The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy

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 22, 2015

Antarctic Proposals Worthy of Jules Verne

Today’s post is part of a series written by student bloggers from the AGU Fall Meeting. By: Andrea Stevens, Graduate Student, University of Arizona I couldn’t help wishing Jules Verne was sitting next to me this morning as the future directions of Antarctic research were laid bare in the halls of the Moscone Center at the AGU Fall meeting. From science-fiction looking gadgets and imaginative project proposals to an international cohort …

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 …

November 2, 2015

Visiting My Legislators Was a Bit Like ‘The West Wing’

This blog post was written by Ryan J. Haupt, a paleoecologist working on his Ph.D. in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wyoming. Ryan notes “I am not an expert in science policy but it is something I am deeply interested in it as a science communicator via my podcast and as a citizen reliant on the U.S. producing the cutting edge of scientific research.” Recently, I had the …

October 16, 2015

Making a Path for Geologic Maps

Today’s focus for Earth Science Week is Geologic Map Day. The goal of the day is to highlight the importance of maps and how they contribute to improving our quality of life on a daily basis. Maps have more uses than getting us from point A to point B; they are applied to tracking the spread of diseases and monitoring migration patterns, both producing significant public health and safety benefits. …

August 24, 2015

Women’s Equality Week Q&A With Marcia McNutt

For the entire week, we are celebrating prominent female figures in science and science policy to recognize Women’s Equality Day on 26 August. Today, we are excited to highlight Marcia McNutt, the current Editor-in-Chief of Science and nominee to become the first ever female President of the National Academies. McNutt received her BA in Physics from Colorado College and PhD in Earth Science from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. What is an …

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 …

May 27, 2015

Should NASA be Studying the Earth?

This past spring, Congress took a number of steps that seemed to imply that NASA should be reprioritizing its focus away from the Earth Sciences. For example, during a hearing on March 12, 2015, some members of the Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness suggested to NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. that NASA should shift its attention from Earth Science to space exploration and research, which they suggested …