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• 2007 Issues

Issues and Activities -- 2007

Below are public policy items of current interest to the materials community. Older items have been categorized by year and can be found under "Inside" at left.

Documents

• MRS President's Letter regarding the Omnibus Bill of 2007 (PDF)
  President Al Hurd's letter expressing extreme disappointment about the 2007 Omnibus bill. Letter sent to President George Bush, White House Chief of Staff Bolton, Director of OSTP Marburger, Director of OMB Nussle, Policy Director Jackson, Representatives Pelosi, Obey, Boehner, Lewis, Visclosky, Hobson, Mollohan, Frelinghuysen, Gordon, Hall; Senators Byrd, Reid, McConnell, Cochran, Dorgan, Domenici, Mikulski, Shelby, Alexander, Bingaman; and legislative Chiefs of Staff. (December 26, 2007)
• ASTRA Briefs: November-December 2007
  From the Alliance for Science & Technology Research in America
  (January 3, 2008)
• Support Letter -- NSF Funding (PDF)
  President Al Hurd's support letter to Reps. Pelosi, Boehner, Obey, Lewis, Mollohan, Frelinghuysen, Visclosky, Hobson; and Senators Reid, McConnell, Byrd, Cochran, Mikulski, Shelby, Dorgan, Domenici. (December 5, 2007)
• Public Affairs Alert: Retaining Increased NSF Funding
  Email alert to MRS subscribers about encouraging their Representative and Senators to retain the increased funding level of NSF. (December 4, 2007)
• Public Affairs Alert: Continuing Support for DOE
  Email alert to MRS subscribers about encouraging their Representative to sign a Dear Colleague letter re DOE funding. (November 21, 2007)
• Support Letter -- FY08 NSF and DOE Office of Science Funding (PDF)
  President Al Hurd's Support Letter to Reps. Obey, Pelosi, Boehner, Lewis, Visclosky, Hobson, Mollohan, Frelinghuysen; Senators Byrd, Reid, McConnell, Cochran, Dorgan, Domenici, Mikulski, Shelby (Oct. 22, 2007)
• Thank You Letter -- DOE Funding for FY2008
  President Al Hurd's thank you letter to Reps. Hobson and Visclosky for increased DOE funding for FY2008. (August 24, 2007)
• Thank You Letter -- NSF and NIST Funding for FY2008
  President Al Hurd's thank you letter to Reps. Frelinghuysen and Mollohan for increased NSF and NIST funding for FY2008. (August 24, 2007)
• Thank You Letter House and Senate Leaders --COMPETES Legislation
  President Al Hurd's thank you letter to Reps. Pelosi. Gordon, and Ehlers, and Senators Reid, McConnell, Alexander, Domenici, and Bingaman for the passage of the COMPETES legislation. (August 24, 2007)
• "America Competes Act of 2007" Passes
  Announcement of the passage of the COMPETES Act and its impact on the research community -- Howard Katz, Government Affairs Committee Chair and Karin Ezbiansky Pavese, Grass Roots Subcommittee Chair. (August 21, 2007)
• Request for Support - NNSA Budget
  Vice President Cynthia Volkert's and Government Affairs Chair Howard Katz's letter to Rep. Pelosi and Senator Reid requesting reconsideration of proposed NNSA budget cuts. (August 7, 2007)
• Thank You Letter -- Reps. Pelosi and Boehner and Senators Reid and McConnell
  President Al Hurd's letter to Reps. Pelosi and Boehner and Senators Reid and McConnell for their committee leadership on the COMPETES legislation. (August 1, 2007)
• ASTRA Briefs: Spring - Summer 2007
  From the Alliance for Science & Technology Research in America
  (August 2, 2007)
• Science Policy News - MRS Bulletin, July 2007
  U.S. House Committee on Science and Teechnology Addresses Climate Change, NIST report highlights S&T measurement Challenges Key to Sustaining U.S. Innovation, European Commission Invites Public Consultation on ERA
  (July 27, 2007)
• Support Letter for Re-establishing Office of Technology Assessment
  President Al Hurd's letter to Reps. Gordon and Hall supporting the re-establishment of Office of Technology Assessment.
  (June 22, 2007)
• Speaker Nancy Pelosi Thank You Letter
  A letter from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi expressing appreciation for the George E. Brown Jr. Memorial Award, presented during CVD 2007. (May 25, 2007)
  
• Thank You Letter: Scientific Communications Act -- Representative Matsui
  President Al Hurd's letter to Rep. Matsui thanking her for her leadership in authoring and introducing the Scientific Communications Act.
  (April 30, 2007)
• Thank You Letter: NSF Reauthorization Bill -- Representative Gordon
  President Al Hurd's letter to Rep. Gordon thanking him for authoring the NSF Reauthorization legislation, and his leadership in getting it passed.
  (April 30, 2007)
• Congressional Visits Day F.A.Q.
  Congressional Visits Day 2007 was May 1 - 2, 2007. Includes a list of sponsoring organizations. Attendance of about 250 scientists and engineers, and as many as 600 - 700 Hill visits was expected.
  (April 20, 2007)
• Science Policy News - MRS Bulletin, March 2007
  U.S. Congressional Support for Physical Sciences Continues, Major Changes Unlikely; Europe Intensifies Support for Photonics; India Presents Materials Challenges to Auto Industry
• Thank You Letter: Continuing Resolution -- Representatives Pelosi and Obey; Senators Reid, Byrd, and Inouye
  President Al Hurd's letter to Congressional Leaders thanking them for retaining previously approved funding increases in 2007 for NSF, DOE, and NIST.
  (February 20, 2007)
• Science Policy News - MRS Bulletin, February 2007
  Expired Competitiveness Bill Remains Influential; National Survey Reveals Increased R&D Activities in Singapore; Decisions at United Nations Climate Change Conference Support Developing Countries
  (February 10, 2007)
• ASTRA Briefs: Jan - Feb 2007
  From the Alliance for Science & Technology Research in America
  Final adoption of the FY '07 US Budget. It puts these three targeted agencies - the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy's Office of Science, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology on a "doubling path" over a multiple year time period. Also, extensive new ASTRA charts on R&D spending.
  (January, 2007)
• Science Policy News - MRS Bulletin, January 2007
  NSF’s Future Investment Priorities Bode Well for Materials Research, Wind Energy Research Top Priority for EU’s New Technology Platform, UK Plans National Nuclear Laboratory, South Africa to Support Research Putting Biodiesel Waste to Agricultural Use, China’s National Key Project on Lubricative and Antiwear Materials Officially Launched
  (January 10, 2007)
• Letter to Congressional Leadership re Continuing Resolution
  President Al Hurd's letter to Congressional Leaders requesting that they retain previously approved funding increases in 2007 for NSF, DOE, and NIST.
  (January 10, 2007)

Links

• AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy
  The 2007 Forum was held May 3-4, 2007 in Washington, DC. It provided a forum for discussion and debate about budget and other policy issues facing the S&T community. Slides from many of the presentations are available by clicking the link above.
  (March 27, 2007)
• Rising Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (2005)
  Full text of a book from the National Academies Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP). Chapters include "Why are science and technology critical to America's prosperity in the 21st century?" and "How is America doing now in science and technology."
• FYI: The AIP Bulletin of Science Policy News
  FYI summarizes science policy developments in Washington affecting the physics and astronomy community. Summaries are approximately one page long and are issued two or more times every week.