FAS Science Policy Roundup

 

Thursday, September 3rd, 2020

Help the Senate question the White House Coronavirus Task Force. On Wednesday, the Senate is holding a hearing about the US response to COVID-19, and Dr. Francis Collins (Director, National Institutes of Health) and Vice Admiral Jerome Adams (US Surgeon General) will testify. What could Senators ask to spur rich discussions and help improve biomedical science and public health? Submit your ideas here.

Heritable human genome editing. Genome editing is revolutionizing science and technology, and has major societal implications. Check out the International Commission on the Clinical Use of Human Germline Genome Editing's webinar about its just-released consensus report on heritable human genome editing.

Equitably allocating COVID-19 vaccines. At the request of the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a National Academies committee is producing a framework to help US policymakers and global health communities plan for equitable allocation of COVID-19 vaccines. Review the draft that was released, and submit your feedback by midnight tomorrow, here.

Should we patent a COVID-19 vaccine? To rapidly mass-produce a COVID-19 vaccine, should patent holders organize networks of licensees and manufacturers, letting them coordinate and manage global supply chains, like giant, vertically integrated firms? Could COVID-19 treatments ultimately be limited to only those who are able to pay, or even bankrupt the health care system? Learn more and RSVP for CSPO's live discussion here.

The National Academies workshop on airborne spread of SARS-CoV-2 is online. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine took a deep dive into the science about the transmission of the coronavirus, featuring experts in aerosol science, virology, infectious disease, and epidemiology. The workshop's sessions are available here.

Setting the record straight on COVID-19 convalescent plasma. "There are currently no data from well-controlled, adequately powered randomized clinical trials that demonstrate the efficacy and safety of convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19." Read the National Institutes of Health COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel's full statement here.

Science and American advancement. Why is continued scientific investment so important? Can science overcome the challenges it faces? How can we encourage diversity and inclusion? The Hill convened Members of Congress, government officials, and researchers to explore the state of science in America. Review the discussion here.

New CRS science and technology policy resources. Europe, COVID-19, and US relations; the Food and Drug Administration's role in the medical supply chain; divergence of the stock market and real economy during the pandemic; US automated biometric entry-exit system for foreign nationals; carbon storage requirements in the 45Q tax credit; and the future of space tourism.

New GAO science and technology policy resources. Update on the US response to COVID-19; use of facial recognition technology by Customs and Border Protection; two-pager and podcast on consumer electronics recycling; and WatchBlog post on cybersecurity risks of federal agencies' use of cloud computing.

Global enthusiasm and American trepidation in Russian diplomatic vaccine efforts. Within the US domestic social media conversation, the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V is generally perceived as unreliable. This could potentially add to existing skepticism for US vaccine development and distribution efforts. Read the FAS Disinfo Report here.

Kindly share this roundup with your colleagues to help include a diversity of science voices in the federal policymaking process, and if you have questions, email sciencepolicy@fas.org.

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