to address the ABS/DSI debate that will not have a negative impact on the conduct of international science. The ABS/DSI topic and other ongoing negotiations with respect to the GBF will continue to be discussed in Nairobi, Kenya in June in preparation for COP-15, and Lewis-Burke will monitor new developments.
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Funding and Engagement Opportunities
DOE Releases $84 Million Solicitation for Urban Integrated Field Laboratories for Climate Solutions
The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Biological and Environmental Research Office (BER) released an $84 million funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for Urban Integrated Field Laboratories (Urban IFL). Under this new program, DOE plans to fund up to five, multi-institutional projects in diverse urban regions around the country and would be funded at up to $5 million per year over five years. The Urban IFL program is intended to advance the scientific understanding of urban systems and their interactions with the climate system. The goal is to help inform equitable climate and energy solutions which can strengthen community scale resilience across urban landscapes, especially those exposed to extreme weather and variable climate. The Urban IFLs will bring together diverse scientific disciplines that involve activities such as field observations, modeling, data assimilation, and model-data fusion to help find equitable solutions based on state-of-the-art uncertainty quantification and data analytics. DOE plans to award 3 to 5 grants or cooperative agreements for a five-year project period. The awards are expected to be between $2 million to $5 million per year. Pre-applications are due on
April 19, 2022. Full submissions are due on
June 16, 2022.
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AFRI Releases FY 2022 Education and Workforce Development RFA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released the fiscal year (FY) 2022 request for applications (RFA) for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Education and Workforce Development (EWD) program. The EWD program aims to address anticipated shortages of qualified graduates in the agricultural, food, and natural resource sectors of the workforce. To this end, this program will support activities including development opportunities for K-14 education professionals, workforce training at community colleges, research and extension training for undergraduate students, and pre- and post-doctoral fellowships. EWD has four overarching goals: enhancing agricultural literacy and workforce development; training and upskilling the agricultural workforce; developing pathways for undergraduates to enter the food and agricultural sectors; and advancing science. The EWD program includes seven Program Area Priorities: (1) Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy; (2) Agricultural Workforce Training at Community Colleges; (3) Food and Agricultural Non-Formal Education; (4) Research and Education Experiences for Undergraduates; (5) Predoctoral Fellowships; (6) Postdoctoral Fellowships; and (7) Special Workforce Development Topics.
Application deadlines and individual award amounts vary based on priority area.
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NFWF and NOAA Release 2022 Coastal Resilience Fund Solicitation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has released a request for proposals (RFP) for the 2022 cycle of National Coastal Resilience Fund grants. Due to an infusion of funding granted by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) the program plans to make $140 million available for awards this program cycle, a historic increase over the fiscal year (FY) 2021 program which was funded at $39.5 million. This annual program intends to support the maintenance, planning, and design of natural and nature-based solutions to protect coastal communities from hazards including storms, floods, and erosion. Projects should also prioritize improving coastal wildlife habitats and must demonstrate benefit to both human coastal communities and ecosystem habitats. Applicants are to choose one of four priority areas for their proposals: (1) Community Capacity Building and Planning; (2) Site Assessment and Preliminary Design; (3) Final Design and Permitting; or (4) Restoration implementation. Projects that highlight community partners, engagement of underserved communities, and stakeholder input over the life of the project will be especially competitive. Pre-proposals are due
April 21, 2022 by 11:59 PM ET and invitation-only full proposals will be due on
June 30, 2022 at 11:59 PM ET.
Sources and additional information:
USDA Releases FY 2022 AFRI Foundational and Applied Science RFA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released a request for applications (RFA) for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Foundational and Applied Science (FAS) program, which aims to advance fundamental and applied knowledge in agricultural and food sciences to address current and future societal challenges. The fiscal year (FY) 2022 program will distribute $300 million to support research and extension proposals to advance basic and applied research in agricultural sciences across a number of disciplines. The FAS RFA contains seven programs: (1) Plant Health and Production and Plant Products; (2) Animal Health and Production and Animal Products; (3) Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health; (4) Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment; (5) Agriculture Systems and Technology; (6) Agriculture Economics and Rural Communities; and (7) Crosscutting Programs. Each program contains several more specified program area priorities with
individual deadlines and award amounts.
