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2/10/26: Lutnick Rules Out Creating Value-Based Fees For Patents (Law360) Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told a Senate panel Tuesday that the government is not planning to establish new fees for U.S. patents based on their value, saying the idea he was reportedly considering “is not going anywhere.”https://www.law360.com/ip/articles/2440337?nl_pk=4a71aed4-28ae-40f1-b9b7-9be40b72199e&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ip&utm_content=2026-02-11&read_main=1&nlsidx=0&nlaidx=0 See also: Lutnick Tells Coons He Will Not ‘Harm Innovation’ With Patent Tax Proposal (IP Watchdog) https://ipwatchdog.com/2026/02/10/lutnick-tells-coons-he-will-not-harm-innovation-with-patent-tax-proposal/ 2/10/26: NIH Avoided Funding Cuts. But It Lacks Permanent Leaders in Top Posts. (Inside Higher Ed) After Trump administration terminations and other departures, the federal research funding agency has acting directors leading more than half of its 27 institutes and centers. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2026/02/10/nih-avoided-cuts-lacks-permanent-leaders-top
2/10/26: Biosafety and Biosecurity : Comparing the U.S. and Selected G20 Members (GAO-26-107338) Research labs study and store bacteria, viruses, and other biological agents to prevent and treat infectious diseases. Incidents involving these agents could threaten the health of researchers, nearby communities, or the general public. Biosafety and biosecurity practices ensure lab staff work safely, communities are protected, and harmful agents aren’t misused. Almost all countries we examined had public guidance with similarities to the U.S.’s. But documentation varied widely, including for high-risk biological agents (e.g., Ebola virus). Having national guidance in place is important for governments to ensure biosafety and biosecurity. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-107338
2/10/26: NIH No Longer Requires Advanced Permission for Conference Grant Applications (NOT-OD-26-040) As part of ongoing efforts to reduce administrative burden on the applicant community, NIH will remove the prior approval requirement for submission of conference grant applications under the R13 and U13 activity. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-26-040.html
2/9/26: Correction to Guidance on Salary Limitation for Grants and Cooperative Agreements FY 2026 (NOT-OD-26-038) This Notice corrects the previously provided effective date for the updated salary limitation for Executive Level II of $228,000 from January 11, 2026 to January 1, 2026. All other guidance provided in NOT-OD-26-034 remains unchanged. https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-26-038.html
2/9/26: Higher-Ed Groups Dealt a Blow in Court Fight Over Trump’s Anti-DEI Orders (The Chronicle) In a Friday ruling , Chief Judge Albert Diaz of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a preliminary injunction affecting Trump’s executive orders aimed at DEI programs in the public and private sectors, including at colleges receiving federal funding. Higher-education advocates had argued in a lawsuit last year that the orders, signed during Trump’s first week in office, violated free-speech protections. https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/the-trump-agenda/higher-ed-groups-dealt-a-blow-in-court-fight-over-trumps-anti-dei-orders
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