AIP FYI #149: Congress Cuts National Science Foundation Budget

The gloomy weather outside the Capitol building seemed to mirror the
atmosphere inside the Senate chamber last Saturday night, as
senators contemplated a 3,000-page pile of unbound paper on their
desks that was the culmination of this year’s budget cycle. With
nine appropriations bills yet unpassed, both the House and Senate
essentially took the only available option left to them, and passed
this omnibus bill that few, if any, Members had read.

Buried within these 3,000 pages were eight pages on the National
Science Foundation. This bill cuts NSF’s budget by 1.9% for FY
2005. This $105.0 million reduction brings the foundation’s new
budget down to $5,472.8 million from its current level of $5,577.8
million. This action is contrary to the position of the Bush
Administration, which had requested a 3.0% increase.

Under H.R. 4818, funding for RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES remains
approximately level, declining by 0.7% or $30.8 million, from
$4,251.4 million to $4,220.6 million. The conference report
language gives the NSF Director the power to allocate this money
among the programs and directorates, except in a few cases specified
in this latest report. The report language states, “the Foundation
is urged to maintain the proper balance between interdisciplinary
research and single-issue research in core disciplines.” No funding
levels were specified for the MPS, GEO, or ENG programs. The
Office of Polar Programs was given a specific budget of $347.2
million, which was an increase of 1.5% or $5.1 million. The
conferees did mention that up to $5.0 million could be allocated for
the “completion of a design and development study for the Giant
Segmented Mirror Telescope if the Director of the Foundation
determines such funding is warranted based upon private sector
interest and commitment, other astronomical science needs, and
subject to approval by the National Science Board.”

The MAJOR RESEARCH EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION budget
receives a 12.1% or $18.7 million increase. Congress gave the
Administration essentially what it requested for ALMA and
EarthScope. IceCube received $47.6 million, considerably more than
the $33.4 million that the Administration requested. The Rare
Symmetry Violating Processes did not do nearly as well, with the
bill providing $14.9 million of the $30.0 million that NSF sought.
The Scientific Ocean Drilling vessel also did not do well, receiving
$14.9 million of the $40.9 million that was requested.

EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES funding declines 10.4% or $97.6
million in this fiscal year. The conferees provided $79.4 million
for the Math and Science Partnerships program, retaining it in this
directorate. The Administration had requested $80.0 million for
this program in the Research and Related Activities Directorate, a
proposed transfer that was widely criticized on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI) spoke about the NSF funding level in H.R.
4818, stating:

“While I understand the need to make hard choices in the face of
fiscal constraint, I do not see the wisdom in putting science
funding far behind other priorities. We have cut NSF despite the
fact that this omnibus bill increases spending for the 2005 fiscal
year, so clearly we could find room to grow basic research while
maintaining fiscal constraint. But not only are we not keeping pace
with inflationary growth, we are actually cutting the portion basic
research receives in the overall budget.” He continued, “This
decision shows dangerous disregard for our nation’s future, and I am
both concerned and astonished that we would make this decision at a
time when other nations continue to surpass our students in math and
science and consistently increase their funding of basic research.
We cannot hope to fight jobs lost to international competition
without a well-trained and educated workforce. If we want to remain
competitive in the international marketplace, we must provide
funding that stimulates innovation and supports education. Within
our borders, NSF supports technological innovation that has been,
and remains, crucial to the sustained economic prosperity that
America has enjoyed for several decades. This innovation is made
possible, in large measure, by NSF support of basic scientific
research, particularly in the physical sciences. Research at NSF not
only underpins physical science research, but lays the foundation
for work in the health sciences and medicine as well. Reducing this
funding is extremely short-sighted.”

Richard M. Jones

Media and Government Relations Division

The American Institute of Physics

fyi@aip.org

http://www.aip.org/gov

(301) 209-3094