Featured participants include Henry Kelly, President of the Federation of American Scientists; Jonathan Moreno, co-editor of Science Next and editor-in-chief of Science Progress; and James Turner, Director of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities Energy Initiative.

You can read the introduction to the book here, and copies will be available for purchase at the event.

Monday, January 12

Enabling Economic Recovery Through Innovation
Live stream will be available here.
Center for American Progress
9:30am – 1:00pm

Tuesday, January 13

State of the Net Conference
Tuesday and Wednesday
Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill

ITIF Breakfast Forum Globalization and Technology Standards: The Case for Expanded U.S. Leadership
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
9:00am – 10:30am

Screening: The Accidental Advocate
E Street Cinema (tix)
7:00pm

Wednesday, January 14

AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition Launch
Wednesday – Friday
AAAS Headquarters

Discussion of Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
3:00pm – 5:00pm

Briefing: Public Health, Climate Change, and Federal Transportation Policy
485 Russell Senate Office Building
1:30pm – 3:00pm

Thursday, January 15

Green Economic Stimulus
House (Select) Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee
Location: TBA
2:00 pm

Health IT Investment
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
430 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00am

Briefing: Electric Transmission 101: How the Grid Works
210 Cannon House Office Building
2:00pm – 3:30pm

Friday, January 16

A Life Sciences Crucible: Stem Cell Science and Innovation Done Responsibly and Ethically
Center for American Progress
12:00pm – 1:30pm

A Life Sciences Crucible

Stem Cell Science and Innovation Done Responsibly and Ethically

Featured Panelists:

Amy Comstock Rick, President, Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research
John Gearhart, Director, Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the James W. Effron University Professor, University of Pennsylvania

Moderated By:

Michael J. Rugnetta, Fellows Assistant, Progressive Bioethics Initiative, Center for American Progress

The time has come for the U.S. to renew its promise of global life sciences leadership. With the ascendancy of the Obama administration and a more progressive Congress, the opportunity for renewal has never been greater. The United States must now stake its claim as the world leader in regenerative medicine, which is almost certain to become a vital component of cutting edge biomedical innovation in the 21st century. To ensure that the research in this newly emerging field of the life sciences is conducted responsibly and ethically, the federal government must reform its stem cell research policy and fund embryonic stem cell research in a manner that is robust and comprehensive as well as cautious and principled.

The greatest potential for regenerative medicine lies in the ability of scientists to tap into the process of cell differentiation and development. This can only be achieved by tracing the development of human cells from the very beginning. To do so, scientists need to conduct research on embryonic stem cells so that they can discover how these all-purpose “pluripotent” cells can change into any one of over two hundred different cell types in the human body. Indeed, this research will provide us with unprecedented insights into human development, how it can go wrong, and how it can be fixed—perhaps leading to 21st century medicine’s biggest paradigm shift.

Please join us for the release of CAP’s new report, “A Life Sciences Crucible: Stem Cell Science and Innovation Done Responsibly and Ethically.” The release event will include a panel discussion featuring Amy Comstock Rick of the Coalition for Advancement of Medical Research and John Gearhart, professor of cell biology at the University of Pennsylvania. The event will be moderated by Michael J. Rugnetta, the Fellows Assistant for the Progressive Bioethics Initiative at the Center for American Progress.

Friday, January 16, 2009
Program: 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Admission is free.

A light lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m.

Center for American Progress
1333 H St. NW, 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Map & Directions

Nearest Metro: Blue/Orange Line to McPherson Square or Red Line to Metro Center

RSVP for this Event

For more information, please call 202-682-1611.

The release event, here at the Center for American Progress, will feature two separate panels: one on regional centers, the other on patents. To RSVP, visit the americanprogress.org event page. Here’s the full description and list of participants:

Enabling Economic Recovery Through Innovation
The incoming Obama administration and the new 111th Congress will have a historic opportunity to boost U.S. economic competitiveness and broad-based economic growth through targeted reforms of our country’s patent system and scientific research-and-development and workforce development programs. Our patent system and today’s federal programs were designed to address 20th-century problems, not the new challenges posed by globalization and worldwide economic distress.

The latest edition of the CAP’s Science Progress journal presents the results of two roundtables convened to consider ways to reform our patent system and encourage the growth of regional centers of innovation around the country. Those recommendations will be unveiled in Science Progress along with two panel discussions on the topics. Please join our distinguished panelists, including participants of our two roundtables and authors of some of our new policy recommendations.

