OSTP deputy director Alondra Nelson steps down

Alondra Nelson, deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), has stepped down from her post effective Feb. 10. A sociologist known for her research at the intersection of science, technnology, social inequality, and race, Nelson was the first deputy director for science and society, a role created in President Joe Biden’s administration. She served as acting OSTP director in the turbulent period after Eric Lander was forced to resign as director following allegations that he bullied and intimidated his staff. During her time in the OSTP, Nelson was responsible for a task force that broadened federal policies on scientific integrity. She also issued the policy requiring immediate open access for publications and data for research funded by the US government. “It’s been the honor of my life to serve @POTUS, @VP, and the American public, and advance this Administration’s distinct vision for science, technology and innovation that expands opportunity, well being, rights and equity,” Nelson said on Twitter. She told the news organization Axios that she would be returning to the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.