JAMES WILLIAMS JR jr

H.R. 959, Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021; working to seek more co-sponsors in the House among members of the Michigan delegation and to broaden funding for campus based, comprehensive solutions for life-time research, treatment and solutions toward addressing health care disparities for Black women. H.R. 7585 Health Equity and Accountability Act: legislation addressing health care disparities between ethnic minorities and others in the United States. Bi-Partisan Infrastructure and Build Back Better Plan provisions for health care and scientific research.

H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; lobbied for the inclusion of de-escalation centers located at research universities and colleges. S1, the For the People Act. HR4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; lobbied for the inclusion of de-escalation centers located at research universities and colleges. S1, the For the People Act. HR4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; lobbied for the inclusion of de-escalation centers located at research universities and colleges.

H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; lobbied for the inclusion of de-escalation centers located at research universities and colleges.

H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; lobbied for the inclusion of de-escalation centers located at research universities and colleges. S1, the For the People Act. HR4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; lobbied for the inclusion of de-escalation centers located at research universities and colleges. S1, the For the People Act. HR4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; lobbied for the inclusion of de-escalation centers located at research universities and colleges. S1, the For the People Act. HR4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; lobbied for the inclusion of de-escalation centers located at research universities and colleges. S1, the For the People Act. HR4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; lobbied for the inclusion of de-escalation centers located at research universities and colleges. S1, the For the People Act. HR4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

H.R. 959, Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021; working to seek more co-sponsors in the House among members of the Michigan delegation and to broaden funding for campus based, comprehensive solutions for life-time research, treatment and solutions toward addressing health care disparities for Black women. BIF - Bi-Partisan Infrastructure legislation and the Build Back Better Plan's health and research provisions.

H.R. 959, Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021; working to seek more co-sponsors in the House among members of the Michigan delegation and to broaden funding for campus based, comprehensive solutions for life-time research, treatment and solutions toward addressing health care disparities for Black women. Bi-Partisan Infrastructure and Build Back Better Plan provisions for health care and scientific research.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

H.R. 959, Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021; working to seek more co-sponsors in the House among members of the Michigan delegation and to broaden funding for campus based, comprehensive solutions for life-time research, treatment and solutions toward addressing health care disparities for Black women. Bi-Partisan Infrastructure and Build Back Better Plan provisions for health care and scientific research.

H.R. 959, Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021; working to seek more co-sponsors in the House among members of the Michigan delegation and to broaden funding for campus based, comprehensive solutions for life-time research, treatment and solutions toward addressing health care disparities for Black women.