9:30 a.m.
Regional Centers of Innovation Panel:

Robert Atkinson, President of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Maryann P. Feldman, Heninger Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina
Thomas Kalil, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress
Richard Seline, CEO and Principal of New Economy Strategies

Discussion moderated by:

James K. Turner, former Chief Democratic Counsel to the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology

11:00 a.m.
Featured Speakers on Patent Reform:

Bruce A. Lehman, Chairman of International Intellectual Property Institute
Paul R. Michel, Chief Circuit Judge
Arti K. Rai, Elvin R. Latty Professor of Law at Duke University
Rick Weiss, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress

Discussion Moderated by:

Daniel P. McCurdy, CEO of Allied Security Trust and Chairman of PatentFreedom

RSVP
Click here to RSVP for this event
For more information, call 202-682-1611

AP

Here’s a roundup of some of the science and technology policy events happening around Washington, D.C. from October 6 to October 10. Things are light this week. Feel free to leave other events you know of in the comments.

Monday

Science and Society: Global Challenges Series, Merging Climate and Transportation Policy
American Association for the Advancement of Science
AAAS Headquarters, 1200 New York Ave., NW, Washington, D.C
6 p.m.

Tuesday

Environment, Conflict, and Peacebuilding: Sharing Lessons and Building Networks (Panel 610)
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Woodrow Wilson Center
11:30 a.m.

Friday

Impacts of Recent Climate Change: Current Responses and Future Projections for Wild Ecosystems
American Meteorological Society Environmental Science Seminar Series
Russell Senate Office Building, Room 253
10 a.m.

Tuesday

Digital Television Transition
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
253 Russell Senate Office Building
2:30 p.m.

Regulation of Greenhouse Gases under the Clean Air Act
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10 a.m.

Reducing the Undercount in the 2010 Census
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security Subcommittee
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:30 a.m.

Wednesday

Hazardous Substance Release Reporting
House Energy and Commerce Committee, Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee
2123 Rayburn House Office Building
10 a.m.

Bush Administration Environmental Record
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
2:30 p.m.

Thursday

Getting the Most Out of a Career Fair
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The auditorium at AAAS Headquarters, 1200 New York Ave, NW.
8 a.m.

Responding to Climate Change: A Role for Ecosystems
Association of Ecosystem Research Centers
Room 3111, Smithsonian Institution Ripley Center
9:30 a.m.

Energy’s National Labs Security
House Energy and Commerce Committee, Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
2123 Rayburn House Office Building
10 a.m.

Broadband Providers and Consumer Privacy
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
253 Russell Senate Office Building
10 a.m.

“The Carbon Age: From Crisis to Stability”
Carnegie Institute for Science
Carnegie Institution, 1530 P Street, NW
6:30 p.m.

Tuesday

Climate Change Legislation and Revenue Recycling
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
B369 Rayburn House Office Building
8 a.m.

Electric Vehicle Development/Outlook
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
366 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10 a.m.

Domestic HIV Prevention
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
10 a.m.

EPA Children’s Health Protection
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10 a.m.

Why Broadband Matters
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
253 Russell Senate Office Building
10:30 a.m.

Cybersecurity Recommendations for the Next Administration
House Homeland Security Committee; Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology Subcommittee
311 Cannon House Office Building
2 p.m.

CISTP Seminar Series on Science, Technology, and Innovation
The George Washington University, Center for International Science and Technology Policy
The Commons, 1957 E Street, NW, Suite 403, Washington, DC 20052
5 p.m.

Wednesday

Exporting Electronic Waste
House Foreign Affairs Committee
2172 Rayburn House Office Building
2 p.m.

Thursday

Antibiotics: Is a strong offense the best defense?
Koshland Science Museum
500 5th St NW, Washington, DC
6:30 p.m.

Preventing Climate Change
House Ways and Means Committee
1100 Longworth House Office Building
10:30 a.m.

EPA Scientific Integrity
House Energy and Commerce Committee
2322 Rayburn House Office Building
10 a.m.

Social Sciences’ Public Health Role
House Science and Technology Committee
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10 a.m.

Emerging U.S. Water Contaminants
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
2167 Rayburn House Office Building
2 p.m.

Panel Discussion on Role of Science in Presidential Policy
Featuring Science Progress Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Moreno and Contributing Editor Chris Mooney
University of Mississippi
Live Web cast
4 p.m.

Since the 2005 release of the National Academies’ “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” report, discussion in the research, innovation, and business communities has swirled around national indicators of science and engineering clout. International competition is always rising, and affects U.S. economic power and prosperity.

In June, RAND, with support from the Department of Defense, released its positive report on America’s science and technology competitiveness. The report cites high percentages of spending on R&D and employment of Noble Prize winners as indicators of R&D health. Additional support from foreign students and talent has helped the United States “build and maintain its worldwide lead, even as many other nations increase their spending on research and development,” write the authors.

But ITIF disagrees.

