Science Policy Report

Address all comments to the Science Policy Office at:
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04 September 2019

In This Issue:

Policy News

Science and Society News

International Corner

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

Policy News

Five weeks out from the next shutdown deadline, House leaders are already preparing lawmakers for another short-term spending extension that keeps the government running until late November or early December. Congressional leaders are not expected to pick a firm date for that stopgap until just days — or even hours — away from the Sept. 30 fiscal cliff. But House Democrats are starting to set the realistic expectation of another pre-Christmas funding crunch. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said he thinks a so-called continuing resolution should extend funding through Nov. 22. Other top Democrats have predicted that temporary funding patch could go even longer, through Dec. 6. Read the full article.
 

Senate appropriators are planning to advance as many as four fiscal 2020 spending bills next week, as part of a monthlong sprint to make up for lost time. Unlike the House, which has already passed 10 of its 12 bills, the Senate remains far behind in the work required to avoid a government shutdown starting next month. The Appropriations Committee tentatively plans to mark up on Sept. 12 the draft Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, Energy-Water and State-Operations bills, a package that would amount to a third of the 12 annual bills needed for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. The committee also plans to approve its subcommittee allocations, which set the overall spending limits for each of the bills, on that same day, according to people familiar with the process. Read the full article.
 

Last week, the Trump administration released a memo outlining its R&D priorities for the FY 2021 budget request, which is scheduled for release in February 2020. The annual memo, co-authored by the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, is typically an indicator of what programs might be favored in the forthcoming budget, though past Trump administration budgets have routinely sought wide-ranging cuts across the research enterprise. This year’s memo, longer and more detailed than past iterations under President Trump, focuses on five priority R&D areas: American Security, Industries of the Future, Energy and Environment, Health & Bioeconomic Innovation, and Space Exploration. Read the full memo.
 

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) will allow researchers at the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to request to work remotely from D.C. through the end of the year, the employees’ union announced on Friday. For those approved for teleworking, this move will provide flexibility around USDA’s controversial plans to relocate both agencies to Kansas City by September 30. Those who previously rejected relocation now have until the end of September to reconsider their choice. Read the full article.
 

The 2019 ASA, CSSA, SSSA Congressional Science Fellow, Matt Bright, spent his Fellowship year working in the office of Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) and was instrumental in developing her Rural Green Partnership proposal. Rural economies in Illinois and across the country depend on a stable climate and consistent weather patterns, which makes tackling the issue of climate change a moral and economic imperative. Specifically, the Rural Green Partnership details a set of policies that work with federal, local and state governments, producers, businesses, unions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in every economic sector of rural America. Read her opinion piece here.
 

Science and Society News

This year’s ASA, CSSA Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX, November 10-13, will feature over 3,500 technical presentations, along with a host of networking events and award ceremonies. The world-class exhibition displays the latest scientific equipment, supplies, services, and reference materials available. It’s the premiere opportunity for professionals working in agronomic, crop, soil, and related sciences to hear about the latest research, meet and learn from their peers, expand their knowledge base, and take advantage of an abundance of networking opportunities to enhance their career. Learn more here.
 

Developing the food and agriculture scientists of tomorrow starts by investing in them today. The Foundation for Food and Agriculture (FFAR) is excited to announce the second cohort of FFAR Fellows, a unique three-year fellowship that prepares the next generation of food and agriculture scientists for the workforce by providing hands-on support and mentoring from industry. FFAR awarded the 2019 FFAR Fellowship to seventeen doctoral candidates across the country who are conducting research that supports one of FFAR’s six Challenge Areas. Two of the 2019 Fellows, Kelsey Peterson at the University of Minnesota and Dani Gelardi at UC Davis, are members of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA. Read the full article.
 

Few things are scarier to a pumpkin farmer than the letters CMV. They stand for cucumber mosaic virus, a pathogen that lays waste to entire fields of pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons. Now, researchers have found a way to quickly develop vaccines that could eventually protect crops from viral pathogens. The researchers are now working on finding the most efficient and cost-effective way of administering the vaccine to plants, such as a spray that uses nanoparticles to deliver the siRNAs. They’re also trying to identify siRNAs that would fight economically important viruses such as CMV or the zucchini yellow mosaic virus, on plants from melons to tomatoes. Read the full article.
 

Increasing demand on fresh water supplies in the arid and semi-arid western U.S. and more stringent wastewater discharge standards have made recycled water a common water source for irrigating urban green spaces. A new article in the Journal of Environmental Quality highlights an 11-year study on the changes in soil salinity, alkalinity, and sodicity along soil profiles from eight urban green spaces in a semiarid climate.This study demonstrated that despite the clear benefits of recycled water irrigation in urban landscapes (water conservation, nutrient recycling, and pollution reduction), there are concerns relating to soil exchangeable sodium (ESP) increase, soil pH increase, and salinity buildup. Read the full article.
 