Requested programmatic funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, HR 4432. Rare Earths from U.S. Extractions (REUSE) Appropriation Bill: Defense Army RDT&E Program Element: 0603119A Budget Line 52: Ground Advance Technology Of the funds appropriated on a competitive basis, $10 million is available for Rare Earths from US Extractions (REUSE) Proposal: Provide a funding increase of $10 million in Army RDT&E, Line 52, PE 0603119A, for competitively awarded funding for applied research into identification and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Element reserves and responsible handling of waste to prevent unintended environmental consequences. Novel sorption materials have been developed to extract Rare Earth Elements from liquids, even when other chemicals are present. This request is for a new FY2022 project. Discussion: Rare Earth Elements are critical to advanced military and consumer technology and electronics. Domestic production of these critical elements has decreased over the past 40 years such that China is now the primary global supplier, producing approximately 90% of the worlds supply of Rare Earth Elements. Identification, characterization, and recovery of domestic Rare Earth Resources is critical to maintaining national security and technological advantages. Identifying, developing, and recovering domestic Rare Earth Element resources supports the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center-managed work focusing on the development of innovative technologies for military applications and detection of compounds of interest in the environment. Program activities include developing new methods for a range of resource compounds, rapid field sensors, and ultrasensitive laboratory methods. Rare Earth Elements are a critical component in advanced military technology, and therefore securing stable sources of these materials are of utmost importance. A novel sorption material that combines a silica matrix with rare-earth-selective binding capabilities was recently developed by academic researchers. Major advances with the material include easy reuse and the ability to function in the presence of large amounts of other metal compounds. This material will enable cleaner, cheaper, and easier recovery of Rare Earth Elements from natural and human-impacted systems. The sorption material has applications ranging from groundwater remediation to recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal fly ash and other waste product leachates. Rare Earth Elements stick to the material, and decontaminated water passes through. When the material is full, extraction solutions release the Rare Earth Elements for collection and subsequent use. The material can be reused and can also separate individual Rare Earth Elements, increasing the value of the collected elements. The proposed project seeks to make the resin more selective and couple with strategies to recover other metals from the source materials. Development and testing will rely on collaborations between Army researchers, academic institutions, and industry for identifying, characterizing, and recovering various domestic Rare Earth Element resources. Successful development of these resources will ultimately support the Army by providing domestic resources of valuable materials that are currently subject to uncontrollable geopolitical factors, leading to US independence on foreign suppliers. The proposed funding would be available for small businesses and academic institutions to submit innovative proposals to perform complimentary development of technologies that can enable the rapid development of these critical domestic resources. The Army will perform a competitive source selection and award to the most promising proposals. By setting aside these project awards to small businesses and academic institutions, these non-traditional defense contractors will be more involved in the defense technology enterprise. The Office of Womens Health at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS and Education - $3 million Health and Human Services/Office of the Secretary/Office of Womens Health Summary: Wayne State University established a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, academically, research and treatment based Office of Womens Health (OWH) addressing the health disparities to underserved communities in 2019. This funding seeks to expand upon that research and treatment. Women, and in particular underrepresented minority women, are in a unique position in history. Great strides have been made in some areas; however, the disparities of health and economics, which have been in existence for decades, persist and have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. These inequities must be recognized and remedied. We are at a moment in history in the United States when women have higher rates of chronic disease than men, are delivering preterm births in some cities at rates that rival third world countries, and are underrepresented in STEM fields. The health, well-being and success of women, and the families they support, determine the success of a community. If we do not optimize the health, education and success of minority women, the long-term economic and educational impact will be detrimental to our entire country. A successful movement in womens health will not only empower women, but will propel them to a more prosperous future for themselves, their families and our nation. WSU has a substantial track record of executing world-renowned research programs in maternal and child health. For example, WSU has housed the National Institute of Healths Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) for over 25 years. Through the execution of the PRB contract, WSU has impacted the lives of over 25,000 pregnant women in an urban setting. Thus, WSU is well positioned to now lead this effort in Womens Health. WSU demonstrated its commitment to focus on womens health across the lifespan through scientific, economic, environmental, and social factors through its recent establishment of The Office of Womens Health. The Office of Womens Health (OWH) at Wayne State University was created to improve the health of women across the lifespan. The five pillars of the Office include: 1) Research and Development, 2) Education and Health Literacy, 3) Implementation Science, 4) Policy and Healthcare access; and 5) Women in STEM fields. These pillars are being applied through an overarching movement. For example, The OWH now serves as the Coordinating Center for over 12 clinical and university sites which collectively deliver over 50,000 pregnant women