At yesterday’s event announcing the release of the think tank’s report, titled “RAND’s Rose-Colored Glasses: How RAND’s Report on U.S. Competitiveness in Science and Technology Gets it Wrong,” ITIF President Robert Atkinson, co-author, moderated a presentation with innovation policy gurus explaining how the June report is flawed both structurally and analytically. Atkinson said the RAND Corporation was invited to discuss the issue in conjunction with ITIF, but they declined. In a packed room, Stephen Ezell, a senior ITIF analyst and an author of the report, explained how the RAND study has an incomplete history of S&T policy and measurements of R&D health. The specific problems Ezell addressed include:

• Framing the wrong fundamental question regarding the S&T competitiveness debate.
• Providing an incomplete historiography of U.S. S&T policy development, particularly policies developed in response to previous challenges to U.S. S&T competitiveness.
• Using inappropriate or incomplete benchmark metrics to assess U.S. S&T and economic competitiveness. ITIF measures R&D expenditures of countries as a share of GDP, unlike RAND, which measures the raw financial expenditures.
• Under-emphasizing within the report a number of indicators, including R&D intensity, the trade deficit in advanced technology products, and a downward trend in world share of R&D investments after 1998, which clearly demonstrate trends of weakening U.S. S&T competitiveness.
• Failing to include certain key measures needed to deliver a true assessment of U.S. S&T competitiveness, such as the U.S. trade deficit of $700 billion in 2007, and a $53 billion annual trade deficit in advanced technology products.

Using available time-series data sets—ending by 2003 at the latest in most cases—that are not reflective of the competitive challenge that has emerged since 2000 and do not adequately reflect the competitive landscape of mid-2008.

According to the panel, globalization and outsourcing negatively affect R&D like they affect low-wage jobs. For example, Intel’s Israeli-based R&D program made improvements on their microprocessors, and rather than forcing the two groups to coordinate from different continents, Intel subsequently built a $4 billion manufacturing plant near the R&D facility.

“Intel’s experience in Israel—another country with a highly favorable R&D tax regime—is instructive,” the report states, “and confounds the received wisdom that U.S. companies may outsource their manufacturing but will keep higher-value added activities such as design or R&D in the home country.”

Both the RAND and ITIF reports claim that the United States currently leads the world in S&T, but ITIF believes the U.S. is losing that lead to stiff competition from Asia and Europe. These international governments are “attuned to the changing world order,” as Jim Turner and Maryann Feldman argued earlier this year in Science Progress. The U.S. government needs to catch up with history to stay ahead as innovators.

“We as a nation badly need to update our view to include the role of government in science and technology in the radically new environment of 21^st century communications technologies, and to debate new ways of working together on open innovation,” Turner and Feldman wrote.

Tuesday

NIH Reform Act of 2006: Progress, Challenges and Next Steps
House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
2123 Rayburn House Office Building
10 a.m.

Strengthening the Ability of Public Transportation to Reduce Our Dependence on Foreign Oil
Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee
538 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10 a.m.

Improving Health Care Quality: An Integral Step Toward Health Reform
Senate Finance Committee
215 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10 a.m.

It’s Time to End the Broadband Policy Wars
The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation
ITIF, 1250 Eye Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20005
2 p.m.

Wednesday

San Francisco Bay Refuge/Chesapeake Bay Oyster Status
House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans
1334 Longworth House Office Building
10 a.m.

The Foundation for Developing New Energy Technologies: Basic Energy Research in the DOE Office of Science
House Science and Technology Committee, Subcommittee on Energy and Environment
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
2 p.m.

ITIF Forum: Is the US Falling Behind in Science & Technology or Not?
The Information & Technology Innovation Foundation
1250 Eye Street, NW, Suite 200, Room 2 Washington, DC 20005
2 p.m.

Quality and Environmental Impacts of Bottled Water
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
3 p.m.

Thursday

The Next Generation Air Transportation System: Status and Issues
House Science and Technology Committee
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10 a.m.

Saturday

Antibiotics: Is a Strong Offense the Best Defense?
Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences
500 5th St NW, Washington, DC
6:30 p.m.

Tuesday

“Safety of Phthalates and Bisphenol-A in Everyday Consumer Products.”
House Energy and Commerce Committee
Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee
2322 Rayburn House Office Building.
10 a.m.

“How Should the Federal Government Address the Health and Environmental Risks of Coal Combustion Waste?”
House Natural Resources Committee
Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee
1334 Longworth House Office Building.
10 a.m.

“Hybrid Technologies for Medium- to Heavy-Duty Commercial Trucks.”
House Science and Technology Committee
Energy and Environment Subcommittee
2318 Rayburn House Office Building.
10 a.m.

