IP: NSFAppropriations

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> FYI
> The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
> Number 119:August 6, 1999
>
> House Appropriations Committee Passes VA/HUD Funding Bill: NSF 
>
> The House Appropriations Committee on July 30 approved the VA/HUD
> appropriations bill for FY 2000, four days after the VA/HUD
> subcommittee marked it up.  As reported in FYI #116, the
> subcommittee had to make reductions to many programs in order to
> remain within the constraints imposed by the budget caps.  The
> subcommittee's actions included funding NSF at just below the FY
> 1999 level.  The full Appropriations Committee passed the bill
> with NSF funding levels unchanged.  The bill (H.R. 2684) will not
> go to the House floor until Congress returns from its recess in
> September.
>
> The bill would provide a total of $3,646.8 million for NSF, a
> reduction of 0.7 percent from current year funding of $3,671.2
> million and 7.0 percent below the request of $3,921.5 million. 
> Research and Related Activities (R&RA) would increase by 0.3
> percent over the FY 1999 level, to $2,778.5 million.  This is 7.5
> percent less than requested.  Major Research Equipment would be
> reduced nearly 40 percent from current funding, while Education
> and Human Resources would remain virtually flat.
>           
> RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES: The committee would provide
> $2,778.5 million for R&RA in FY 2000.  Within this account, the
> following amounts are recommended for specific programs:  $735.0
> million for Mathematical and Physical Sciences; $473.0 million
> for Geosciences; $391.0 million for Biological Sciences; $369.0
> million for Engineering; $312.7 million for Computer and
> Information Science and Engineering; $138.0 million for Social,
> Behavioral and Economic Sciences; $183.0 million for the U.S.
> Polar Research Programs; $62.6 million for U.S. Antarctic
> Logistical Support Activities; and $114.2 million for Integrative
> Activities.  
>
> Within Computer and Information Science and Engineering, the
> committee would provide $35.0 million for the President's new
> Information Technology Initiative.  The report states, "Budget
> constraints make it impossible for the Committee to provide the.
> . . full budget request for this new initiative without adversely
> disrupting funding in all other program areas.  Nevertheless, the
> Committee believes $35,000,000 is a significant down-payment
> towards what it expects will be a long-term, comprehensive
> research program in this important field of computing and
> information technologies."  The committee would also provide
> $35.0 million for the new Biocomplexity Initiative, $50.0 million
> for Major Research Instrumentation, $25.0 million for Science and
> Technology Centers, and $4.2 million for the Science and
> Technology Policy Institute.  It would provide no FY 2000 funding
> for NSF's Opportunity Fund.
>
> MAJOR RESEARCH EQUIPMENT: Major Research Equipment (MRE) would be
> cut by 37.2 percent from current funding and 33.5 percent from
> the request, to $56.5 million. Within MRE, the committee would
> provide funding equal to the budget requests for the Millimeter
> Array ($8.0 million), the Large Hadron Collider ($15.9 million),
> continued construction of the new South Pole Station ($5.4
> million), Polar support aircraft upgrades ($12.0 million) and
> Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation ($7.7 million).  An
> amount of $7.5 million would enable production to begin on a
> High-Performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental
> Research.  While providing $35.0 million under R&RA for the
> Information Technology Initiative, the committee "is not prepared
> at this time to commit resources to the construction of a single
> site, five teraflop computing facility as requested in the budget
> submission.  The Committee has taken this action, without
> prejudice, due to budget constraints and other, higher priority
> pressures on available financial resources.  The Committee
> expects to consider this request in future year budget
> submissions..."
>
> EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES: Education and Human Resources
> would see a reduction of 0.3 percent from current funding and 2.7
> percent from the request, to $660.0 million.  The committee's
> recommendation includes $114.2 million for Educational System
> Reform; $48.4 million for EPSCoR; $193.5 million for Elementary,
> Secondary and Informal Education; $103.5 million for
> Undergraduate Education; $69.7 million for Graduate Education;
> $73.7 million for Human Resource Development; and $57.0 million
> for Research, Evaluation and Communication.  The Committee
> states, "The Foundation's Education and Human Resources
> activities are designed to encourage the entrance of talented
> students into science and technology careers, to improve the
> undergraduate science and engineering education environment, to
> assist in providing all pre-college students with a level of
> education in mathematics, science, and technology that reflects
> the needs of the nation and is the highest quality attained
> anywhere in the world, and extend greater research opportunities
> to underrepresented segments of the scientific and engineering
> communities."  
> House floor consideration of the VA/HUD bill was originally
> planned for this week, but has been delayed until after the
> August recess due to the death of the father of Rep. Alan
> Mollohan (D-WV), Ranking Minority Member of the VA/HUD
> Appropriations Subcommittee. 
>
> ###############
> Audrey T. Leath
> Public Information Division
> The American Institute of Physics
> fyi () aip org
> (301) 209-3094
> http://www.aip.org/enews/fyi/
> ##END##########