per year. This Statewide Collaborative will serve as a critical mechanism to conduct the work of the OWH as a Center of Excellence. In order to positively affect womens health, efforts must be more than many projects, but a movement. Our faculty and staff leadership have adopted a mission to improve the health of women in order to maximize the opportunity for families to thrive and achieve economic security. WSU has directed its focus to evaluate ways to diminish the pandemics substantial health, economic, and societal consequences. Women are in leadership roles worldwide - Governors, Representatives, Senators and the Vice President of the United States. Women have shattered very high glass ceilings. However, in order for women to be the best and strongest versions of themselves, we must take care of their health. The future of the economy, health and well-being of our society is increasingly dependent upon women through their roles as providers and caregivers. The center will focus on research in areas where health disparities are the greatest for minority women. An emphasis will be placed on establishing the most effective interventions to remedy societal inequities as it relates to health care, social determinants of health and policy. National Police De-escalation Training Center Appropriations Bill: Homeland Security HR4431 and HR4505, Commerce, Justice, Science - COPS programs or Byrne Grants - $11,000,000 Summary: Wayne State University has provided training to police officers for de-escalation of force since 2019, and has trained our entire police force, which patrols a third of the city of Detroit, as well as officers in the state of Michigan. This funding will expand and broaden the reach of our National De-Escalation Training Center. Following the recommendations of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 and the calls for law enforcement reforms following the death of George Floyd in 2020, several congressional bills have proposed the establishment of standardization and best practices in de-escalation training for law enforcement officers nation-wide. To address this need, in early 2020 the newly established non-profit corporation, National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) established its headquarters in Detroit Michigan at Wayne State University Police Department and began training. To be effective, de-escalation by a law enforcement officer requires several elements that are founded in procedural justice. Numerous studies reveal that when procedural justice is present law enforcement is deemed legitimate and likelihood of subject cooperation and peaceful compliance is significantly increased. Traditional de-escalation practices include these foundational elements such as being fair, impartial, and transparent and providing opportunity for the subject to be heard. Best practices have been determined to include the above as well as elements such as accepting abusive language without reacting, permitting venting , using non-judgmental communication, safe distancing and explaining options. The first and only de-escalation model available that integrates rapid personality identification into de-escalation is provided in NDTC training. This component of NDTC training was first developed as part of a university program funded by the Offices of the Director of National Intelligence and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency, NDTC has an exclusive license to utilize this material specifically for first responder de-escalation purposes. Simulators easily accommodate the inclusion of licensed personality models currently used at NDTC. The funding would be utilized to augment state, and local training budgets in de-escalation using standardized training and materials deemed by network-wide consensus to be best evidence-based practices. Funding would also be used for furtherer development of innovations regarding alternatives to use of force via-de-escalation. Environmental Contaminants and Maternal Health Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor, HHS, Education/ Health Resources Administration/Health Care Systems - $11,000,000 Wayne State Universities seeks to form a comprehensive team to investigate, design and deploy novel mitigation technologies to address the alarming rates of preterm birth and associated adverse health outcomes in Detroit and other large urban centers connected to environmental contaminations. The focus is the relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure and human health risks. This request is for a new FY2021 project. Originating from manufactured products, very volatile, volatile, and semi-volatile organic chemicals-collectively referred to as VOCs-are common legacy contaminants in post-industrial urban centers, including Detroit. VOCs and their mixtures contaminate groundwater, move through the sub-surface, volatilize in soil air pockets, and affect indoor air quality in buildings via vapor intrusion. Originally thought to be confined to designated high-risk sites, VOC contamination is now known to pervade homes, businesses, schools, and all facets of the urban built environment. VOCs have significant effects on human health and the environment. Exposure to VOCs during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth (PTB, birth <37 weeks gestation) and associated adverse health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects. This project team has recently reported that higher air shed benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) levels are associated with PTB in Detroit. Our findings support several observational studies conducted in the US, Spain, France, Brazil, and Canada that found positive associations between VOC exposure and adverse birth outcomes. Also, several lines of evidence indicate VOCs impact inflammatory pathways linked to PTB, suggesting that VOCs may influence PTB via maternal and/or offspring inflammation. The widespread prevalence of VOC-contaminated parcels and high PTB rate in the City of Detroit make this a uniquely compelling location for the study of the relationship between VOC exposure and maternal-offspring health. The WSU team, based in Detroit, is dedicated to understanding and mitigating this serious environmental health problem. The project address critical gaps in understanding the: (1) migration, (2) impact, and (3) mitigation of environmentally significant VOC contaminants in an urban context. Through a transdisciplinary team of engineering, environmental science, and medical investigators, the team will pursue three specific aims. These aims collectively advance the goal of reducing