INFORMS Open Forum

Recent Actions by Executive Agencies

  • 1.  Recent Actions by Executive Agencies

    Posted 04-03-2020 15:55
      |   view attached
    Good afternoon,

    Starting today we will be periodically sending you updates compiled by our advocacy partner, The Signal Group, about recent and relevant actions taken by various federal agencies. Please feel free to share your comments or questions so that we can make certain we are providing you with useful information moving forward. Today's edition is focused on COVID-19 related matters.

    Thank you,

    Jeff Cohen



    logo

    Recent Actions by Executive Agencies

    for the Science & Research Community
    Friday, April 3, 2020
    NSF logo

    National Science Foundation

    • Released a letter to the scientific community regarding coronavirus and its effects on research efforts.
    • Released a guidance updating the community on how to protect major research facilities and ensure the continuity of contracts.
    • Issued a call for research proposals from organizations seeking to address the coronavirus pandemic, which will be eligible for rapid response grants.
    • Requested small businesses to submit Phase I proposals for new technologies/ products through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs.
    • Created a challenge specifically for advanced cyberinfrastructure research – also with rapid response funding opportunities.
    NIH logo

    National Institutes of Health

    • NIH's National Library of Medicine announced work with publishers and AI researchers around the world to increase access to COVID-19 scientific papers.
    • Published a Notice of Special Interest for revisions to active grants for COVID-19.
    • Created a resource page for applicants to submit proposals and receive funding/ grant money for coronavirus research – this page will be updated very frequently.
    • NIH's National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases issued a Notice of Special Interest for researchers to submit proposals for research funding.
    • Working on clinical trials for vaccines to treat coronavirus, which are being tracked on ClinicalTrials.gov.
    • NIH's Fogarty International Center launched a resource page specifically for the global research community, providing daily updates on: federal and private funding opportunities, services for researchers, the latest news, and mapping.
    CDC logo

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

    • Released a guidance specifically for students participating in international travel or study abroad programs to consider postponing or cancelling these programs.
    • Prepared an interim guidance for administrators of higher education institutions.
    • Compiled a comprehensive research guide to provide help to academics conducting research on COVID-19.
    DOE logo

    Department of Education 

    • Suspended federal student loan payments and waived interest rates for a period of at least 60 days on all federally-held student loans.
    • Convened a conference call with leaders in higher education to give them a comprehensive update on the administration's response to COVID-19
    • Proposed new rules for distance learning, specifically for higher education students – with the ability for the public to submit comments for the next 30 days.
    NASEM logo

    National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine

    • NASEM assembled a new Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21stCentury Health Threats – which was created at the request of the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy.
    • Experts affiliated with NASEM have focused on providing rapid response expert consultations on several topics related to coronavirus response, ranging from social distancing to data systems design to crisis standards of care, and more.
    • The Presidents of the National Academies have taken leading stances on their capabilities to be experts in the coronavirus response, with a letter to the House and Senate's leadership, a statement on the need for enhanced treatment efforts, and a messaging statement on NASEM's work to help the federal government.
    White House

    White House's Office of Science & Technology Policy

    • Issued a call to action to the scientific community to prepare a machine-readable COVID-19 dataset, in tandem with experts from the Allen Institute for AI, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Microsoft, and the National Library of Medicine.
    • Announced partnership with industry and academia to create private-public consortium called the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium – inviting researchers to submit their coronavirus-related research proposals for consideration on an online portal.




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    Jeffrey M. Cohen, MBA
    Director, Public Affairs & Marketing
    INFORMS
    jeff.cohen@informs.org
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