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EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES POLICY NEWSLETTER
June 3, 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.  

The Biden Administration is in campaign mode as many elected officials across the U.S. will need to defend their seats in elections this fall.  As a result, there has been an increased number of announcements on environmental justice, energy resiliency, and climate change.  Several funding opportunities aligning with the Biden Administration’s policy agenda on resilience and U.S. competitiveness have also been released with the goal of competing solicitations by the end of the year.  Among these are the National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines, the interagency America the Beautiful Challenge, and Climate Change and Health Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Congressional committees have hosted hearings on the fiscal year (FY) 2023 President’s budget request, agency and committee priorities, and the Farm Bill, which expires in the fall of 2023.  Leadership across federal agencies touted the importance of tackling climate change and promoting resilience across sectors, including agriculture, water, forestry, energy, and research.  Each hearing will shape the Committee’s appropriations bills as they are developed, which are optimistically expected to be released throughout June and July before Congress goes on an extended recess in August.  Congress is also making incremental progress on the competitiveness package poised to increase investments in U.S. research and development and manufacturing.  The conferees representing both chambers have been named and efforts to merge the House and Senate versions are underway, with the hopes of finalizing a package before the midterm elections in November.

Federal Advisory Committees have been meeting to influence research priorities.  Each spring, Advisory Committees for each National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate meet and provide a readout of the Office or Directorate’s annual accomplishments to inform priorities for the next year.  This year, many of the NSF Directorates are especially focused on cross-agency collaboration on large-scale issues like energy resilience and conservation.  The Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD) at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) also met this month and announced its intention to develop a new Feed the Future Innovation Lab to support research to mitigate and address the impacts of climate change on the global food, agricultural, and nutrition systems.

IN THIS ISSUE:  
Federal Agency and Administration Updates   Congressional Updates Funding and Engagement Opportunities  
Federal Agency and Administration Updates 
NIHHIS Announces New Cities for Community Engaged Heat Mapping Campaign
The National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) announced the next 14 cities that will be included in a community-engaged heat mapping campaign.  The selected cities will partner with local groups and stakeholders, which could include university partners, to map heat islands and risks.  These cities are also able to leverage this work for further funding from other agencies that are interested in the public health and environmental effects of extreme heat.  Since 2017, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has provided support and funding for 69 cities to conduct this work.  The new cities for this campaign include Boulder, Colorado; Clark County, Nevada, which includes Las Vegas; Columbia, South Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Jacksonville, Florida; Knoxville and Nashville, Tennessee; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Montgomery County, Maryland; Omaha, Nebraska; Spokane, Washington; and Philadelphia.  NOAA also stated that they are working with local groups on international campaigns in Freetown, Sierra Leone and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Additionally, NIHHIS announced the first installment of a public information series in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide forecasts on the number of extremely hot days expected in a given month, the primary geographic risk areas, public health risks, and policy suggestions.  The Climate and Health Outlook series will be updated regularly and will focus on providing equitable perspectives. 

Sources and additional information: 
HHS Establishes New Office of Environmental Justice
On May 31, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the creation of a new office focused on environmental justice within HHS’ Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE).  The new Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) will coordinate HHS-wide efforts on environmental justice, which aim to protect the health of disadvantaged communities and those that suffer disproportionately from pollution and environmental hazards.  The creation of both OEJ and OCCHE reflect the Biden Administration’s whole-of-government approach to equity and climate change, and are direct outcomes from the January 2021 Executive Order, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, as part of the Administration’s broader efforts to invest in overburdened and underserved communities.  Both OEJ and the larger OCCHE are awaiting funding from Congress and are currently operating with staff on detail from other HHS agencies.  OEJ will be led in an interim capacity by Sharunda Buchanan, who most recently ran the Office of Priority Projects, Innovation, and Environmental Justice within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Sources and additional information: 
NSF Directorate of Biological Sciences Holds Advisory Committee Meeting
The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Biological Sciences (BIO) Directorate held its Advisory Committee meeting in mid-May to discuss its priority areas and upcoming initiatives, many of which pertain to climate and environmental sciences.  Throughout the meeting, leadership emphasized the Directorate’s continued focus on the bioeconomy and life on a warming planet.  Similar to many other NSF Directorates, BIO is looking to expand use-inspired work to align with the new Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate, including designing new feedstocks for biomanufacturing of recyclables, mapping ecosystem changes, and discerning plant responses to extreme environments.  Also of note, Joanne Tornow, the head of the BIO Directorate, announced that she will be retiring at the end of September 2022.

Sources and additional information: 
The Department of the Navy Releases Climate Action Strategy 
The Department of the Navy (DON) recently released its climate change strategy, Department of the Navy Climate Action 2030 (Climate Action Strategy).  In the document, DON categorizes climate change as an existential threat that has increasingly created serious readiness challenges, as it threatens instability and increases DON demands that impact its capacity to function as intended.  For example, as climate change prompts more frequent and intense natural disasters, DON has had increased participation in federal response activities.  Climate change also impacts DON training, as operations can be inhibited by extreme heat.  The Climate Action Strategy endeavors to build a climate-ready force, focusing its efforts on two performance goals: 1) Build Climate Resilience, and 2) Reduce Climate Threats.  Both performance goals will be executed around the lines of effort, as presented in the Department of Defense’s Climate Adaption Plan: climate-informed decision making; training and equipping for climate resilience; resilient built and natural infrastructure; supply chain resilience and innovation; and enhanced mitigation and adaptation through collaboration.  DON is also leading research related to advanced batteries with other federal agencies including the Departments of Energy, State, and Commerce.  Additionally, DON plans to develop innovation capabilities to help to better mitigate, predict, and adapt to climate change in the areas of “oceanographic and meteorological modeling and prediction, efficient electrical power systems for ships, advanced water purification technologies, and resilient cybersecure energy networks.”  

The Climate Action Strategy spans through 2030 because that is when the scientific community has identified as the decade in which meaningful progress must be made to avoid catastrophic climate change impacts.  The document is also aligned with Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, and the Administration’s goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  DON will be issuing guidance for climate action to complement the Climate Action Strategy, which will be led by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Environment.

Sources and additional information: 
Agencies Discuss Environmental Factors in Cancer and Health Outcomes
On May 4, as part of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, several federal agencies held roundtable events to discuss their agency’s role in the prevention and treatment of cancer.  The Department of Defense (DOD) conversation was focused on military-relevant exposures, and participants emphasized the importance of translation of research into practice through partnerships with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), robust longitudinal data and individual records to establish and evaluate the impact of specific environmental exposures on health outcomes, and greater interagency collaborations to work towards the goals of the Cancer Moonshot.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) panel discussed the impact of environmental pollutants on the development of cancer; health disparities and environmental racism; the role of longitudinal data in demonstrating the relationship between environmental exposures and health outcomes, as well as how to communicate that relationship to affected communities; and the need to invest in prevention research as well as cures and treatments.  Panel moderator Patrick Breysse, Director of CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (NCEH/ATSDR), also stated that in the next few months, his office will release an update to the federal cancer cluster guidelines, which will be available for public review and comment.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) dedicated its roundtable to the role of nutrition in preventing cancer and other chronic diseases.  Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at USDA, emphasized that nutrition security is a top priority for Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and highlighted the importance of the agency’s partnerships with land-grant universities and non-profit organizations in developing and implementing culturally competent nutrition education and advancing science.   

