Science Policy Office

Apply to be a SSSA intern at the the National Science Foundation

2011-12-30T14:45:00.003-05:00

The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is seeking a Science Policy Intern (Intern) to take part in an exciting, short-term (six-eight weeks, with flexible starting date) research project. The ideal candidate will be an MS or PhD student whose advisor is or has been a recipient of an NSF grant from the Geosciences Directorate or Division of Environmental Biology in the Biological Sciences Directorate.

The intern will work with National Science Foundation (NSF) program officers and the SSSA Science Policy Office (SPO) to compile an inventory of historical and current soil and soil-related research and education funding supported by NSF. The position is based out of the NSF or SSSA SPO located in the Washington, DC metro area, and includes a $1500/month stipend. Note: transportation or relocation expenses are not covered. Interested candidates should contact SSSA Director of Science Policy Karl Glasener at Kglasener@soils.org or 202-256-6616 no later than Friday, January 20, 2012.

Background: The National Science Foundation supports soil and soil-related research and education throughout its various directorates, e.g. Geosciences, Biological Sciences, Education and Human Resources, etc (learn more about NSF at www.nsf.gov). To date, however, a detailed accounting of total funding for soil and soil-related research and education programs has not been conducted. In order to identify those areas of research and education needing additional support to meet the growing US and global challenges of food security, sustainable renewable energy production, agro- and natural ecosystem mitigation of/adaptation to climate change, and environment and human health protection , SSSA is working with NSF to complete this inventory.

The Intern, working with NSF and the SSSA SPO for six-eight weeks, will interact with program officers across the directorates and conduct research on the NSF funding database to conduct a thorough inventory. Over the course of the project, the Intern will become conversant with NSF's research and education portfolio, build a network of contacts at NSF, and ultimately help to move soil science forward.

Sincerely,

Chuck Rice
President
Soil Science Society of America

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Educational Briefing: Farming after the Flood

2011-11-03T11:24:00.008-04:00

2011 Missouri River Flood photos of the impacts of flooding and deposition of sediment and debris on NE farmland. For more photos, please see leevalley.net.

James Callan, Scott Olsen, Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1), and John Wilson posing during briefing.

Educational Briefing: Farming after the Flood

2011-11-03T10:56:00.010-04:00

Sponsored by the American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America
Flooding events of this, and previous years have greatly impacted America’s prime farmland. Floodwater left sediment and debris, eroded large parts of producer’s fields, and in many cases, left land devastated. The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) sponsored “Farming after the Flood” on Wednesday, October 26th. The briefing focused on the impacts, mitigation approaches, and costs related to farmland flooding. Three speakers provided information on these main aspects of flooding; they were:

· Scott Olson, a farmer from Tekamah, Nebraska (NE), will discuss the economic and environmental impacts that flooding has had on his family operated corn and soybean farm as well as on other producers in Burt County, NE located near the Missouri River. Since May 28, Scott has documented the 2011 Missouri River Flood with over 3,000 aerial photographs. You can find more photos of the flood at http://www.leevalley.net/.

· John Wilson, an extension educator with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, will discuss the common problems farmers encounter in post-flood recovery and present a series of management options for addressing these challenges. John co-leads a team of extension staff from Iowa State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to reclaim agricultural land devastated by the 2011 Missouri River Flood.

· James Callan, a crop insurance consultant, will provide insight into the Federal crop insurance program that is available to mitigate the negative economic impacts from flooding damage and crop yield losses. James served six years in USDA, from 2003 to 2009, including as Chief of External Affairs, Associate Administrator, and Acting Administrator of the Risk Management Agency, which administer the multi-billion dollar Federal crop insurance program.

Many fields will need to undergo a significant recovery process to remove barriers to crop production by removing sediment from fields. In many cases, the soil is physically damaged therefore gullies need to be filled and top soil, replaced. Flooded soil syndrome, a condition which occurs when flooding results in fields devoid of plant roots and decreases soil microbial and fungal populations, is also a serious problem. One of the ways to stimulate soil microbial and fungal activity is to plant cover crops. Cover crops protect the soil from erosion, improve the structure for soil, conserve below-ground moisture, and provide a habitat for soil biology. Federal conservation and insurance programs can help offset some of the costs of mitigating the flood impacts. As producers seek to offset their losses from the flood support for these programs are foremost on their minds.

Cooperative extension, education, and research have been fundamental for providing producers with information on how to deal with this unique and devastating situation. The University of Nebraska (UNL) and Iowa State University (ISU) Cooperative Extension have each put together websites to help distribute information about the flooding. UNL and ISU also hosted a webinar for producers in mid-September. You can find an archive of the webinar presentations located here: http://flood.unl.edu/crops.

