The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy

May 31, 2016

Geoscience research essential to national security, experts say

By Lauren Lipuma WASHINGTON, DC — Government investment in basic science research is critical to protecting U.S. national security, according to a group of government and academic researchers. Basic geoscience research has helped the U.S. develop nuclear weapons experts, protect satellites from space weather and manage critical water supplies, scientists said during a recent congressional briefing on Capitol Hill. The May 12 briefing highlighted national security as an important, but …

May 25, 2016

Funding Season is Open: Part 3

Thanks for staying with us as we continue to break down federal science funding for fiscal year 2017 (FY2017). To completely understand how the FY2017 landscape is evolving, I encourage you to check out the first and second parts of our funding Bridge posts. As you’ll recall, we previously laid out the good and bad of the Senate’s appropriations bill covering NASA, DOE’s Office of Science, NOAA, and the National …

May 5, 2016

Funding Season is Open: Part 1

Well, it’s official – the appropriations season in Congress has begun. That’s not to say that Congress hasn’t been contemplating where to spend – and not spend – money all year, but we now have actual legislation that tells us what Congress’ funding priorities are – and more specifically, what their science funding priorities are. On 14 April, the Senate Appropriations Committee finished work on the Energy and Water spending …

February 16, 2016

The Science Policy Scene in 2016

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) has many exciting science policy events scheduled throughout 2016 to broaden the connections between AGU members and the policy community in Washington, D.C., and in their local communities. Spring AGU is proud to host our second member-only AGU Congressional Visits Day (AGU CVD) this spring. This event will bring together AGU member scientists from the academic and private sectors in order to share …

December 1, 2015

National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan

This blog post was written by Delores Knipp, Editor in Chief of AGU’s Space Weather Journal. When one thinks of the kinds of weather that might grab headlines or be worthy of policy considerations, terms like polar vortices, fire weather, super-typhoons and El Nino come to mind. “Space Weather,” which refers to variations in the space environment between the sun and Earth (and throughout the solar system) that can affect …

August 4, 2015

Make the Most of Recess

Every August, Washington D.C. shuts down as members of both chambers of Congress return to their districts and everyone else in politics takes vacation; this is known as August recess. During August recess members will be focused on spending time with their families, visiting important sites in their district, and making themselves available to their constituents through coffeehouse chats, town halls, and other public events. August recess is a time …