On December 10, Congress released the long-awaited 2018 farm bill conference report, H.R. 2 The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, a bipartisan compromise package that authorizes farm programs and agricultural research through fiscal year (FY) 2023. The final farm bill package, totaling 807 pages, is budget neutral. Title VII, the Research Title, largely reflects the … Read more
Much of the federal government is operating under a continuing resolution (CR) that is set to expire on December 7, 2018. Congress has yet to pass seven of the twelve appropriations bills for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, including the Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill, which funds the National Science Foundation (NSF), as well as the … Read more
On November 28th, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of Dr. Scott Hutchins as U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics (REE), which also serves as USDA Chief Scientist. Hutchins, the former global leader of Corteva AgriScience, is an entomologist by training and … Read more
Preparing graduate students and postdocs for diverse careers Changes in the workforce are challenging academia to prepare scientists to be adaptable and adept at communicating across boundaries. To meet these demands, the Plant Science Research Network (PSRN, plantae.org/PSRN) is shifting the focus to enable trainees to take ownership of their training experiences. “Since President Lincoln … Read more
Lewis-Burke Associates LLC – June 6, 2018 On June 6, the Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing entitled, “Student Visa Integrity: Protecting Educational Opportunity and National Security.” The hearing focused on the potential threats international students and academics, particularly those from China, pose to national … Read more