Field, Lab, Earth is the podcast all about past and present advances in the fields of agronomic, crop, soil, and environmental sciences. A joint production of the Tri-Societies, the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, it features interviews with authors published in our journals, books, and magazines. Find this episode and more here.
 

United States government scientists on Thursday confirmed that July was the hottest month on record, edging out the previous record-holder, July 2016. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that the global average temperature last month was 62.1 degrees Fahrenheit (16.7 degrees Celsius). That is 0.05 degree Fahrenheit higher than July 2016, and 1.7 degrees higher than the average for the 20th century. The record heat was felt in most parts of the globe, the agency said, including parts of North America, southern Asia, southern Africa and much of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. There were no record cold July temperatures anywhere. Read the full article.
 

From cutting back on fossil fuels to planting a million trees, people and policymakers around the world are looking for more ways to curb climate change. Another solution to add to the list is changing how we use land. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, released a special report this month that emphasized the importance of proper land management, such as protecting forests from being converted to farmland, has on mitigating climate change. ASA and SSSA member Cynthia Rosenzweig talks to NPR’s Science Friday about the ways we can use land to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Read the full article.
 

Look at anything made from trees—a ream of paper, a cardboard box, lumber—and it's probably stamped with the logo of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or an equivalent organization. These nonprofits certify that forests are managed sustainably, and one common requirement is no genetically modified (GM) trees. But that ban hinders research and should change, researchers say in today's issue of Science. The technology, they argue, has important potential to remedy many pressing problems facing forests. Read the full article.
 

Florida is the largest producer of sugarcane in the United States, accounting for more than half of the total production. New research in Crop Science analyzes the dynamics of sugarcane and sugar yields in Florida from 1950 to 2018. Over this period, there was a statistically significant increase in both sugarcane and sugar yields. A piecewise regression was used to determine growth in Florida sugarcane and sugar yields and how new sugarcane cultivars have positively impacted yields. Read the full article.
 

Support your sciences and reach qualified applicants! The Career Center promotes and encourages opportunities in the agronomic, crop, soil, and environmental sciences and serves as a clearinghouse for resumes and job listings. Employers and recruiters will find the most qualified talent pool with relevant work experience to fulfill their staffing needs. Visit our careers page to browse and post positions. Save 20% in online posts using SANANTONIO2019. Learn more here.

The American Geosciences Institute is offering the next webinar in the Technical Writing Skills for Geoscience Careers webinar series. This free 1-hour webinar, Important Writing Skills for Careers in the Environmental Industry, will be held on October 2nd at 1:00 PM EDT. This webinar will provide insight into the technical writing skills that are needed by geoscience students pursuing careers in the environmental consulting industry. Speakers will discuss skills that are developed during undergraduate or graduate academic training, types of written products that are developed by geoscientists in the environmental consulting industry, training and professional development opportunities for improving and expanding writing skills and advice for students on how to acquire the needed writing skills as they prepare for and pursue their career path. Register here.
 

International Corner

A major budget crisis at Brazil’s leading science funding agency could disrupt the lives of thousands of students and early-career scientists. In September, the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) in Brasília could run out of money to continue to fund the grants and scholarships it provides to more than 80,000 Brazilians. The budget issues at CNPq are only the latest in a long series of cuts to Brazil’s federal science budget. Read the full article.
 

Humans must drastically alter food production to prevent the most catastrophic effects of global warming, according to a new report from the United Nations panel on climate change. The panel of scientists looked at the climate change effects of agriculture, deforestation and other land use, such as harvesting peat and managing grasslands and wetlands. Together, those activities generate about a third of human greenhouse gas emissions, including more than 40% of methane. That's important because methane is particularly good at trapping heat in the atmosphere. And the problem is getting more severe. Read the full article.
 

Colombia has declared a national state of emergency following confirmation that a dread fungus has appeared in the country’s banana plantations. The 8 August declaration marks the first time that Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4), which has devastated crops in Asia, has been confirmed in Latin America, the world’s largest exporter of bananas. Signs of the fungus were first spotted in June in northern Colombia, putting the region on high alert. The Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) in Bogotá has now announced plans to expand biosecurity efforts, after eradicating plants on nearly 170 hectares of quarantined farmland. Read the full article.
 

Wildfires are currently burning so intensely in the Amazon rainforest that smoke from the blaze has covered nearby cities in a dark haze. Multiple news outlets are reporting that Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) reported a record 72,843 fires this year, an 80 percent increase from last year. More than 9,000 of those fires have been spotted in the past week. Many believe that the fires are a result of deforestation. In addition to harvesting timber, many trees in the Amazon are cleared to plant soy or make way for lucrative cattle pastures. Burning is commonly used to clear trees quickly. Like the wildfires that plague California, most are started by humans, but then spiral out of control. Read the full article.
 