The Soil Science Society of America sponsors joint briefings with other organizations several times a year. For more information on the flooded soils briefing, please visit: https://www.soils.org/science-policy/activities/educational-briefings.

July 15th, 2011-House Representative Mentions Energy Sciences Coalition Letter in Energy and Water Bill Floor Debate

2011-07-15T14:31:00.003-04:00

The House continued discussion on the FY 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill yesterday, July 14th, 2011 During that time, debate ensued on Rep. Rush Holt’s (D-NJ, 12th) and Rep. Tim Bishop’s (D-NY, 1st) amendment. The amendment would have increased funding for the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science by $42.7 million.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA, 29th) spoke in favor of the amendment, and specifically highlighted the support of the Energy Sciences Coalition (ESC) (of which our office is a part of) and referenced some of the points from the Coalition’s May 2011 letter Supporting the DOE Office of Science when appealing to the floor. He also entered a copy of the letter into the Congressional Record. Here is an excerpt from Congressman Schiff’s remarks:

“I have a letter here from the Energy Sciences Coalition in support of Mr. Holt and Mr. Bishop's efforts that talk about the need for scientific research, world-class user facilities, teams of skilled scientists and engineers that are funded by the Department of Energy Office of Science at universities and national labs around the country. Economic experts have asserted as much, crediting past investments in science and technology for up to half the growth in GDP in the 50 years following the end of World War II. At this time when we're being challenged by other nations for our leadership in science and technology, this is not the right time to disinvest from this vital research.

The amendment by Mr. Holt and Mr. Bishop is supported by countless associations of physics and chemistry, countless universities and institutions of higher learning--my own University of California campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz, but also around the country, from the University of Chicago to U.S.C. to the University of Tennessee and the University of Virginia, all over the Nation, not to mention Princeton University. And why? Because these institutions of higher learning have been leading the way in path-breaking developments that have just boosted our economy and our understanding of energy and the world around us.

So this is a vital investment in the future, and I urge support for my colleagues' amendment.”

While the amendment ultimately failed (final vote: 164-261), it was a proud moment for the members of the ESC. Even so, there is much maintenance work to be done in the Senate, who just received the outline of the Senate’s FY 2012 budget allocation by the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND). The Senate Budget Committee’s proposal provides $4 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years. To view a video and written copy of the Chairman’s speech, please go here.

Despite Democrat Efforts, House Appropriations Committee Republicans Get Their Way, Leading to Large EPA and Interior Cuts

2011-07-13T12:53:00.001-04:00

The House Appropriations Committee met on Tuesday, July 12, to mark up the House Subcommittee of the Interior and Environment and Related Agencies funding allocations for fiscal year (FY) 2012. After the measure had moved out of subcommittee, things looked dismal for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Interior. Democrats promised to propose amendments, and come Tuesday, they did. However, despite numerous attempts to restore funding to the EPA to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide from industry sources and coal ash from power plants, they faced heavy opposition from Republicans, and many significant amendments failed.

The Endangered Species Act also came under fire, and language in the bill coming from the Committee now prohibits the Fish and Wildlife Service to use any funding to list new species and habitats for protection. Similarly, language in the legislation contains a reversal of the moratorium enacted by the Interior Department on mining on lands near the Grand Canyon. Both of these provisions enraged environmentalists who say the measures will lead to further species and habitat destruction. The Committee’s Ranking Member, Representative James Moran of Virginia (D-8th), said that the bill is “a virtual — shall I say it —dump truck of special-interest legislative riders.”

Additionally, the legislation included a provision that prevented the implementation of a public land use management policy, a provision which the Department of Interior has said it will not enforce. The Department of Interior's United States Geological Survey (USGS) also got hit hard, especially in the area of Climate Variability. Climate Variability received a $9 million decrease in reasearch and development funding, and cuts that signify program elimination for carbon sequestration and scientific support for Department of Interior bureaus.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman, Representative Hal Rogers of Kentucky (R-5th), defended the effort saying “This legislation is a great example of the hard but necessary work the Appropriations Committee is doing to get our fiscal house in order by cutting extraneous, duplicative, and unnecessary spending.”

The FY 2012 Appropriations Interior and Environment and Related Agencies will be discussed on the House Floor sometime in the coming weeks.

