AIP FYI #49: Efforts to Increase Current Year Funding for Science

The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News

Number 49: April 22, 2008

Efforts continue to increase current year funding for the National
Science Foundation and the Department of Energy’s Office of
Science. On April 17, thirty-one Democratic and Republican
representatives sent a letter to the senior House leaders and the
senior leadership of the House Appropriations Committee. “We are
writing in support of including funding in the FY2008 supplemental
appropriations bill for federal research and science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education that will help
stimulate good jobs and economic growth and protect U.S.
competitiveness,” this letter states, which later concludes: “We
recognize that you are preparing a wartime supplemental, and that
you will face intense pressure to fund competing priorities.
However, we would not be making this request if we did not believe
the situation at our nation’s laboratories and research universities
and the need to improve STEM education warranted immediate attention
and supplemental resources.”

Corporations, scientific associations, and universities have sent
similar letters to President Bush and the congressional leadership.
A letter signed by 244 organizations states, “we ask that you remain
open to the inclusion of funding for scientific research and STEM
education in any legislation presented to you for signature.”

The Democratic leadership wants to have this bill to the White House
by Memorial Day. It now appears that the legislation will be on the
House floor by the week of May 5. There is still no word about what
domestic spending provisions may be included in the legislation, and
no new speculation about whether President Bush would sign
legislation that included domestic funding.

The letter to the House leadership follows:

“Dear Speaker Pelosi, Republican Leader Boehner, [Appropriations
Committee] Chairman Obey, and [Appropriations Committee] Ranking
Member Lewis:

“We are writing in support of including funding in the FY2008
supplemental appropriations bill for federal research and science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education that will
help stimulate good jobs and economic growth and protect U.S.
competitiveness.

“We empathize with the desire of many of our colleagues and the
Administration to keep the supplemental bill focused on spending for
the military. However, should the House choose to include additional
funding, the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation
sorely need an infusion of funds in FY2008 to prevent the permanent
loss of hundreds of the nation’s best scientists and engineers;
leverage past U.S. investments in one-of-a-kind research faci1ities;
restart research critical to American innovation and
competitiveness; continue to educate the next generation of
scientific talent; and restore our international credibility and
commitment to the international fusion experiment, ITER.

“With supplemental funding, the DOE Office of Science would not have
to furlough or lay off over 550 scientists, engineers, and technical
and administrative support staff at our national laboratories,
leading to the permanent loss of this expertise. While the continued
employment of these scientists will stimulate the economy in the
short-term, their research will contribute greatly to America’s
long-term economic growth, competitiveness, and job creation.
Supplemental funding also will maximize the run-time of user
facilities at our national laboratories, making the most of past
U.S. investments in unique facilities that are critical to
innovation in industry and academia, and preventing U.S. companies
from having to conduct their research at overseas facilities with
similar capabilities. It will renew our commitment to international
scientific projects like ITER and will help the U.S. retain its
leadership in a variety of energy fields, including high energy
physics.

“At NSF, supplemental funding would allow awards to be made for
hundreds of ‘excellent’-rated proposals which have otherwise gone
unfunded. These research grants would support hundreds of graduate
students, undergraduates, senior personnel and post-doctorates. In
addition, this funding would permit NSF to support smaller schools’
instrumentation, graduate research fellowships and support the
training of science, technology, engineering, and math teachers.
Without these funds, we will leave on the table innovative ideas
that could solve many of our nation’s pressing problems. In
addition, one of the most critical needs within NSF is additional
funding for teacher training through the Robert Noyce Teacher
Scholarship program and the Math and Science Partnership program.
Last year, Congress revamped the Noyce program and significantly
boosted authorization levels for MSP to ensure that existing and new
K-12 STEM teachers across the country have strong content knowledge
and effective teaching skills.

“Finally, supplemental funding for these agencies will send a
message to young Americans pursuing – or thinking of pursing –
degrees and careers in science, math, and technology that their
nation recognizes how invaluable their knowledge and expertise are
to the future security and competitiveness of our nation.

“We have attached a copy of a letter recently sent to President Bush
by a broad coalition of companies, academic institutions, and
research interests expressing support for the inclusion of this
urgently needed funding. The 244 signatures on this letter clearly
demonstrate the real concern that exists related to investments in
research and STEM education.

“We sincerely appreciate your consideration of this request, which
is consistent with the bipartisan America COMPETES Act (P.L.
110-69), the goals of the Democratic Innovation Agenda and the
President’s American Competitiveness Initiative. We recognize that
you are preparing a wartime supplemental, and that you will face
intense pressure to fund competing priorities. However, we would not
be making this request if we did not believe the situation at our
nation’s laboratories and research universities and the need to
improve STEM education warranted immediate attention and
supplemental resources.”

This letter was signed by:

• Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA)
• Rep. Judy Biggert (R-CA)
• Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA)
• Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
• Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI)
• Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA)
• Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL)
• Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)
• Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD)
• Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN)
• Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX)
• Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ)
• Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC)
• Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
• Rep. Nick Lampson (D-TX)
• Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)
• Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
• Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)
• Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA)
• Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC)
• Rep. George Miller (D-CA)
• Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)
• Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI)
• Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI)
• Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL)
• Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA)
• Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO)
• Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN)
• Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM)
• Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA)
• Rep. David Wu (D-OR)

The letter to President Bush cited above was signed by 244
associations, businesses, and universities, including several of
AIP’s Member Societies: American Association of Physicists in
Medicine, American Association of Physics Teacher, American Physical
Society, and Optical Society of America. The text of this April 16
letter follows:

“Dear Mr. President:

“As leaders of America’s business, academic and research
communities, we are deeply concerned about the state of our
country’s competitive position in the world. Though there are many
issues relevant to protecting our interests in the global
marketplace, none is more pressing than the need for additional
funding for scientific research and science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) education.

“As you work with Congress on a supplemental appropriations request
for the current fiscal year, we ask that you remain open to the
inclusion of funding for scientific research and STEM education in
any legislation presented to you for signature.

“Such action will allow for the fulfillment of the commitments made
in your American Competitiveness Initiative and in the America
COMPETES Act signed into law last summer.

“As our country struggles to stabilize our economy and build for the
future, an immediate commitment to research and education funding is
both timely and relevant. This is an urgent and necessary step that
will enhance our country’s economic strength, our competitiveness
and allow for continued innovation.”

A list of the signatories of this letter can be viewed at
http://tap2015.org/resource/
4.16_COMPETES_funding_letter_President.pdf (Cut-and-paste URL)
Similar letters were sent to the congressional leadership signed by
many of the same organizations.

Richard M. Jones

Media and Government Relations Division

The American Institute of Physics

fyi@aip.org

http://www.aip.org/gov

(301) 209-3095