APU - CGA

CGA NEWS

(10-10-13) #2

To:       CGA

From:   A?P?L?U Congressional and Governmental Affairs Staff

• Reminder – Tomorrow is Last Day for Discounted APLU Annual Meeting Registration Rate
• Senate Commerce Committee Hearing Tomorrow on Impacts of Shutdown on Economic Security
• Endorsements Sought for Community Letter to House Science Chair on Importance of All NSF Research Fields
• Final Community Letter Supporting COMPETES Act Sent to Relevant Committees
• Higher Education Associations Send Letter to House In Support of NEH Funding
• APLU and AAU Release Fact Sheet & FAQ on Indirect Research Costs 
• The College Board to Release 2013 Trends in College Pricing & Trends in Student Aid Reports on October 23

• Reminder – Tomorrow is Last Day for Discounted APLU Annual Meeting Registration Rate

Tomorrow, Friday, October 11^th is the last day to register at a discounted rate for the 2013 APLU Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. The APLU Annual Meeting will run from November 10 – 12 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.  Tomorrow also marks the cut-off date

for hotel reservations at the guaranteed group rate.

• Senate Commerce Committee Hearing Tomorrow on Impacts of Shutdown on Economic Security

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee announced that they will be holding a hearing tomorrow on The Impacts of the Government Shutdown on Our Economic Security at 1 pm in 253 Russell.  The witnesses will include American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Alan Leshner.  For those interested, please be sure to check the Committee website tomorrow as the hearing start time is still fluid.

• Endorsements Sought for Community Letter to House Science Chair on Importance of All NSF Research Fields

Several scientific societies have crafted and are circulating for organizational and institutional endorsement the attached letter to the House Science, Space, and Technology Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX). The letter thanks the chairman for his recent comments on social sciences in brain research and highlights the importance of social, behavioral, and economic research supported by National Science Foundation (NSF). The letter also addresses concerns raised in a recent op-ed in USA Today co-authored by Chairman Smith and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA).  The purpose of the letter is to bring a united voice of the scientific community to the chairman about the significance of NSF's support for a broad research portfolio across all disciplines and the importance of the peer-review system.

If you would like to have your institution's name included on this letter, the deadline for submitting the name of your organization is October 14, 2013.  Please send confirmation that your university would like to be included in the letter, along with the name of your institution--exactly as you would like it to be listed--to the attention of Sara Spizzirri at [email protected].

• Final Community Letter Supporting COMPETES Act Sent to Relevant Committees

Over 300 organizations from academia, professional societies, and industry, representing all 50 states, endorsed a letter sent yesterday to all Congressional committees of jurisdiction over the America COMPETES Act (final copies available for House Science, Senate Commerce, Senate Energy, and Senate HELP).  The letter urges Congress to renew its commitment to America’s research enterprise in order to close the innovation deficit.  It offers a means to do that through the introduction and passage of an America COMPETES Act reauthorization that provides for “real and sustained growth in funding” for the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, and ARPA-E.   CGA members are encouraged to share the letter with your delegations, particularly with those Congressional members on committees of jurisdiction.

• Higher Education Associations Send Letter to House In Support of NEH Funding

Several higher education associations, led by the American Council on Education (ACE), joined in sending a letter to all Members of the House expressing concern for the drastic funding cut provided to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in the House FY2014 Interior, Environment and Related Appropriations bill. As you may recall, the House bill proposed a cut of nearly 50% for the agency. The letter, a copy of which is attached, urges the House to support the level provided in the President’s FY2014 budget request.  CGA are encouraged to use the letter in discussions with your delegations on the importance of humanities research funded through NEH.

• APLU and AAU Release Fact Sheet & FAQ on Indirect Research Costs 

APLU and the Association of American Universities (AAU) have produced a two-page primer on Facilities and Administration (F&A) research costs and a FAQ designed to answer common questions and provide background information on the indirect costs of research.  These are dynamic documents that will evolve and be refined over time and we welcome any thoughts or comments you may have on the content.

• The College Board to Release 2013 Trends in College Pricing & Trends in Student Aid Reports on October 23

On October 23, the College Board will release its 2013 Trends in College Pricing and Trends in Student Aid report.  The reports, which typically generate a considerable amount of media coverage, provide the latest information on student financial aid, tuition and other expenses.  The 2013 Trends reports will include details about: published tuition and fee and room and board charges at public and private colleges; variation in tuition and fees across sectors, states and regions; enrollment patterns; types and distribution of student financial aid; and levels of student borrowing.

Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU)