INFORMS Open Forum

Good evening,

Congress is in session this week, facing a slew of national headline-grabbing issues, from the Iran War and reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, to the leadership of the Federal Reserve and kicking off the FY2027 appropriations process.

Underneath all of that, there are several relevant updates to share with you.

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

• AAAS will hold a special webinar on Tuesday April 22, 1-2 PM ET: Engage with AAAS: What the Administration's FY27 Budget Request Means for Science
• Register here.

Congress

• Senate Appropriations Committee hearing (sub-committee): A Review of the President's Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the Department of Health and Human Services
• Date & Time: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 2:30 PM EST (livestream)
• Location: Dirksen Senate Office Building 124
• House Science Committee (minority staff report): Report on NASA's implementation of FY2026 President's Budget Request
• Read full report here.

Federal Agencies 

• National Science Foundation (NSF) news: NSF announces 2026 Graduate Research Fellowship Program award offers
• Related- NSF: Graduate Research Fellowship Program
• The full list of this year's fellowship offer recipients and honorable mentions is available here.
• National Institute of Health (NIH) Request for Information: Request for Information (RFI) on the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-Wide Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2031
• Related- NIH: NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2031
• Feedback is due May 26, 2026 11:59:59 PM EST and must be submitted electronically on this form.
• Government Accountability Office (GAO) report: STEM: Additional Data Needed on Graduate Researcher and Postdoctoral Scholar Compensation
• Read full report here.

·       Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Trump's CDC director nominee: 6 things to know (Becker's Hospital Review).

In the News

• Science: China now tops the U.S. in R&D spending by one key measure
• Access the full report here. 
• FedScoop: Energy needs 'a lot more' funding to reach Genesis Mission goals, official says
• The Hill: National Science Foundation's future in limbo as Trump eyes cuts

As always, I will continue tracking these and other developments and sharing updates relevant to the INFORMS community.

Best regards,

Jeff Cohen

P.S. Don't forget, if you want to get more involved in or learn more about INFORMS advocacy and public relations efforts, please reach out to me at: jcohen@informs.org

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Jeffrey M. Cohen, MBA | PhD Candidate
Chief Strategy Officer
INFORMS
jcohen@informs.org
linkedin.com/in/jmcsc
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