Policy

Updates on open access for ACerS journals

By Jonathon Foreman / March 1, 2023

The future of research communications is poised to become much more open than the current system. Learn what Wiley, ACerS’ publishing partner, is doing to prepare for the open-science movement, as well as open-access publishing options through ACerS journals.

Read More

Video: Swedish rare earth discovery calls attention to mining’s effects on Sámi reindeer herders

By Lisa McDonald / February 22, 2023

In January 2023, Swedish state-owned mining company LKAB announced that it had identified more than 1 million tonnes of rare earth oxides near the town of Kiruna in northern Sweden. Though mining this deposit may reduce reliance on China for rare earths, the impacts of a new mine on Kiruna residents and the indigenous Sámi people cannot be overlooked.

Read More

Video: NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships—a look at its priorities and programs

By Lisa McDonald / December 7, 2022

The National Science Foundation officially established the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships in March 2022, but the mission and scope of the directorate remained unclear until the Chips and Science Act of 2022 was signed into law this August. Learn about the priorities and programs of NSF’s newest directorate.

Read More

Video: Approval of industrial seafloor mining trial elicits scrutiny from marine scientists and journalists

By Lisa McDonald / September 14, 2022

On Sept. 7, 2022, Canadian mining startup The Metals Company announced the International Seabed Authority greenlit their plan to conduct an industrial seafloor mining trial to extract polymetallic nodules. While marine scientists are concerned about the environmental effects of deep-sea mining in general, an investigative report by The New York Times questions the choice of The Metals Company to conduct this trial.

Read More

OSTP public access policy memo stirs the scholarly publishing world

By Lisa McDonald / September 13, 2022

On Aug. 25, 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released new policy guidance recommending that publications and their supporting data resulting from federally funded research be made immediately free and accessible to the public without an embargo period starting Jan. 1, 2026. To better contextualize this decision and the response by scholarly publishers, this CTT provides a brief history of the evolution of scholarly publishing and the push for open access.

Read More

Video: Minerals Security Partnership advances multinational commitment to bolstering critical mineral supply chains

By Lisa McDonald / August 10, 2022

The Minerals Security Partnership, announced during the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada convention in mid-June 2022, is an 11-member multinational partnership initiative that aims to bolster critical mineral supply chains. Learn more about who is involved and India’s possible interest in joining the partnership.

Read More

CHIPS+ nears the finish line after two plus years of discussion

By Lisa McDonald / August 2, 2022

On July 28, 2022, the United States House of Representatives approved the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden for his signature. This act, colloquially called CHIPS+, contains bipartisan semiconductor funding and innovation policy measures that have been in the works since the Trump administration.

Read More

Video: Titanium dioxide ban illustrates the differing approaches to chemicals regulation in the EU and US

By Lisa McDonald / July 27, 2022

As the European Union prepares to ban the use of titanium dioxide as a food additive starting August 7, the United States Food and Drug Administration has no plans to change regulation of this substance. This situation illustrates the larger picture of how the EU and U.S. differ in their approach to chemicals regulation.

Read More

Video: States release their plans for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program

By Lisa McDonald / July 20, 2022

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program aims to provide states with nearly $5 billion in funding to strategically deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure. To receive their share of the funding, each state must submit a deployment plan by August 1. Compiled here are links to the plans released so far.

Read More

Streamlining communication—US federal committees and agencies lay plans for spectrum management reform

By Lisa McDonald / May 27, 2022

In recent years, conflicts over spectrum usage by private, public, and federal entities have reached a fever pitch. The Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, as well as House and Senate committees, are considering initiatives and legislation to reform and improve spectrum management.

Read More