Research NewsletterIssue: ORN-2024-21

International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory Funding Opportunity

The International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory is now soliciting project concepts for accelerated technology maturation and translational medicine. ISS National Lab Research Announcement (NLRA) 2024-7: Technology Development and Applied Research Leveraging the ISS National Lab is now open for concept submissions.

The ISS National Lab will host an informational webinar on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at 1 p.m. EDT. The webinar will highlight solicitation details and provide an opportunity for attendees to ask questions. Step 1: Concept Summaries are due July 12, 2024. To learn more about the ISS National Lab and this research announcement, please visit our website.

NSF: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement-Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Program (RII-FEC); Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE): Core Programs, Large Projects; Correctness for Scientific Computing Systems; Advanced Computing Systems & Services: Adapting to the Rapid Evolution of Science and Engineering Research

NIH: Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Faculty Diversity in Biomedical Research (K01); Independent Scientist Award (Parent K02)

Department of Defense/US Army/DARPA/ONR: DoD Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health, Translational Research Award; Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) Office-wide; DOD Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Idea Development Award; 2024 National Science Portal (NSP)

Department of Energy: Quantum Information Science Enabled Discovery (QuantISED 2.0); Photovoltaics Research and Development (PVRD) FOA 2024

NASA: Research Initiation Awards Artificial Intelligence Applications in Heliophysics Consortium in Biological Sciences; Heliophysics Low Cost Access to Space

NSF to issue framework addressing national security implications of sensitive research:  The National Science Foundation will release a new risk management framework to help guide agency decision-making regarding the potential national security implications of research projects working with sensitive technologies. 

The risk rubric process — Trusted Research Using Safeguards and Transparency — responds to a recent report issued by the MITRE Corporation’s JASON scientific advisory group that recommends the NSF develop approaches to mitigating risks to national security stemming from research efforts.  NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan confirmed the new TRUST process is slated to be unveiled and piloted in “the coming months” during a House Science, Space and Technology subcommittee hearing on Thursday. “In the near future, we will begin a risk rubric that will guide the agency in making determinations about the national security implications of projects in sensitive technologies,” Panchanathan said. “We have prohibited funding for researchers that participate in malign foreign talent programs and developed analytical capabilities to assess risks.” TRUST will respond to the recommendations in the JASON report, which was requested by NSF itself and released in March 2024, that ask the agency to differentiate scientific research projects based on the sensitivity levels of their potential applications and apply specific mitigation measures to prevent lapses in security.  Creating an effective framework to gauge research efforts' levels of risk to national security stems from provisions in the CHIPS and Science Act that direct NSF to identify and control research that may expose controlled unclassified or classified information. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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White House, Labor look to protect workers from AI-fueled harms: The Department of Labor and the White House jointly announced a new framework on Thursday designed to protect U.S. workers from adverse consequences of deploying artificial intelligence systems in the workplace, fulfilling another mandate of the Biden administration’s October 2023 executive order on AI.   The Labor guidance suggests eight principles for AI developers and employers leveraging AI in the workplace: centering worker empowerment; ethically developing AI; establishing AI governance and human oversight; ensuring transparency in AI use; protecting labor and employment rights; using AI to enable workers; supporting workers impacted by AI; and ensuring responsible use of worker data.  Centering worker empowerment is highlighted as the key principle. The principles are intended to be sector agnostic and referenced within the lifecycle of AI technologies, from design to development, testing, training, deployment, use, oversight and auditing. Establishing clear and transparent oversight methods is a key theme in the principles, with a focus on upskilling the existing workforce — an ongoing effort within the federal government’s approach to managing AI deployment. Protecting workers’ rights related to hours and wages, health and safety, and anti-discrimination rights and relevant data are also highlighted. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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Senate AI roadmap calls for $32 billion for AI programs: The Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group, helmed by Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Todd Young, R-Ind., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. and Mike Rounds, R-S.D. released its AI Framework on Wednesday morning, outlining the Senate's perspectives on how to best navigate the onset of rapid AI innovation in the U.S.  The framework addresses eight focus areas based on the forums held by the working group that fall: supporting U.S. innovation in AI; AI and the workforce; high impact uses of AI; elections and democracy; privacy and liability; transparency, explainability, intellectual property and copyright; safeguarding against AI risks; and national security.

Its primary function is to complement the existing congressional committee structure, particularly emphasizing how committees can leverage their individual powers and oversight areas to support responsible AI development. To execute significant domestic progress in the eight fields highlighted above, the working group recommends at least $32 billion in federal funding for non-defense AI innovation projects, as called for in the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence’s 2021 report. The authors call on the Senate Appropriations Committee to work with other relevant agencies in developing an emergency funding proposal to “fill the gap between current spending levels and the NSCA-recommended level.” More information is posted on the NextGov website.