Wednesday

“Second Generation Biofuels: The New Frontier for Small Businesses,” focusing on the role of small businesses and family farmers in developing and producing biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol.
House Small Business Committee
Rural and Urban Entrepreneurship Subcommittee
1539 Longworth House Office Building.
10 a.m.

Wednesday to Thursday

Plug-In Electric Vehicles 2008: What Role for Washington? (Register Online)
Brookings Institution
Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill

Thursday

H.R.5533, the “Chemical Facilities Act of 2008″; and H.R.5577, the “Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2008.”
House Energy and Commerce Committee
Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee
2322 Rayburn House Office Building.
10 a.m.

“American Lives Still at Risk: When Will FDA’s Food Protection Plan Be Fully Funded and Implemented?”
House Energy and Commerce Committee
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
2123 Rayburn House Office Building.
10 a.m.

“Spinning Straw Into Black Gold: Enhanced Oil Recovery Using Carbon Dioxide,” focusing on the underground injection of carbon dioxide as a method for increasing production from domestic oil and gas fields while decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere.
House Natural Resources Committee
Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee
1334 Longworth House Office Building.
10 a.m.

“Hydropower: Providing 75% of America’s Current Renewable Energy. Exploring its role as a continued source of Clean, Renewable Energy for the Future.”
House Natural Resources Committee
Water and Power Subcommittee
1324 Longworth House Office Building.
2 p.m.

“Toxic Communities: How EPA’s IRIS (Inegrated Risk Management System) Program Fails the Public.” IRIS is a compilation of electronic reports on specific substances found in the environment and their potential to cause human health effects.
House Science and Technology Committee
Investigation and Oversight Subcommittee
2318 Rayburn House Office Building.
10 a.m.

The relationship between U.S. renewable fuels policy and food prices.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Full committee
366 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
2:15 p.m.

Friday

Science is the Stuff of Progress (RSVP Online)
Science Progress
Center for American Progress
2 p.m.

Tuesday

Green Computing Summit
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
7:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (registration required)

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
“Energy and Related Economic Effects of Global Climate Change Legislation.”
366 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
“EPA’s (EPA) New Ozone Standards.”
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
1:00 p.m.

Wednesday

Off-Label Uses of Approved Drugs: Medicine, Law, and Policy
American Enterprise Institute
8:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (registration required)

House Education and Labor Committee
“The National Mathematics Advisory Panel Report: Foundations for Success.”
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Natural Resources Committee
“The Danger of Deception: Do Endangered Species Have a Chance?”
1324 Longworth House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Science and Technology Committee
Investigation and Oversight Subcommittee
“EPA’s (EPA) Restructured IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) System: Have Polluters and Politics Overwhelmed Science?”
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
11:00 a.m.

Thursday

House Energy and Commerce Committee
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
“Germs, Viruses, and Secrets: Government Plans to Move Exotic Disease Research to the Mainland United States.”
2123 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Natural Resources Committee
Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee
“The United States Geological Survey’s Earthquake Hazards Program – Science, Preparation, and Response.”
1324 Longworth House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Science and Technology Committee
Investigation and Oversight Subcommittee
“American Decline or Renewal? – Globalizing Jobs and Technology.”
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Senate Judiciary Committee
Human Rights and Law Subcommittee
“Global Internet Freedom: Corporate Responsibility and the Rule of Law.”
226 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Thursday through Friday

Workshop on the Societal and Economic Impacts of Severe Space Weather Events
National Academies
Washington Plaza Hotel
8:00 a.m. (registration required)

Friday

An Energy Solutions Event: A Discussion with the Presidential Campaigns
Center for Strategic and International Studies
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Monday

Energy Challenges for the Next President
The Brookings Institution
10:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Tuesday

Climate Change and Energy Infrastructure in Coastal Areas
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
366 Dirksen Building
10:00 a.m.

Mercury Legislation
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
406 Dirksen Building
10:00 a.m.

Building a Bridge Between Science and Religion
A Lecture by Dr. Stuart Kauffman
National Academy of Sciences
7:00 p.m. (tickets required)

Wednesday

Water Supply Challenges
House Science and Technology Committee
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Green Buildings and Smart Growth
House Select Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee
Location TBA
2:00 p.m.

Global Food Crisis
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
419 Dirksen Building
9:30 a.m.

Health and Safety Concerns over Plastic Additives in Consumer Products
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation; Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety
253 Russell Building
10:00 a.m.