the impacts of environmental contaminants on environmental and public health, focusing on the alarming rate of PTB in Detroit. The team will develop innovative analytical and mitigation approaches (Aim 1), assess the role of VOCs in PTB rates (Aim 2), and determine the mechanisms by which VOCs produce their adverse effects, leading to improved science-based decision-making and protection of public health from VOCs (Aim 3). The WSU team environmental research and outreach is centered on the City of Detroit, Michigan, which has the highest PTB rate (15.2%) in the country. The findings will not only be applicable to the large number of U.S. cities seeking to limit environmental and health impacts of VOC exposure, but also allow the team to directly intervene in a city disproportionately impacted by this national health priority. Open Source Academic Publishing Platform Appropriations Bill: HR 4505, Commerce-State-Justice/Commerce/Economic Development Administration/National Science Foundation -$1 million (over two years) Wayne State University current has Vega, a state-of-the-art publishing platform that provides free access to research to all. WSU publishing hopes to provide more, better and quicker means to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide and international scholars, readers and community members. Of the funds appropriated, $1,000,000 over two years is available to support the establishment and research of the impact of a non-profit academic demonstration project to produce and preserve open-access scholarship for regional, state-wide, national and international scholars, readers and community members. As an academy-owned, open-source publishing platform, Vega is unique in offering a truly born-digital publishing experience, meaning authors and publishers can get research to readers in the quickest manner possible while including multimedia content that helps readers better interpret scholarly research. Vega is customizable for publishers of all types of content: scholarly books, textbooks, articles and journals, video and audio content, data sets, and other presentational forms. Vega structures its content for easy export, preservation, and accessibility far into the future. Scholarly publishing has been in crisis for decades. Academics submit publications to commercial publishing venues that charge universities exorbitant fees (hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S. dollars per contract) to access their own scholars work. Those same venues also charge authors thousands of dollars per submission to provide their article for free to readers who do not have subscriptions to these costly journals. Life-saving work is being hidden behind paywalls that only the most prestigious and endowed universities in the world can afford. In response, university libraries have been promoting open-access (OA) scholarship-work that is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Vega is an open-access platform built to break down the proprietary nature of commercial scholarly publishing by putting the power of publishing back into the hands of researchers. Vega propagates interdisciplinary, innovative, and trans-global research and exists to help authors, universities, and non-profit academic publishers deliver research through efficient, inexpensive, and beautiful means. In doing so, Vega helps users fulfill federal and global open-access mandates (i.e., Open Data Policy, OA2020, Plan S). Regional Poison Control Center Appropriations Bill: HR 4052, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $7.3 Million The Michigan Regional Poison Control Center (PCC), located at Wayne State University, receives about 64,000 calls annually and is open 24/7/365 days per year. Poison Control Centers: The Committee supports the funding of Poison Control Centers at $30 million. This program funds poison centers, a national toll-free number (800-222-1222) and informs health care providers about poison prevention and poison center services. The Michigan Regional PCCs interventions have enabled over 71% of the unintentional exposure calls (among children under the age of 19) to be handle in the home so that children did not have to use an emergency department or need a 911 call and response. This has become even more dire during the various lock-downs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For those children whose exposure necessitated hospital evaluation and treatment, the Michigan PCCs interventions contributed substantially to reducing resource utilization and decreasing length of stay at hospitals with significant cost savings to the city, counties and state of Michigan. Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University Appropriations Bill: HR 4502, Labor/HHS/Education/HHS/Health Resources Services Administration/Health Care Systems - $16.3 Million Provide full funding for the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Disorders (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PRB at Wayne State University is the only branch of NIH located outside of Bethesda, MD. Sample draft language: The Committee recognized that in recent years, preterm birth affected about 1 out of every 10 infants born in the United States. For Black women and other ethnic minorities, this rate is often three times higher. The Committee applauds the work of the Perinatology Research Branch at Wayne State University and supports the full funding for the continued research and training of perinatal and maternal fetal medicine specialists and prenatal research. The PRBs mission is to conduct clinical and basic research in perinatology and related disciplines with the goal of developing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive strategies to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, infant mortality and disabilities. The PRB also provides research training for physicians, scientists and other health care professionals whose aim is to improve the health care of mothers and their children. The PRB has assisted more than 25,000 at-risk mothers since the program launched over 20 years ago in Detroit - most of them uninsured patients of the Detroit Medical Center. The PRB has had many successes in its tenure at Wayne State University, with several world-shattering discoveries that have reduced preterm birth world-wide. HR 959, the Momnibus Health Care Act - lobbied in support of this legislation that will address health care disparities for Black women and their children. HR 3684, INVEST in America Act - lobbied in support of House passage of the infrastructure authorization for road and water improvements.