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science Boosts NSF and NIST Research Budgets in Their FY 12 Bill

2011-07-08T16:33:00.002-04:00

The meeting of the subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies went fairly smoothly Thursday July 7th, ending with a unanimous voice vote that approved a $50.2 billion funding bill. The amount is $3.1 billion below current levels and $7.4 billion below the amount requested by the Obama administration. NSF and NIST, however, received significant increases in their research budgets. NSF received an increase of $43 million and NIST received $10 million. Subcommittee chairman, Frank Wolf (R-Virginia) remarked on the decision saying that the members recognized the need to protect research spending in order to encourage economic growth and security for future generations.

The research increases did, however, come at a cost. NIST’s total budget was dealt an overall $50 million cut. The National Science Foundation’s total budget remained the same as FY 2011, meaning the boost to research had to come at a cost to another NSF department. A $17 million chunk was carved out of NSF’s Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction account, which raised concerns from some subcommittee democrats. Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Washington) cited that the cuts would lead to government termination of approximately $100 million in contracts used to advance ecological and oceanographic research facilities, and would ultimately raise costs for such work in the future.

Launch of Joint NSF-USAID Program, PEER

2011-07-07T16:13:00.003-04:00

A new joint program between US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) — PEER, "Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research"—was launched today, July 7, at the NSF Headquarters in Arlington, VA. USAID Administrator, Dr. Raj Shah, and Dr. Subra Suresh, Director of the National Science Foundation signed a formal interagency Memorandum of Understanding to put the program into action. Since 2008, the two agencies have supported an informal pilot program which has played a role in enhancing scientific research in Tanzania, Bangladesh, Mali, Kenya and Burkina Faso related to ecosystems, climate change, seismology, hydrology and biodiversity. Success stories from the pilot prompted wider investment in competitive awards via PEER for U.S. institutions and researchers working with international counterparts in the developing world. U.S. scientists will be provided awards via NSF, and USAID funding will support international scientific and technical capacity. Longevity is a key factor in PEER, as it will support collaborations beyond the award tenure.

Dr. John Holdren—who plays multiple roles in the Obama Administration, as Science Advisor to the President, Director of Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and Co-chair of President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), provided the opening remarks. He began by saying that PEER would capitalize on the agency strengths governed by the mandate of USAID as well as the level of excellence and peer-review based merit that NSF is founded on. The partnership promises to ‘build bridges where diplomats cannot’, he said. He continued, saying that, we (the U.S.) ‘eagerly anticipate building upon these bridges’. Dr. Suresh, whose remarks followed Holdren’s, said that this program will not only allow U.S. scientists to more effectively collaborate globally, it will forge new and essential science-diplomacy alliances. He also mentioned that he will attend the G-8 Summit for international research agencies in England next week. In 2012, the United States will assume the Presidency of the G8 Group of Nations. Over the past decade, discussions at the G8 have included a science dimension, tackling issues such as climate change, energy and maternal health. Finally, Dr. Suresh identified the increasing need to have an “ecosystem” for basic research based on scientific merit, principles, and integrity. He also announced that there will be a Summit, hosted by NSF, on Scientific Integrity next year (2012).

Concluding the event was USAID Administrator Dr. Raj Shah, who highlighted the advances that he anticipates PEER to make in the areas of climate change, energy, environment, and maternal health. Citing the example of rapid rehydration to combat diarrhea, Dr. Shah said that not every scientific endeavor will be a frontier-level discovery, but rather a new application of current knowledge or a simple approach that can be swiftly used. He said that he anticipated further building the program in the future. To see more information about the PEER program, please go here.

Related information:

USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures

US Government Information on Scientific Integrity

The Royal Society Event during the Conference of Scientific Leadership from the G8 Nations

Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Supports Significant Cuts to the EPA and Department of the Interior

2011-07-07T16:06:00.004-04:00

The House Appropriations subcommittee on the Interior and Environment met on the morning of Thursday, July 7^th to discuss the draft fiscal 2012 spending bill. The subcommittee approved the $ 27.5 billion measure in a vote of 8-5, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats opposed.

The EPA received $7.1 billion, a $1.5 billion cut from 2011’s appropriations and $1.8 billion less than the Obama administration’s request. Subcommittee chairman Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) supported the cuts remarking that stimulus funding, some of which he said remains unobligated, is the key reason for cutbacks. A majority of the reductions were to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water State Revolving fund, both which supply funding to state and local water infrastructure. The draft also included policy riders that would limit the EPA in several areas-including:

A one-year delay of EPA regulations on carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from stationary industrial sources

Language that prohibits the agency from regulating coal ash produced by power plants as hazardous waste

An amendment to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act which states that permits will no longer be required for pesticide use that creates discharge from a point source to navigable water.

