3/13/26: Iowa House Advances Bill to Limit Use of H-1B Visas (Inside Higher Ed) An Iowa bill that would limit colleges’ ability to hire international scholars has passed through the state’s House and gained approval from a Senate committee, meaning it is just one floor vote and a signature away from becoming law, The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports . https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2026/03/13/iowa-house-advances-bill-limit-use-h-1b-visas
3/12/26: Trump Administration Delay of Cancer Research Funds Stokes Worry (Bloomberg Law) The US government is far behind its historical pace on disseminating funding for cancer research nearly halfway through the fiscal year, prompting concern from grantees that the Trump administration is shifting priorities away from medical research. The National Cancer Institute, which receives the largest budget within the National Institutes of Health, has only awarded one new research grant since the fiscal year started in October 2025, excluding faculty transfers and noncompeting continuations, according to an NIH research database . https://news.bloomberglaw.com/pharma-and-life-sciences/trump-administration-delay-of-cancer-research-funds-stokes-worry?context=search&index=4
3/12/26: Defense Contractor Cybersecurity: DOD Should Address External Factors That Could Impede Program Implementation (GAO-26-107955) We reviewed DOD’s implementation of this program. DOD has developed planning documents but hasn’t identified all key external factors or approaches to address them. For example, it doesn’t have a plan for the private sector not having enough certified assessors to meet needs. Our recommendation addresses this. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-107955
3/11/26: Why the Energy Department’s science labs will spearhead the federal push into AI (Science) DOE’s national labs’ huge facilities, data flows, and computing resources are a natural fit for the Genesis Mission. https://www.science.org/content/article/why-energy-department-s-science-labs-will-spearhead-federal-push-ai
3/11/26: Universities have become property businesses. What does that mean for research? (Nature) The modern university has become a competitive institution that seeks to attract the best staff and high numbers of students. To do that, they need buildings in which to teach, house their staff and students, conduct research and, increasingly, to make investments in, to collect rent from and to sell when times get tough. And times are hard for many institutions around the world. They therefore need to manage property and land portfolios — not just research budgets or staff salaries — with considerable care…. As a result, university estates have grown far beyond classrooms and laboratories, evolving into complex investment portfolios in their own right. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-04167-1
3/9/26: 2026 Department of War (DoW) Component Decision Matrix to Inform Fundamental Research Proposal Mitigation Decisions https://basicresearch.defense.gov/Portals/61/Documents/Academic%20Research%20Security%20Page/2026%20DoW%20Component%20Decision%20Matrix%20to%20Inform%20Fundamental%20Research%20Proposal%20Mitigation%20Decisions.pdf?ver=uf_txB5YT_N7ewpWfbpO5w%3d%3d
3/2/26: GSA Proposes Revised DEI-Related SAM Certifications for Federal Grantees (JD Supra) The General Services Administration (GSA) recently published a notice requesting public comment on changes to the standard certifications that entities must make when registering in the System for Award Management (SAM). These proposed updates are designed to align SAM certifications with the priorities set out in Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit‑Based Opportunity, and implementing guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/gsa-proposes-revised-dei-related-sam-7897824/