Thursday

Resilience of Transportation System and National Infrastructure
House Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection
311 Cannon Building
Time TBA

Does Science Make Belief in God Obsolete?
American Enterprise Institute
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (registration required)

Friday

Climate & Health Effects of Carbon Dioxide, Black Carbon, & Other Air-borne Particles
American Meteorological Society
Russell Senate Office Building Room 253
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday

Challenges and Promise of Cell-Based Therapies
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Natcher Conference Center, NIH Campus
8:00 a.m. (registration required)

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee
Oversight of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
253 Russell Senate Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
“Perchlorate and TCE (Trichloroethylene) in Water.”
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Energy and Commerce Committee
Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee
“The Renewable Fuels Standard: Issues, Implementation, and Opportunities.”
2123 Rayburn House Office Building
10:30 a.m.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Aviation Subcommittee hearing
“Aviation and the Environment: Emissions.”
2167 Rayburn House Office Building
2:00 p.m.

Wednesday

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
Space, Aeronautics, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
“Reauthorizing the Vision for Space Exploration.”
253 Russell Senate Office Building
9:30 a.m.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Public Sector Solutions to Global Warming, Oversight, and Children’s Health Protection Subcommittee
“Oversight Hearing on Science and Environmental Regulatory Decisions.”
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
9:30 a.m.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
“Fuel Subsidies: Is There an Impact on Food Supply and Prices?”
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Thursday

Senate Appropriations Committee
Energy and Water Development Subcommittee
Hearing on the Energy Department’s restructuring of the FutureGen program.
192 Dirksen Senate Office Building
9:30 a.m.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
“EPA’s New Ozone Standards.”
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Science and Technology Committee
Research and Science Education Subcommittee
“Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Act of 2008.”
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
“Cancer: Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century.”
106 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
Hearing on improving the capacity of United States climate modeling for decision-makers and end-users.
253 Russell Senate Office Building
2:30 p.m.

Thursday through Friday

AAAS Forum on Science & Technology Policy
Washington DC International Trade Center
9:00 a.m. (on-site registration begins at 7:30 a.m.)

Friday

Public Safety Wireless Broadband
John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Parsons Auditorium
2:00 p.m.

Monday

Views from Beyond the Beltway: Cybersecurity Recommendations from Experts
Center for Strategic and International Studies
9:00 a.m.

Transportation and the Economy
The Brookings Institution
10:00 a.m.

Sugarcane Ethanol and Land Use in Brazil
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
2:00 p.m.

Tuesday

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
“Oversight on EPA Toxic Chemical Policies.”
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Wednesday

Space Launch After 2010
Center for Strategic and International Studies
9:00 a.m.

Senate Appropriations Committee
Energy and Water Development Subcommittee
The Energy Department and the U.S. nuclear weapon non-proliferation efforts.
192 Dirksen Senate Office Building
9:30 a.m.

House Science and Technology Committee
“E-Waste: Can the Nation Handle Modern Refuse in the Digital Age.”
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee
“Proposals for a Water Development Act of 2008.”
2167 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Thursday

Explaining International Broadband Leadership
ITIF @ The National Press Club
9:00 a.m.

House Energy and Commerce Committee
Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee
“Draft Legislation Enhancing Access to Broadband Technology and Services for Persons with Disabilities.”
2123 Rayburn House Office Building
9:30 a.m.

House Energy and Commerce Committee
Health Subcommittee
“Drug and Device Provisions of the ‘Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act’ Discussion Draft Legislation.”
2322 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Science and Technology Committee
Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee
“NASA’s (NASA) Aeronautics R&D (research and development) Program: Status and Issues.”
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Monday thru Wednesday

World Health Care Congress
World Congress
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel (registration required)

Monday

Innovation Nation: Collaboration and Competition in a Globalized World
AAAS Headquarters
4:30 p.m.

Tuesday

Integrating Energy Policy and Climate Policy
School of Advanced International Studies, John Hopkins University
8:30 a.m. (registration required)

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
“The Future of the Internet”
253 Russell Senate Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee, International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs and International Environmental Protection Subcommittee
“International Deforestation and Climate Change.”
419 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:30 a.m.

House Energy and Commerce Committee, Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
“The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Foreign Drug Inspection Program: Weaknesses Place Americans at Risk.”
2123 Rayburn House Office Building
11:00 a.m.

Wednesday

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
“Domestic Abstinence-Only Programs: Assessing the Evidence.”
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Science and Technology Committee
“Opportunities and Challenges for Nuclear Power.”
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Information Policy, Census, and National Archives Subcommittee
“Electronic Communications Preservation Act.”
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
2:00 p.m.

A Sustainable Vision For Water in the Twenty-First Century
with Dr. Peter H. Gleick
National Academies Keck Center
4:00 p.m.

Thursday

House Armed Services Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee; House Science and Technology Research and Science Education Subcommittee
“Role of the Social and Behavioral Sciences in National Security.”
2118 Rayburn House Office Building
9:00 a.m.

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
“Restoring FDA’s (Food and Drug Administration) Ability to Keep America’s Families Safe.”
106 Dirksen Senate Office Building
9:30 a.m.