A block to the Fish and Wildlife Service’s use of appropriations to pursue new listings under the Endangered Species Act

The Interior Department also received funding cut-backs when they were allocated $9.9 billion, a $720 million reduction from current funding levels and $1.2 billion less than the Administration’s request. The full committee is expected to consider the bill on July 12, 2011.

Educational Briefing: Bringing Urban Agriculture to Life Sponsored by the SSSA

2011-05-11T09:08:00.006-04:00

The American Society for Nutrition (ASN), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), and the Council on Food, Agricultural & Resource Economics (C-FARE) sponsored Bringing Urban Agriculture to Life, on Monday, May 9. The briefing highlighted the role of urban agriculture and community gardening in addressing urban food security and human health issues. The panel of experts included:

Dr. Katherine Alaimo: Associate Professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Dr. Jim Hanson: Extension Economist/Farm Management Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Kristen McIvor: Community Garden Coordinator, Tacoma/Pierce County, Cascade Land Conservancy, Seattle, WA (SSSA Member)

The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 250 million hungry individuals live in cities. These residents often rely on food sources that originate far beyond the city limits. However, urban agriculture programs, which cultivate, process, and distribute food in or around metropolitan areas, are now cropping-up across the United States. Urban agriculture increases the access that residents have to fresh fruits and vegetables, providing better nutritional options for city-dwellers and influencing food security.

While there are numerous advantages associated with urban agriculture, for there to be economic or nutritional benefits, program management must result in sufficient crop yield and empower urban farmers. By integrating materials and resources available to improve soil fertility and tilth into urban agricultural programs, assisting with land tenure issues, and increasing access to micro-lending, municipalities can positively impact the health and well-being of their residents. For more information on the urban agriculture briefing, please visit:https://www.soils.org/science-policy/activities/educational-briefings.

The one page summary handed out at the briefing.

Jim Hanson, Katherine Alaimo, and Kristen McIvor
outside the Capitol.

Wetlands Function and Response to Extreme Events

2011-04-27T10:28:00.004-04:00

In light of the one year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf, the Science Policy Office would like to revisit the webinar “Wetlands Function and Response to Extreme Events”, which was sponsored by the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), the Council on Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics (C-FARE), and the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS). The webinar discussed the impacts that such extreme events, which also include fire, floods, and hurricanes, have on wetland ecosystem function, wildlife, and biodiversity.

During the webinar, three experts, Dr. John Day (Coastal Ecology Institute at Louisiana State University), Dr. Ramesh Reddy (Soil and Water Science Department at University of Florida), and Dr. Dan Petrolia (Department of Agricultural Economics and Mississippi State University), explored the:

value of wetlands,
vital ecosystem services they provide, and
effect of such extreme events on wetland related ecosystem services.

The presentations offered an overview of wetlands structure and function, the influence of extreme events on wetlands biogeochemical processes, and ecosystem service valuation research. Furthermore, topics concerning wetland management in the face of disaster and research that can contribute to wetland recovery and conservation were also highlighted during the webinar.

Complete presentations from the webinar can be viewed here: https://www.soils.org/science-policy/issues/ecosystems-services

ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Graduate Student Congressional Visits Day 2011

2011-04-07T11:18:00.010-04:00

Thursday March 31 marked the First Annual American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) Graduate Students Congressional Visits Day on Capitol Hill. Eight graduate students traveled from around the country to meet with their Congressional delegations to talk about agronomic, crop, and soil science research and the importance of fellowships.

Kimberly Cline (University of Florida), Travis Conley (Texas Tech University), Janelle Donahue (University of Missouri), Darlene Florence (The Ohio State University), Ashley Harms (Kansas State University), Keith Merrill (Brigham Young University), Aaron Sindelar (University of Minnesota), and Bryan Stobaugh (University of Arkansas) had a full afternoon of meetings with members of Congress and their staff (please see pictures above). The event, sponsored by the ASA, CSSA, SSSA Science Policy Office and Member Services, was developed to provide an opportunity for ASA, CSSA, SSSA graduate students to participate in constituent advocacy for the sciences, as well as to learn about the United States’ political process and system. Video footage from the Visits, including interviews with each student throughout the day, will be posted soon.

The delegation of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Graduate Students who attended the 1st Annual Congressional Visits Day in Washington D.C., March 31, 2011

Ashley Harms, Bryan Stobaugh, and Janelle Donahue with Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO 9th).

