Aline McNaull

Bio

Aline works on energy, space, defense and research policy on behalf of IEEE-USA members and is the staff lead for IEEE-USA’s research and development policy committee, the committee on aerospace and transportation, as well as the energy policy committee.  She represents IEEE-USA’s space, energy and defense interests while collaborating with the Coalition for Aerospace Science, Coalition for National Security Research, Energy Sciences Coalition, Coalition for National Science Funding and the Task Force on American Innovation.  As an advocate for IEEE-USA, she has influenced legislation on funding and programs at DOD, DOE, NASA, NIST, and NSF.  Previously, she was a semiconductor engineer at Raytheon and a patent examiner for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  She holds a BA in physics from Bryn Mawr College.  

Session: Federal Policies, Programs and Funding Opportunities in Engineering Policy

The federal research agencies offer many funding opportunities and programs that directly advance the interests of the engineering community and broader science, technology, engineering and mathematics community.  Through these programs, university faculty receive grant funding, small and medium businesses are able to partner with the government on technology development projects, international standards are developed, and the US is able to work and research at the cutting edge of technological innovation.  From AI and quantum to cybersecurity and nuclear power, Congress plays a role in providing federal support for research programs.  Given the wide variety of issues faced by Congressional staff each day, IEEE-USA works to develop relationships with the House Science, Space and Technology Committee; House Energy and Commerce Committee; House and Senate Armed Services Committees; Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committees; Small Business Committees, and House and Senate Appropriations Committees.  We do so by taking ideas from our policy committees and holding conversations with policymakers to educate them about technical issues.  In this interactive session, I will provide an overview of some of the issues IEEE-USA is engaged in from improving defense funding for basic research programs, strengthening the electric grid, supporting NIST’s technology transfer initiatives, to working with NASA and the State Department on international partnerships in space and improving policies for businesses to collaborate with the federal agencies focused on space.  Participants will be able to ask questions about various policy topics but also learn about the process we engage in to make changes to help engineers throughout the US.  It will be a session that provides tools to conference participants so they can engage with their congressional representatives.