House Energy and Commerce Committee, Health Subcommittee
“Food and Cosmetic Provisions of the ‘Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act’ Discussion Draft Legislation.”
2123 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
“EPA’s (EPA) New Ozone Standards.”
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Science and Technology Committee
Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee
“NASA’s (NASA) International Space Station Program: Status and Issues.”
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10:30 a.m.

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
Science, Technology, and Innovation Subcommittee
“National Nanotechnology Initiative: Charting the Course for Reauthorization.”
253 Russell Senate Office Building
2:30 p.m.

Friday

National DNA Day

Biofuels, Land Conversion & Climate Change
American Meteorological Society
Rayburn House Office Building Room 2325
12:00 p.m.

Simulation-Based Engineering and Science Workshop
National Science Foundation Room 4201
1:00 p.m. (free, registration required)

Tuesday

The Science, Ethics and Policy Challenges of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Gametes
AAAS Headquarters auditorium
4:00 p.m.

House Science and Technology Committee
Energy and Environment Subcommittee
“The Department of Energy’s FutureGen Program”
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Natural Resources Committee
National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee and Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee
“The West-wide Energy Corridor Process: State and Community Impacts”
1334 Longworth House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Wednesday

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee
“Surface Transportation and the Global Economy”
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
“Healthcare Associated Infections: A Preventable Epidemic”
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
11:00 a.m.

The Bridge at the Edge of the World
The Brookings Institution
3:00 pm

Thursday

Highly Skilled Immigrants: Opening the Doors to Prosperity
Cato Capitol Hill Briefing
430 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 am

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
“Aging Water Resource Infrastructure”
366 Dirksen Senate Office Building
2:00 p.m.

Monday

House Science and Technology Committee
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
Field Hearing on “Remote Sensing Data: Applications and Benefits.”
Colorado Springs, Colorado (hearing available via webcast)
10:00 a.m.

Wednesday

Senate Appropriations Committee
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
“Proposed Budget Estimates for FY2009 for the Energy Department.”
192 Dirksen Senate Office Building
9:30 a.m.

Senate Appropriations Committee
Cyber Warfare Programs
S-407 U.S. Capitol
10:30 a.m.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
“2010 Census, Progress on the Development of the Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) Program and the Decennial Response Integration System (DRIS).”
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
2:00 p.m.

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Innovation
“Coal Gasification Technologies and the Need for Large Scale Projects.”
253 Russell Senate Office Building
2:30 p.m.

Thursday

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
“Climate Change: A Challenge for Public Health.”
430 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 a.m.

House Energy and Commerce Committee
Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality
“Strengths and Weaknesses of Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Using Existing Clean Air Act Authorities.”
2123 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Natural Security: A New Perspective on International Security
AAAS Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy
4:00 p.m.

Friday

Germ Warfare, Contagious Disease, and the Constitution
Stanford Constitutional Law Center and the Constitution Project
Room 50, Dirksen Senate Office Building
1:30 p.m. (registration required)

Monday through Tuesday

F2C: Freedom to Connect
The NetHeads Come to Washington
AFI Silver Theatre

Tuesday

House Energy and Commerce Committee
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
“Online Virtual Worlds: Applications and Avatars in a User-Generated Medium.”
2123 Rayburn House Office Building
9:30 a.m.

House Science and Technology Committee
Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight
“Toxic Trailers: Have the Centers for Disease Control Failed to Protect Public Health?”
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
9:30 a.m.

Wednesday

House Science and Technology Committee
Subcommittee on Research and Science Education
“International Science and Technology Cooperation.”
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10 a.m.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
“Oversight on the Listing Decision for the Polar Bear Under the Endangered Species Act.”
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10 a.m.

Mobilizing Talent for Global Development
Brookings Institution
3:00 pm

Thursday

Linking Knowledge with Action for Sustainable Development
National Academy of Sciences
8:30 a.m.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
“Examining Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions at U.S. Colleges and Universities.”
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10 a.m.

House Science and Technology Committee
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
“NASA’s Exploration Initiative: Status and Issues.”
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10 a.m.

Saturday through Sunday

Science & Technology in Society: An International, Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference
AAAS Headquarters, 2nd Floor

Congress is in recess next week.

Monday

Starved for Science – How Biotechnology is Being Kept Out of Africa
International Food Policy Institute
3:30 pm.

Tuesday

Falling Behind: International Scrutiny of the Peaceful Atom
AAAS Center for Science, Technology, and Security Policy
B340 Rayburn House Office Building
12:30 pm.

Wednesday

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Field Hearing on Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies
Bismarck, North Dakota (hearing available via webcast)
10:30 am.

Congress is in recess next week.