Soil Scientist Darlene Florence with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

PhD Student, Aaron Sindelar with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D - MN)

Graduate students, Travis Conley and Kimberly Cline, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), and UT Graduate Student, Keith Merrill

Collaborations in Agriculture Research and Development Highlighted at the Agriculture, Food, Nutrition and Natural Resources R&D Roundtable

2011-03-22T13:56:00.006-04:00

ASA, CSSA, SSSA and the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation, in collaboration with United State Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Research, Education and Economics Mission Area, the USDA Forest Service and USDA’s National Agricultural Research, Education, Extension and Economics Advisory Board, organized a Round Table to highlight the value of collaborations in agriculture research and development. Seventy participants gathered for the day-long event, held March 15 in Washington D.C. at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), to listen to presentations about and discuss public and private research and development collaborations in agriculture, food, nutrition and natural resources as a means for meeting the challenge of feeding future generations.

The day was organized into different sessions. Shere Abbott, the Associate Director for Environment of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President, provided a keynote address in the opening session. During her talk, Abbott addressed challenges linked to science and technology, why science matters, the Administration’s focus on sustainability and climate change and how agriculture and natural resources fit into that focus, and OSTP’s vision for addressing such challenges. She described how the federal government is addressing the challenges posed by climate change to agricultural sustainability by activities undertaken through the United States Global Change Research Program. Aligning with the day’s theme of collaborations and partnerships, Abbott emphasized the importance of inter-agency relationships that allow issues to be addressed beyond the scope of a single agency, highlighting USDA and the USAID’s Feed the Future Initiative. Abbott went on to describe OSTP’s support of research efforts and vision to create an "infrastructure of greater collaboration and greater outreach to end-users. This whole approach towards sustainability is designed with that link between science and decision-making. Public-private partnerships also can be strengthened to meet the magnitude and urgency of the needs.”, Abbott stated. In her conclusion she described the need for strong support of science and the need to develop funding structures for integrated R&D programs.

Following Abbott’s presentation was an overview of Federal R&D Budgets followed the keynote address, during which Caron Gala Bijl, Senior Science Policy Associate at ASA, CSSA, SSSA presented about food, nutrition, agriculture, and natural resource science programs and funding in the FY 12 Budget.

Dr. Cathie Woteki, Under Secretary for USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics Mission Area talked about the challenge of preserving agricultural successes traced to research success in the face of budget constraints, in her presentation entitled “Science Agenda for the 21^st Century” which launched the first session. Dr. Woteki articulated the danger in taking for granted the scientific insights that are needed to combat challenges of animal and plant disease or climate change which can affect the ability of farmers to produce important commodities and products. The President's proposed USDA budget “emphasizes the efficient and effective use of research and resources combined with leveraging strategic partnerships with other federal agencies, as well as with the private sector, to get the greatest return on our investments”. Woteki ascertained that despite the need for strong investments in the challenges facing our food and agricultural sector, because of the reality of the budget and need to address the federal deficit, cuts are part of the operational reality. Woteki conveyed steady assurance while making clear that despite such necessary cuts, the strategic increases proposed will "enable the REE agencies to continue to make new discoveries and to develop new technologies that contribute to the success of American agriculture from which all of us will benefit."

The presentations that followed illustrated eight successful case studies of federal agency and partner organization collaborations regarding crop production and water management, biofuels, conservation, pest control, wild land restoration, food safety, nutrition, and the bovine genome.

A link to the archived webcast of the event which documents all presentations and discussion can be viewed at: http://www.tvworldwide.com/events/farmfoundation/110315/default.cfm?id=13337&type=flv&test=0&live=0

Day 2: Issues Facing Biofuels Research

2011-03-18T14:45:00.000-04:00

During the second day of the workshop, participants were charged with prioritizing the issues identified the previous day and identifying areas where the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service could collaborate with stakeholders. Overall, every group put logistics and feedstock development towards the top of the list. Although environmental impacts remained a topic of concern, it did not top any of the lists. My only hope is that we can adapt life cycle assessments (LCA) that go beyond carbon, as LCAs are the tool of choice by industry to measure environmental impacts.

From my perspective, a factor limiting clear funding pathways for biofuels’ research is the interconnectedness among the different issues. Routinely throughout the workshop, we identified the need to keep all sectors of the supply chain interoperable. It appears that we may be at a standoff in terms of moving forward because of the reluctance of growers to invest the time and resources into biofuel feedstock production if there are few biofuel refineries that demand supply. Meanwhile, companies have difficulty securing loans to build biofuel refineries without proof of an available and consistent feedstock supply. At some point, long-term contracts between farmers and refiners will be needed to overcome such market apprehension.

Barbara Fricks
PhD Student, Colorado State University
NSF IGERT Multidisciplinary Approaches to Sustainable BioEnergy fellow