AIP FYI #52: House Appropriators Disappointed with NSF Request

“Dismal” and “inadequate” were some of the terms used by members of the
House VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee as they reviewed NSF’s FY 2004
budget request on April 10. After Congress passed legislation last year
authorizing the doubling of the foundation’s budget over five years, the
subcommittee was disappointed that the $5.5 billion requested by the
President for FY 2004 would not keep NSF on track toward that goal. The
doubling legislation, and the 10.4 percent funding increase Congress
provided for NSF in FY 2003, demonstrate “that our enthusiasm was more than
just rhetoric,” declared Ranking Minority Member Alan Mollohan (D-WV).
Noting that President Bush had signed the doubling legislation, Chairman
James Walsh (R-NY) asked, “Did he really mean it?”

Both praised the foundation’s work and acknowledged the importance of basic
research. One of the areas where Congress is in “bicameral, bipartisan”
agreement, Walsh said, is that physical sciences funding, especially at NSF,
“needs to grow.” To NSF Director Rita Colwell, he said, “I hope you’ll help
us navigate the funding dilemma we’re in.”

Colwell said she was grateful for the “record increases” Congress has
provided for the foundation. The budget request, she said, “leaves no doubt
that the President embraces” the value of NSF. She defended the FY 2004
request, which is an increase of 3.2 percent over the final FY 2003 level,
by pointing out that Congress had not completed the FY 2003 appropriations
bills when the FY 2004 budget was proposed. She remarked that the request
represented a 9.0 percent increase over the previous year’s request, and
added that it places “a major emphasis” on physical and mathematical
sciences. It is of note that she viewed the substantial increase for the
current fiscal year “as an early downpayment” for FY 2004.

One of Colwell’s goals is to increase the average research grant size and
duration to $250,000 per year for five years, as the “most efficient way” of
maintaining the nation’s science and engineering enterprise. The FY 2003
appropriation enabled NSF to make progress toward that goal. When asked
whether, if funding were available, she would consider advancing
construction of some major projects (such as the Rare Symmetry Violating
Processes project, scheduled for funding starting in FY 2006), she answered
that it was “very important” to continue increasing the grant size and
duration.

Several members inquired about NSF’s ability to administer its programs,
and about an upcoming review of NSF management by the National Academy of
Public Administration. Colwell reminded the subcommittee that the Office of
Management and Budget had scored NSF highly for its progress in meeting the
President’s Management Agenda. However, she noted that, as the foundation’s
budget has grown, staffing levels have remained constant over the past
decade and were stretched “to the limit.”

In response to other questions, Colwell described NSF’s efforts in
high-performance computing, nanotechnology, and attracting more
American-born students to science and engineering. Discussing the
trade-offs between increasing grant size and funding more grants, she
admitted that the foundation had to decline approximately $1 billion in
proposals each year “of the same quality as those we fund.” “I have a sense
we’re not doing enough,” remarked Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI); “you’ve got
to ask for more money.”

Mollohan questioned why NSF uses rotators rather than permanent employees
to fill many positions, and whether this presented conflicts of interest.
Using rotators is “one of the strongest, most powerful aspects of NSF,”
Colwell explained; it enables the Foundation to bring in scientists familiar
with “new developments and fresh ideas.”

In closing, Walsh said he anticipated subcommittee mark-up of the VA/HUD
appropriations bill in early June, and he hoped it would reach the House
floor by the Fourth of July.

Audrey T. Leath

Media and Government Relations Division

The American Institute of Physics

fyi@aip.org

(301) 209-3094