Government & Policy Roundup

President George W. Bush intends to nominate Jay M. Cohen to be Undersecretary for Science & Technology at the Department of Homeland Security. Cohen most recently has served as the 20th chief of naval research within the Office of Naval Research.

The Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board will investigate the fatal chemical accident that occurred in mid-June at Universal Form Clamp Co., in suburban Chicago. Vapors from an 11,000-lb tank of solvents exploded and caught fire during mixing at the company, which is a supplier of construction chemicals.

The Office of Science & Technology Policy has released the Administration's R&D budget priorities for fiscal year 2008. The six-page memo lists the president's American Competitiveness Initiative as the top priority, followed by interagency R&D programs such as homeland security, energy security, and the National Nanotechnology Initiative.