Biophysical Society Bulletin | March 2024

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EPA Reverses Decision to Stop Mammal Testing by 2035

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has abandoned a controversial plan to phase out all use of mammals to test the safety of chemicals by 2035. The hard deadline—imposed in 2019 to accelerate a move toward nonanimal models such as computer programs and “organs on a chip”—made the EPA unique among U.S. federal agencies. However, it divided scien tists, some of whom say animals remain the gold standard for assessing the safety of chemicals that could harm humans and wildlife. Other federal agencies have long vowed to reduce their reliance on animal testing—a 2020 U.S. spending bill even compelled some to do so—but none has set a hard deadline for ending animal research.

NSF Launches Regional Innovation Engines At the close of January, the National Science Foundation (NSF) established the first-ever NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program, awarding 10 teams spanning 18 states. With a potential NSF investment of nearly $1.6 billion over the next decade, NSF Engines represents one of the single largest broad investments in place-based research and development in the nation's history—uniquely placing science and technology leadership as the central driver for regional economic competitiveness. Each NSF Engine will initially receive up to $15 million for two years. NSF's initial $150 million investment in these 10 regions is being matched nearly two to one in commitments from state and local governments, other federal agencies, philanthropy, and private industry. Teams that demonstrate progress toward well-defined mile stones could potentially receive up to $160 million each from NSF over 10 years, as they seek to catalyze the NSF funding to draw additional investments into the overall region. The announcement delivers on the bipartisan priorities outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which authorized the NSF Engines program. Each engine will receive $15 million to rev up in the first two years, with the promise of $145 million more over the next eight years if it meets certain milestones. NSF says its initial investment is being matched by $365 million from private sector partners.

Beyond the 10 NSF Engines awards, a subset of the semi finalists and finalists will be invited to pursue NSF Engines Development Awards, with each receiving up to $1 million to further develop their partnerships and model for a future NSF Engines proposal. They will join 44 existing awardees announced in March 2023. Around the World New Head of Argentinian Science Agency Causes Furor The ongoing economic crisis in Argentina has left the country accustomed to government protests. The past few weeks have seen active protest campaigns directed at the Nation al Council of Scientific and Technical Research of Argentina (CONICET), the country’s main science agency, led by their own scientists. The furor surrounds the new head of the agency, Daniel Salamone . Salamone took office at the end of 2023, having been appointed by President Javier Milei after the dissolution of the Ministry of Science and his vocal criti cism of CONICET’s productivity. Salamone has expressed the belief that private enterprise will make research more efficient and relevant, which leads researchers to raise questions about his commitment to protecting the work of CONICET and the interests of its researchers.

March 2024

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