Biden Signs New Pandemic Preparedness Memo

October 27, 2022

On October 18, President Biden signed a national security memorandum intended to prepare the U.S. to detect, respond to, and mitigate the consequences of the next large-scale viral or biological threat. The memo is addressed to 20 federal agencies, with the National Science Foundation notably missing from the list. The memo directs agencies to prioritize biodefense and pandemic preparedness and provide further research and development of tools that would help expand the

Federal Government Operating under CR until December 16

October 5, 2022

On the final day of the 2022 fiscal year, President Biden signed a short-term continuing resolution (CR) (PL 117-180) to keep the federal government open until December 16th. As has become the norm, Congress was unable to negotiate finalized spending legislation for fiscal year 2023, which began Oct. 1. The CR funds most federal programs at their current levels and provides $12 billion in supplemental funding for activities related to the war in

White House Releases Memo to Guide Research Priorities

August 18, 2022

Leaders of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the Multi-Agency Research and Development Priorities for FY 2024 on July 22nd.  The Administration’s annual memo provides guidance to federal agencies as they draft their budget requests for fiscal year 2024, detailing how R&D programs are expected to align with the president’s larger policy agenda.

This year, the White House lists the

Impending CR as Senate Releases Draft Appropriation Bills

On July 28, Senate Appropriations Committee Democrats released draft appropriations bills. Despite optimism earlier this year, this is a sign that bipartisan talks have not progressed as well as hoped. It is now highly unlikely that Congress will pass appropriations before the end of the fiscal year on September 30. The most likely outcome in the short term is that Congress will pass a continuing resolution keeping the government running at current funding levels until after the midterm