A new Viewpoint article in BioScience discusses the necessary steps for the biodiversity collections community to position itself as an important catalyst of research.

President Joe Biden has proposed investing $250 billion in the U.S. research enterprise under his broad infrastructure plan geared towards rebuilding the country’s infrastructure, creating jobs, and enabling the U.S. to “out-compete China.”

On April 9, 2021, the White House released President Biden’s much awaited budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2022, outlining the Administration’s priorities and proposing large increases for several federal science agencies.

New legislation introduced by House Science Committee leadership proposes doubling the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) budget over five years and creating a new Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions (SES) that will enable NSF to accelerate the translation of science and technology into solutions to society’s major challenges.

The House Science Committee has advanced the Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act (H.R. 144), which would authorize $250 million for the National Science Foundation over fiscal years 2021 and 2022 “to prevent the loss of research talent due to job market disruptions caused by any economic decline during and after the pandemic.”

A new report by Democratic lawmakers on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology warns about a “dangerously diminished” federal science workforce.

President Biden has nominated former Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) to serve as Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a position that requires Senate confirmation.

A coalition of more than 200 scientific and academic stakeholder groups have asked President Biden to champion the Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act (H.R.869, S.289) and support full funding for the initiatives the legislation would create.

AIBS has submitted a letter of support to lawmakers for the confirmation of Dr. Eric Lander to the position of Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

More than 90 stakeholder groups, including AIBS, have called on legislators to increase overall funding allocations for Appropriations Committees in Fiscal Year 2022, as well as the respective allocations for Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees, in order to significantly increase discretionary funding for crucial U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.