H.R. 959, Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021; working to seek more co-sponsors in the House among members of the Michigan delegation and to broaden funding for campus based, comprehensive solutions for life-time research, treatment and solutions toward addressing health care disparities for Black women.

H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; lobbied for the inclusion of de-escalation centers located at research universities and colleges. S1, the For the People Act. HR4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; lobbied for the inclusion of de-escalation centers located at research universities and colleges. S1, the For the People Act. HR4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; lobbied for the inclusion of de-escalation centers located at research universities and colleges. S1, the For the People Act. HR4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act (funding for rare-earth research and women's health); H.R. 7617 (Defense Appropriations - rare earth funding, women's health; Labor/HHS/Education - Pell Grant funding, student debt reduction, international student eligibility, the Office of Women's Health).

H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act (funding for rare-earth research and women's health); H.R. 7617 (Defense Appropriations - rare earth funding, women's health; Labor/HHS/Education - Pell Grant funding, student debt reduction, international student eligibility, the Office of Women's Health).

H.R. 7617, Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations: Pell grant increases, student loan debt reduction. H.R. 6800, the HEROs Act, in support of funding for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to financially bolster public institutions of higher education and support students; ensure the inclusion of Maintenance of Effort requirements as federal funds should not supplant state support of public universities; the inclusion of tax credits to help public institutions pay for federally mandated coronavirus-related paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act; the inclusion of non-profits and institutions of higher education in the Federal Reserve's Main Street Lending Program. As the Federal Reserve considers additional steps to secure medium- and long-term capital for public entities; the inclusion of funding to the National Institutes of Health to support institutions research labs where work has been disrupted and costs have increased due to COVID-19.

H.R. 7617, Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations: Pell grant increases, student loan debt reduction. H.R. 6800, the HEROs Act, in support of funding for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to financially bolster public institutions of higher education and support students; ensure the inclusion of Maintenance of Effort requirements as federal funds should not supplant state support of public universities; the inclusion of tax credits to help public institutions pay for federally mandated coronavirus-related paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act; the inclusion of non-profits and institutions of higher education in the Federal Reserve's Main Street Lending Program. As the Federal Reserve considers additional steps to secure medium- and long-term capital for public entities; the inclusion of funding to the National Institutes of Health to support institutions research labs where work has been disrupted and costs have increased due to COVID-19.

H.R. 7617, Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations: Pell grant increases, student loan debt reduction. H.R. 6800, the HEROs Act, in support of funding for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to financially bolster public institutions of higher education and support students; ensure the inclusion of Maintenance of Effort requirements as federal funds should not supplant state support of public universities; the inclusion of tax credits to help public institutions pay for federally mandated coronavirus-related paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act; the inclusion of non-profits and institutions of higher education in the Federal Reserve's Main Street Lending Program. As the Federal Reserve considers additional steps to secure medium- and long-term capital for public entities; the inclusion of funding to the National Institutes of Health to support institutions research labs where work has been disrupted and costs have increased due to COVID-19.

H.R. 7617, Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations: Pell grant increases, student loan debt reduction. H.R. 6800, the HEROs Act, in support of funding for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to financially bolster public institutions of higher education and support students; ensure the inclusion of Maintenance of Effort requirements as federal funds should not supplant state support of public universities; the inclusion of tax credits to help public institutions pay for federally mandated coronavirus-related paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act; the inclusion of non-profits and institutions of higher education in the Federal Reserve's Main Street Lending Program. As the Federal Reserve considers additional steps to secure medium- and long-term capital for public entities; the inclusion of funding to the National Institutes of Health to support institutions research labs where work has been disrupted and costs have increased due to COVID-19.

H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act (funding for rare-earth research and women's health); H.R. 7617 (Defense Appropriations - rare earth funding, women's health; Labor/HHS/Education - Pell Grant funding, student debt reduction, international student eligibility, the Office of Women's Health).

H.R. 7617, funding to states and municipalities to overhaul police training tactics in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

H.R. 7617, funding to states and municipalities to overhaul police training tactics in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act (funding for rare-earth research and women's health); H.R. 7617 (Defense Appropriations - rare earth funding, women's health; Labor/HHS/Education - Pell Grant funding, student debt reduction, international student eligibility, the Office of Women's Health).

H.R. 7617 -- support for the George Floyd Justice Act and increasing funding for Immigration judges. Opposition to the reduction in the role of Confucious Institutes.

H.R. 7617 -- support for the George Floyd Justice Act and increasing funding for Immigration judges.

Confucious Institute language in the National Defense Authorization Act; Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations FY 2020 language; Higher Education Act reauthorization HR 4674; water clean-up language in the National Defense Authorization Act, HR 2500.

Water clean-up language in the National Defense Authorization Act, HR 2500; Centers for Excellence for Women's Health, Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations; Section 117 of the Higher Education Act.

Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations, HR 2740.

Confucious Institute language in the National Defense Authorization Act; Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations FY 2020 language; Higher Education Act reauthorization HR 4674; water clean-up language in the National Defense Authorization Act, HR 2500.

