The latest policy and funding news from the US
In depth: Fears have grown that regulators in the United States could come under political pressure to approve a vaccine against Covid-19, after president Donald Trump repeated his suggestion that a vaccine would be ready before the US presidential election on 3 November.
Full story: Fears of political pressure on vaccine approval resurface
Also this week from Research Professional News
Researchers report fall in institutional support in 2020—Survey finds researchers feel less supported than before Covid-19 as institutions focus on operational needs
Here is the rest of the US news this week…
CDC urged to recommend tobacco bans on campuses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been urged to encourage all higher education institutions in the United States to ban tobacco, including e-cigarettes, as the new academic year begins. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi pointed to evidence that young people who used e-cigarettes were five times more likely to contract Covid-19 than non-users. “With the added public health risk posed by coronavirus, the CDC must act quickly and forcefully,” Krishnamoorthi said in a letter on 3 September, requesting an update to the CDC’s official guidance.
NSF funds integrative biology and Nasa collaborations
The National Science Foundation has announced funding for six institutes and six projects in a variety of research fields. Four Biology Integration Institutes will each get $12.5 million over five years to bring together disparate biological disciplines, while two multi-university institutes will share $25m to study the foundations of data science. The six projects, most of which involve collaboration with Nasa, will share $17m and all concern space weather and phenomena in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.