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

The Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) is the Department of Defense's (DoD) environmental research and development program, planned and executed in partnership with the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. SERDP's role is to fund research and development that addresses environmental issues relevant to the management and mission of the DoD. SERDP-supported efforts lead to the development and application of innovative environmental technologies or methods that improve the environmental performance of DoD, support the long term sustainability of DoD’s installations and ranges, and significantly reduce current and future environmental liabilities. Within its broad areas of interest, the Program focuses on Environmental Restoration, Munitions Response, Resource Conservation and Resiliency, and Weapons Systems and Platforms. Deadline, September 12. Read the full announcement.
 

The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) works to support Native American farmers and ranchers and promote their continued engagement in agriculture. To that end, NAAF has issued an RFA seeking proposals for projects that deliver content with practical application to the success of Native farmers and ranchers in one of four areas important to that success: business assistance, agricultural education, technical support and advocacy. Funds may be used for project support, scholarships, re-granting, or capital expenditures. NAAF has highlighted four key priority areas: traditional foods and food sovereignty programs; hemp production analysis; youth programming; and the agriculture sciences. Deadline, September 30. Read the full announcement.
 

The broad objective of SEED is to identify and support disruptive concepts in energy-related technologies within small businesses, including collaborations with universities and national labs. Projects funded through SEED should have the potential for large-scale impact. If successful, projects should create new paradigms in energy technology and have the potential to achieve significant reductions in U.S. energy consumption (measured in quads), energy-related imports (measured in quads), or energy-related emissions (measured in megatons/gigatons of CO2 or CH4, etc.). Awards under this program will support research projects that establish potential new areas for technology development and provide ARPA-E with information that could lead to new ARPA-E focused funding programs. Awards may support exploratory research to establish viability, proof-of-concept demonstration for new energy technology, and/or modeling and simulation efforts to guide development for new energy technologies. Deadline, October 8. Read the full announcement.
 

The overarching goal of this RFA is to support innovative research necessary for improving the physico-chemical properties, yield and total plant protein for human consumption. The RFA seeks to provide knowledge and resources needed to enhance the supply chain for plant-based protein in a profitable and sustainable manner. FFAR and its co-funders are committed to supporting research on the following topics: 1) Genomic resources and a technology toolbox for new or underutilized protein crops; 2) Enhancing functional and nutritional properties of plant proteins for plant-based food applications; and 3) Performing market-based analyses for new or underutilized and/or production systems of proteins for plant-based food. Deadline, October 9. Read the full announcement. 
 

NCR-SARE’s Research and Education (R&E) program supports sustainable agriculture innovators with competitive research and education grants. Individual grants range from $50,000 to $200,000. NCR-SARE expects to fund about 15 projects in the twelve-state North Central region for 2020. New for the 2020 funding cycle of the Research and Education Grant Program, NCR-SARE will be accepting preproposals for long-term projects. Recognizing that some research/extension systems work is complex and requires collaborative interdisciplinary work that takes many years to complete, applicants will indicate that they are applying under the long term option. The long-term option allows for additional funding in subsequent 3-year cycles with satisfactory progress. Deadline, October 10. Read the full announcement.
 

The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems. Projects must address at least one of five focus areas: 1) Research in plant breeding, genetics, genomics, and other methods to improve crop characteristics; 2) Efforts to identify and address threats from pests and diseases, including threats to specialty crop pollinators; 3) Efforts to improve production efficiency, handling and processing, productivity, and profitability over the long term (including specialty crop policy and marketing); 4) New innovations and technology, including improved mechanization and technologies that delay or inhibit ripening; and 5) Methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to potential food safety hazards in the production efficiency, handling and processing of specialty crops. Deadline, October 15. Read the full announcement.
 

The Antarctic Sciences Section (ANT) of the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) supports cutting-edge research that (1) expands fundamental knowledge of the Antarctic and the natural laboratory it represents across a range of disciplines, (2) improves understanding of interactions between the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region and Earth system, and (3) utilizes the unique characteristics of the Antarctic continent as an observing platform . The U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) supports scientific research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean with logistics provided by OPP’s Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics Section (AIL). Antarctic fieldwork is supported only for research that must be performed, or is best performed, in Antarctica. ANT encourages research, using existing samples, data, and models, that does not require fieldwork. ANT also encourages research that crosses and combines, disciplinary perspectives and approaches. Proposals accepted at any time. Read the full announcement.
 

Sources: Politico; RollCall; The White House; New Food Economy; PJ Star; FFAR; ScienceInsider; New York Times; NOAA; Science Friday; AGI; National Geographic; DOD; USDA; NSF;

Vision: The Societies Washington, DC Science Policy Office (SPO) will advocate the importance and value of the agronomic, crop and soil sciences in developing national science policy and ensuring the necessary public-sector investment in the continued health of the environment for the well being of humanity. The SPO will assimilate, interpret, and disseminate in a timely manner to Society members information about relevant agricultural, natural resources and environmental legislation, rules and regulations under consideration by Congress and the Administration.

This page of the ASA-CSSA-SSSA web site will highlight current news items relevant to Science Policy. It is not an endorsement of any position.