Sources and additional information: 

Congressional Updates
Appropriations Committees Continue to Hold Budget Hearings with Agency Leadership
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have held several hearings with leaders from environmental agencies to defend the fiscal year (FY) 2023 President’s budget request as they prepare to draft the next round of spending bills.  Some observations on the relevant hearings this month are included below. 
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): During a hearing with the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, EPA Administrator Michael Regan emphasized EPA’s top priorities as ensuring access to clean air and water and addressing the climate crisis.  Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Merkley (D-OR) supported EPA’s role in addressing critical, longstanding environmental justice issues, including the unequal access to clean air and water.  Administrator Regan mentioned that FY 2023 budget would provide $1.4 billion to advance environmental justice by cleaning up legacy pollution, $4 billion to upgrade drinking and wastewater facilities, and $60 million in research funding to improve the knowledge of the impacts of climate change on human health.  He also acknowledged cybersecurity challenges related to environmental protection, referencing the $15.5 million proposed in EPA’s FY 2023 budget to help enhance cybersecurity in states, as well as $25 million to establish a new grant program to enhance water systems and build cybersecurity capabilities.  
  • National Science Foundation (NSF): At the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee hearing with NSF Director Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan, members asked questions about the agency’s new Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate and how it will improve competitiveness and prepare the future U.S. workforce.  Panch noted that the Directorate will aim to activate research on societal grand challenges and research directions will include mitigation, adaptation, and resilience in addition to improving data management and infrastructure to improve usability for practitioners.  The Director also highlighted in his remarks that a $300 million increase for climate change research will support activities within the TIP Directorate, as well as recent expansions of NSF’s collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on climate change initiatives.
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): At the hearing with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee Chairman Matt Cartwright (D-PA) opened the session by applauding the agency’s request for Earth Science and highlighting the importance of the agency’s role in climate science and data gathering in addition to helping reduce emissions and aircraft efficiency.  Administrator Nelson also noted NASA’s upcoming investments in an Earth Information Center which will compile accessible and usable data on earth and environmental systems. 
  • Department of Commerce and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): During the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee hearing with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Chairman Matt Cartwright highlighted NOAA’s role in leading climate research, operations, and prediction.  The Department’s request included nearly $7 billion for NOAA, which was met with some criticism from the Republican members of the Committee who noted that the Commerce Department should be working to spur economic development in light of high rates of inflation.  Secretary Raimondo noted the important role that NOAA and other climate investments play in spurring a booming green economy that works toward resilience and mitigation efforts while also drawing connections to clean energy transition and supply chain strength.  Because it is a large part of NOAA’s requested budget, several questions were asked about the satellite fleet and weather prediction.  The Secretary noted the need for regular improvements in satellite infrastructure as well as the tools to accurately synthesize data acquired by them to improve weather and earth system predictability. 
Sources and additional information: 
National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act Introduced in the Senate 
On May 19, Senator Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act, the companion to the House bill which Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced in November of 2021.  The legislation is intended to be a comprehensive science authorization bill that would identify and invest in research and development (R&D); set up warning and forecast systems; develop observation and sensing technologies; and standardize data collection efforts to improve the nation’s preparedness, resilience, and response to wildfires.  The Senate bill is similar to the House version, which was passed in Committee on a bipartisan basis, with significantly more detail included for the R&D activities authorized at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA).  In addition, the Senate version of the bill also includes more specifics on how support may be provided for the development or utilization of new innovative technologies and for the development of data-sharing standards to address wildfires and related impacts.  The bill would also authorize the establishment of an independent advisory committee to oversee the research program which would include academics and authorization for extramural wildfire research at NOAA.  We anticipate a markup of this bill to take place in the Senate, though a date has not been set.  The Democratic leadership has indicated their intentions to include this bill as a broader package this summer to address wildfires.

Sources and additional information: 
Funding and Engagement Opportunities  
NFWF Releases Multi-Agency America the Beautiful Challenge Solicitation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has released a request for proposals (RFP) for the new America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC).  ATBC is a public-private competitive grant program which aims to support locally led ecosystem restoration projects.  The program seeks projects focused on at least one of five core areas of need: “(1) conserving and restoring rivers, coasts, wetlands, and watersheds; (2) conserving and restoring forests, grasslands, and other important ecosystems that serve as carbon sinks; (3) connecting and reconnecting wildlife corridors, large landscapes, watersheds, and seascapes; (4) improving ecosystem and community resilience to coastal flooding, drought, and other climate-related threats; and (5) expanding access to the outdoors, particularly in underserved communities.”  The ATBC includes four distinct grant categories: (1) States, Territories, and Tribal Implementation Grants; (2) Planning, Collaboration and Engagement for States, Territories, and Tribes; (3) Grants to Buffer and Benefit Public Lands; and (4) Private Forests, Rangeland and Farmland Grants.  ATBC has total program funding of $85 million in this RFP cycle, and award amounts vary by grant category.  Educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and local governments are only eligible to apply for categories 3 and 4, but can serve as a partner in all categories.  Proposals are due on July 21, 2022 at 11:59 PM ET