Tuesday

Human Dignity and Bioethics (.pdf)
President’s Council on Bioethics
Riggs Library, Georgetown University
10:30 a.m.

Wednesday

Shoot ‘Em Up: Debris, ASAT capabilities, and Other Implications of the Shoot Down of the USA-193 Satellite
AAAS Center for Science, Technology, and Security Policy
B354 Rayburn House Office Building
12:00 p.m.

Thursday

Neuroethics and Public Policy
with Jonah Lehrer, Martha Farah, and Jonathan Moreno
121 Cannon House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Change Congress Project Launch (RSVP required)
with Lawrence Lessig
National Press Club, Murrow, White and Lisagor Rooms
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Monday

Ecological Dimensions of Biofuels
Ecological Society of America
8:30 a.m.

Tuesday

Evaluating Energy Infrastructure Projects: A Case Study on the Costs and Benefits of LNG Investment
Center for Strategic and International Studies
10:00 a.m.

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Innovation
The FY 2009 Budget Proposal to Support U.S. Basic Research
253 Russell Senate Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee
Condition of our Nation’s Infrastructure and Proposals for Needed Improvements
538 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:30 a.m.

House Judiciary Committee
Hearing on Net Neutrality and Free Speech on the Internet
2141 Rayburn House Office Building
2:00 p.m.

Wednesday

Improving Cybersecurity: Suggestions from Private Sector Experts
Center for Strategic and International Studies
8:30 a.m.

House Science and Technology Committee
Competitiveness and Innovation on the Committee’s 50th Anniversary, with Bill Gates
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 a.m.

Thursday

Summit on America’s Energy Future
Auditorium, National Academy of Sciences Building
8:00 a.m.; continues on Friday

Oncology Drug Development: Rethinking FDA Oversight
American Enterprise Institute
8:30 a.m.; continues on Friday

Monday through Friday

Washington International Renewable Energy Conference
United States Government
Washington D.C. Convention Center

Research and Innovation in Energy, Climate and the Environment
Swedish Energy Agency
House of Sweden

Monday

Improving the Mix and Strengthening Ties: An Overview of EU Energy Policy
Center for Strategic and International Studies
9:30 am

Brownbag Discussion on the Lieberman-Warner legislation with Aimee Barnes (Manager of US Regulatory Affairs for Ecosecurities)
The Center for International Environmental Law
1:00 pm

Climate Change and the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit
Brookings Institution
2:00 pm

Tuesday

Future Shock: How Environmental Change and Human Impact Are Changing the Global Map
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
10:00 am

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
EIA’s Revised Energy Outlook
366 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 am

Combating the Twin Epidemics of HIV/AIDS and Drug Addiction
Center for Strategic and International Studies
2203 Rayburn House Office Building
12:00 pm

Freeing the Grid: Overcoming Barriers to Clean Energy Generation
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
2:00 pm

Wednesday

House Science and Technology Committee
Department of Energy Fiscal Year 2009 Research and Development Budget Proposal
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 am

House Energy and Commerce Committee
Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee
Climate Change: Competitiveness Concerns and Prospects for Engaging Developing Countries
2322 Rayburn House Office Building
10:30 am

Global Epidemics: The Contribution of Work
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
3:00 pm

Social Dimensions of Climate Change
The World Bank
9:00 am

Thursday

Infusing IT into Healthcare: Implications and Promise
Center for Strategic and International Studies
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
9:00 am

House Science and Technology Committee
The Department of Homeland Security’s Research and Development Budget Priorities for Fiscal Year 2009
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 am

House Energy and Commerce Committee
Department of Energy’s Budget Fiscal Year 2008
2123 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 am

Friday

Book Launch: On Nuclear Terrorism
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
12:00 pm

Understanding the Brain Through Neuroinformatics
International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility; National Science Foundation
House of Sweden

Tuesday

House Committee on Science and Technology; Subcommittee on Research and Science Education
“Hearing on NSF FY 2009 Budget”
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 am

House Energy and Commerce Committee
“Private Sector Food Safety Accountability”
2322 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 am

House Homeland Security Committee
“Chemical Facility Security”
311 Cannon House Office Building
10:00 am

House (Select) Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee
“Food Service Industry Climate Solutions”
House Capitol Complex, room to be announced
2:00 pm

Wednesday

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
“A Review of NASA’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request”
253 Russell Senate Office Building
2:30 pm

House Appropriations Committee; Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science
“Hearing on NSF FY 2009 Budget”
Room H-310, U.S. Capitol
9:30 am

House Energy and Commerce Committee
“Wireless/Broadband Consumer Protection”
2322 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 am

House Foreign Affairs Committee
“Climate Change and Vulnerable Societies”
Location to be announced
2:00 pm

Thursday

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
“Nuclear Plant Security”
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 am

Innovative Technologies for a Secure Society
House of Sweden
1:00 to 5:30 pm

House Energy and Commerce Committee
“Climate Change and Developing Countries”
2322 Rayburn House Office Building
1:00 pm
Update: The hearing has been postponed to Wednesday, March 5.

