Science has made a list of 10 topics to discuss with Kelvin Droegemeier, who was nominated earlier this month to direct the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, when he goes in front of the US Senate commerce committee this week.
It says committee members may try to suss out whether Droegemeier's ideas on science policy align with those of President Donald Trump. Trump has called, for instance, for cuts to the National Institutes of Health budget as well as to Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention budgets. He has also tried to implement immigration policies that some scientists and biotech executives have said would negatively affect the scientific endeavor.
Science suggests asking Droegemeier, a University of Oklahoma meteorologist and vice president for research, his thoughts on these proposed cuts to research budgets — Trump asked for a nearly 20 percent cut to the NIH budget in 2017, which was rejected by Congress — as well as about the possibility of cutting overhead payments on federal grants. Likewise, it suggests asking Droegemeier about immigration.
In addition, Science says the committee should get Droegemeier's thoughts on withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, bolstering science and math education, and stopping sexual harassment in the sciences.