This week: Yale University admissions and a Nasa climate adviser
In depth: Leaders of the US Congress have come under pressure to prioritise funding for research derailed by Covid-19 as part of the next spending package responding to the pandemic.
Full story: US lawmakers under pressure to support research amid pandemic
Also this week from Research Professional News
Court overturns US environment agency’s ‘secret science’ rule—Rule limited use of unpublished scientific evidence in Environmental Protection Agency policymaking
Scientists seek hearing on ‘racial profiling’ by US federal agencies—Federal Bureau of Investigation points to leader’s past insistence that Chinese-Americans are not its focus
Here is the rest of the US news this week…
Yale admissions lawsuit dropped
The Department of Justice has dropped a lawsuit challenging Yale University’s admissions practices. The department had alleged that Yale’s admissions process discriminates against Asian American and white applicants. Yale president Peter Salovey said the university had cooperated with the department before the case was filed. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, a lobbying body, welcomed the dropping of what he said had been a “unwarranted and politically motivated” case.
Nasa gets a climate adviser
Nasa has created the position of senior climate adviser to “ensure effective fulfillment of the Biden administration’s climate science objectives” for the agency. The first post-holder, Gavin Schmidt, will serve in an acting capacity until a permanent appointment is made. “This position will provide Nasa leadership critical insights and recommendations for the agency’s full spectrum of science, technology and infrastructure programmes related to climate,” said acting Nasa head, Steve Jurczyk.