Senate Appropriations Committee
“Food Safety/Beef Recall”
192 Dirksen Senate Office Building
2:00 pm

Friday

What to Do About Climate Change
CATO Institute
B-338 Rayburn House Office Building
12:00 pm

After offering a scathing critique of federal science policy last Thursday, David Baltimore, AAAS president and Noble-prizing winning biologist, speaking to a packed room of scientists and journalists, said that “little hope” exists for a HIV vaccine after almost 20 years of research.

“We know that politically motivated stakeholders reject scientific analysis that challenges their policy positions,” said MIT professor Lawrence Susskind during a talk on science and policymaking. Introducing stakeholders to third-party “neutrals” while designing scientific studies could support a more fruitful “joint-fact finding” process, he suggested, and could facilitate science-based decisionmaking in the public sphere. MIT and the U.S. Geological Survey have a pilot program, the Science Impact Collaborative, that aims “to harmonize science and policy” by implementing such approaches.

Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder of the MIT Media Lab and the One Laptop Per Child organization, spoke on the current state of play at OLPC, the goal of which is to bring cheap laptops (currently $187) to children in the developing world. Using Moore’s law, Negroponte believes they can bring the laptop’s price down to $50 by 2011. The original cost target for the project was $100 per laptop.

The Knight Science Journalism Tracker, Wired, and the CJR Observatory all feature round-ups and analysis of the AAAS meeting.

Congress is out of session next week.

Tuesday to Friday

Health Care Innovation Week
House of Sweden

Wednesday

Population and Climate Change: Relationships, Research, and Responses
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
12:00 pm

Thursday

Human Organs for Sale?
CATO Institute
12:00 pm

Monday

U.S. Smart Power in the Americas: 2009 and Beyond
Center for Strategic and International Studies
10:30 am

Science versus Anti-Science: From Washington to the Classroom
American Enterprise Institute
5:30 pm

Tuesday

America’s Energy Future: Carbon, Competition, and Kilowatts
The Brookings Institution
10:30 am

Senate Armed Services Committee
Full committee hearing on Air Force nuclear security
325 Russell Senate Office Building
9:30 am

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
“Myths and Facts about Human Growth Hormone, B 12, and Other Substances”
2154 Rayburn House Office Building
10:00 am

Wednesday

Where To Next for Air Pollution Policy?
American Enterprise Institute
9:45 am

Thursday

Senate Finance Committee
“International Aspects of a Carbon Cap and Trade Program”
215 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 am

Wednesday

India 60: The HIV/AIDS Epidemic – Building Bridges to Health and Development
Center for Strategic and International Studies
9:00 am

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
“Energy Department Budget”
366 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 am

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
“Transportation Infrastructure Funding”
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 am

Health Checkup for Beijing: Pollution and the Olympics
Center for Strategic and International Studies
2226 Rayburn House Office Building
2:00 pm

Thursday

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
“Renewable Fuel Standard’s Energy Market Effects”
366 Dirksen Senate Office Building
9:30 am

Potential Energy Savings and Greenhouse Gas Reductions from Transportation
Transportation Research Board of the National Academies
Keck Center
10:15 am

Mark Lloyd issued a similar call for government investment in a robust and redundant broadband infrastructure for the United States in his recent report, Ubiquity Requires Redundancy.

Tuesday

House Energy and Commerce Committee
Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee hearing on “Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Services in the Digital TV Age.”
2322 Rayburn House Office Building
1:00 pm

Biodiversity Under Threat: Implications for Pharmaceuticals
Swedish Institute, NSF, AAAS
House of Sweden
6:30 to 8:30 pm

Wednesday

Doha’s Death Knell, U.S. Agricultural Policy, and the Future of Free Trade
American Enterprise Institute
Wohlstetter Conference Center
9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
“Examining Threats and Protections for the Polar Bear”
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 am

Global Space Agenda: Transforming India’s Space Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies
11:00 am

Thursday

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Carbon Capture and Sequestration Regulations: Full committee hearing on S.2323, the “Carbon Capture and Storage Technology Act of 2007″ and S.2144, the “Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Study Act of 2007.”
366 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 am

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Full committee hearing on the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission report
406 Dirksen Senate Office Building
10:00 am

Climate Change: The Next Global Security Threat
The Brookings Institution
Falk Auditorium
10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Plug-in Hybrids: The Future of Cars?
Center for American Progress
12:00 to 1:30 pm