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AFRI Releases FY 2022 Sustainable Agricultural Systems RFA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released a request for applications (RFA) for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) program, which aims to transform U.S. food and agricultural systems to support increased production while addressing environmental sustainability challenges to ultimately bring about societal benefits and improved quality of life. The fiscal year (FY) 2022 SAS solicitation focuses on local and regional climate-smart products; nutritious, safe, and accessible foods; and rural economic development. Proposals must address current challenges and incorporate an interdisciplinary vision of resilient future food systems, including projected social, economic, cultural, health, and environmental impacts of these systems. Applicants are encouraged to take a systems-level approach and utilize advancements in science and technology to solve pressing agricultural challenges and to demonstrate and distribute the economic and environmental benefits of sustainable agriculture. Applications must address one of the following goals: Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry, Strengthening the Bioeconomy, or Food and Nutrition Security. Letters of intent are due
April 27, 2022 at 5:00pm ET. Applications must be submitted by
July 28, 2022 at 5:00pm ET.
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Belmont Forum Launches Funding Call on the Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production
The Belmont Forum, an international partnership sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to mobilize funding to support environmental research, welcomes consortium proposals in response to its latest funding call on systems of sustainable consumption and production. The call includes four themes: (1) Transdisciplinary research to help transition to green economies with sustainable systems of consumption and production; (2) Sustainable and Resilient industries and their governance systems; (3) Social Inequality and Environmental Justice; and (4) Integrating new technologies, policies, and practices into everyday life. Each consortium must include individuals from at least three countries and include natural scientists, social scientists, and stakeholders. Further details about the application process and proposal requirements are detailed in the solicitation. U.S.-based institutions participating in research consortiums are eligible for a total of up to $450,000 in funding towards this call and the NSF does not anticipate supporting more than 10-15 consortiums. Before submitting proposals to the Forum, institutions from the United States must contact the NSF’s programmatic focal point (Dr. Maria Uhle, Muhle@nsf.gov). The closing date for submissions to this funding call is
May 10, 2022.
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NIH Releases RFI on Neuroscience and Environmental Health Science
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a request for information (RFI) seeking feedback on Interdisciplinary Research Opportunities that Bridge Neuroscience and Environmental Health Science. The RFI was organized by the NIH Environmental Neuroscience Working Group, which includes representatives from 9 Institutes and Centers (ICs) across NIH and is co-chaired by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The RFI seeks input on challenges and opportunities for interdisciplinary research to bring together neuroscientists, environmental health scientists, and scientists from other disciplines to understand how environmental toxins contribute to neurological function and disease. Responses are due
May 7, 2022.
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NSF Releases Dear Colleague Letters on Ocean Technical Workforce Education, Design for Sustainability in Computing
The National Science Foundation (NSF) released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) on Ocean Technical Workforce Education, describing proposal topics of high priority including “training in ocean instrumentation design, manufacturing and maintenance of marine-related hardware, and ocean data science and data analytics, with an emphasis on the inclusion of researchers, engineers and students from groups that are underrepresented in the marine science and mariner communities.” The DCL encourages Curriculum Development Proposals, which aim to advance academic programs with hands-on opportunities for trainees, and Student Engagement proposals, which aim to engage undergraduates, graduate students, teachers, and veterans in hands-on training and experience in ocean technologies, data science, and engineering.
NSF also released a DCL on Design for Sustainability in Computing, which encourages transdisciplinary proposals to the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate Core Programs to enable sustainability across the computing stack to address the carbon footprint from energy consumption; the generation of methane, carcinogens, and volatile organic compounds; and eutrophication. Proposals should also seek to address adverse impacts of greenhouse gas emissions, declining rare earth elements, and e-waste, and prioritize sustainability across multiple dimensions to enable a paradigm shift towards “design for sustainability.”
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