Lobbying against negative tax results in H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, specifically interest Exclusion for 501(c)(3) Bonds. The bill does not include the House provision to generally repeal the interest exclusion for 501(c)(3) bond provisions after 2017. Intermediate Sanctions. The Senate-passed provision to expand the rules on excess benefit transactions and change the rebuttable presumption for unreasonable compensation was removed due to Senate procedural rules. Deferred Compensation. Despite early proposed fundamental changes in the House and Senate bills, there are no fundamental changes to repeal the rules on deferred compensation. Employer Provided Housing. The final bill follows the Senates lead and drops the House-passed provision to place additional rules on the exclusion from income of the value of employer provided housing. Tax on Name and Logo Royalties. An amendment to the final Senate bill dropped a proposal to subject royalty income from the sale of names and logos to UBIT. Tuition Remission. There is no provision in the final bill to repeal the deduction for education benefits supplied under tuition remission programs to employees or graduate students. Educational Assistance Programs. The proposed repeal of the $5,250 exclusion for annual education assistance provided by employers does not appear in the final bill. UBIT Research Exception. The House-passed provision to change the research exemption was not carried over into the final bill. Student Loan Interest Deduction. Students will continue to enjoy a deduction for their student loan interest, as repeal of this provision was not included in the final bill.

Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act; STEM education in universities; increased funding for Pell Grants; increased funding for NIH; H.R. 9, the Patent Reform Act of 2015.

Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act; STEM education in universities; Appropriation funding for Pell Grants, Area Health Education Committee programs, and science and research funding in the Labor/Health and Human Services/Education Appropriations bill; funding provisions in the America COMPETES bill for education, research and development; information regarding First in the World opportunities; H.R. 9, the Patent Reform Act of 2015.

Increased funding for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act; funding for STEM education in universities; Full funding for Pell Grants; ensuring that the President's ranking of universities included non-traditional students; continued funding for the Area Health Education Committee programs, and science and research funding for NIH in the Labor/Health and Human Services/Education Appropriations bill; funding provisions in the America COMPETES bill for education, research and development; information regarding First in the World opportunities; protecting the patents of universities in H.R. 9, the Patent Reform Act of 2015; protecting research funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for this fiscal year.

Increased funding for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act; funding for STEM education in universities; Full funding for Pell Grants; ensuring that the President's ranking of universities included non-traditional students; continued funding for the Area Health Education Committee programs, and science and research funding for NIH in the Labor/Health and Human Services/Education Appropriations bill; funding provisions in the America COMPETES bill for education, research and development; information regarding First in the World opportunities; protecting the patents of universities in H.R. 9, the Patent Reform Act of 2015; protecting research funding in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for this fiscal year.

Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act; STEM education in universities; Appropriation funding for Pell Grants, Area Health Education Committee programs, and science and research funding in the Labor/Health and Human Services/Education Appropriations bill; funding provisions in the America COMPETES bill for education, research and development; information regarding First in the World opportunities; H.R. 9, the Patent Reform Act of 2015.

Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act; STEM education in universities; Appropriation funding for Pell Grants, Area Health Education Committee programs, and science and research funding in the Labor/Health and Human Services/Education Appropriations bill; funding provisions in the America COMPETES bill for education, research and development; information regarding First in the World opportunities; H.R. 9, the Patent Reform Act of 2015.

Support for funding for graduate medical education; support for funding for area health education centers; H.R. 1148, the Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act; S. 237, the Advancing FASD Research, Prevention and Services Act; increased funding for the FY 2013 budget for the Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill; initial discussions regarding the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (to be introduced during this Congress).

S. 1284, Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Bill, FY2014 -- funding for area health education centers, Pell Grants, National Institutes for Health; H.R. 1148, Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act; S. 744, Immigration Reform; H.R. 2397, Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, FY 2014; Higher Education Act Reauthorization (unnumbered).

S. 1284, Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Bill, FY2014 -- funding for area health education centers, Pell Grants, National Institutes for Health; H.R. 1148, Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act; S. 744, Immigration Reform; H.R. 2397, Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, FY 2014; Higher Education Act Reauthorization (unnumbered).

Support for funding for graduate medical education; support for funding for area health education centers; H.R. 1148, the Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act; S. 237, the Advancing FASD Research, Prevention and Services Act; increased funding for the FY 2013 budget for the Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill; initial discussions regarding the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (to be introduced during this Congress).

S. 1284, Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Bill, FY2014 -- funding for area health education centers, Pell Grants, National Institutes for Health; H.R. 1148, Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act; S. 744, Immigration Reform; H.R. 2397, Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, FY 2014; Higher Education Act Reauthorization (unnumbered).