Sources and additional information: 
NSF Seeking Nominations for Environment-Focused Advisory Committees
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking nominations for membership to 15 of its existing advisory committees, including those for the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO), the Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE), the Office of Polar Programs (OPP), the Directorate for Environmental Research and Education (ERE), and the Division of Astronomical Sciences (AST).  Committee members should demonstrate comprehensive knowledge, expertise, or ability in their respective subject areas.  During the selection process, NSF may also consider balance in diverse representation of institutions, regions, or groups typically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).  All recommendations must be sent to the appropriate contact, whose information can be found within the notice.  Self- recommendations will be accepted.  NSF will accept nominations for 12 months from April 28, 2022

Sources and additional information: 
USGCRP Issues Request for Comment on Decadal Strategic Plan
The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), in partnership with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), is seeking input on its Decadal Strategic Plan, 2022-2031.  USGCRP coordinates interagency research on processes that influence Earth systems to position the United States as a leader in global change research.  USGCRP is specifically requesting comment on its program priorities and narrative in the strategic pillar sections of the draft plan, with particular attention to “(i) ideas on emerging, large-scale scientific questions related to global change and/or response, especially those where interagency collaboration will be critical; (ii) specific information on how science is or is not being used to inform societal response to climate change, and why; and (iii) knowledge gaps and obstacles to implementing scientific tools or knowledge.”  Comments must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on 15 July 2022

Sources and additional information: 
USDA Releases FY 2022 Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative RFA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released a request for applications (RFA) for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative (AG2PI).  AG2PI aims to advance scientific understanding of genomes and phenomes of plants and animals of significance to American agriculture.  This is the second RFA for this program after it was initially authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill and first competed in FY 2020.  The FY 2022 solicitation includes $1.92 million in total funding, double the amount of available funding over the previous edition.  Applications should seek to (1) develop datasets and tools to advance genome engineering to optimize animal reproduction and nutrition; (2) mitigate the environmental impacts of crop and animal production; and (3) support development of root stops to increase carbon capture.  Projects proposing collaboration between crop and animal researchers are encouraged.  Applications must be submitted by July 21, 2022 at 5:00pm ET.

Sources and additional information: 
NIH Releases Notice of Special Interest on Climate Change and Health
The National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) released a Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) on Climate Change and Health.  This NOSI is the first funding opportunity in a series of anticipated funding opportunities for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-wide Climate Change and Health Initiative (CCHI).  As part of this initiative, NIEHS is partnering with several NIH institutes to support research that addresses the impacts of climate change on human health over the life span.  Despite the lack of dedicated funding, the release of the NOSI signals the agency’s commitment to supporting research that investigates the health implications of a changing climate.  In the FY 2023 budget request, President Biden has once again proposed $100 million in new funding for the agency to fund this research which if provided, would establish a secure funding stream for CCHI that can be used across NIH.  The first available award due date is July 8, 2022

Sources and additional information: 
DOE Releases $40 Million Solicitation for Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce Initiative
The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science released a $40 million funding opportunity for Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) initiative.  All six Office of Science programs are participating in this new initiative to provide undergraduate and graduate training and research opportunities for students and academic institutions currently underrepresented in the Office of Science portfolio.  This opportunity is primarily for non-R1 institutions of higher education and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) in partnership with DOE national laboratories to access unique user facilities and science infrastructure.  DOE views this initiative as part of a broader effort to advance a diverse, equitable, and inclusive research community.  Deadlines, award amounts, and particular requirements vary by each DOE Office of Science program.  

Sources and additional information: 
 
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