WASHINGTON NEWS
FROM THE FEDERATION OF MATERIALS SOCIETIES

October 1, 2002

 R&D FUNDING INCREASES CAUGHT IN BUDGET MORASS

With Congress adjourning for election campaigns without sending any of the thirteen regular appropriations bills to the President, federal agencies were left to operate on a series of “continuing resolutions” which provide funding at fiscal year 2002 levels.  This does not mean that all the hard work by proponents of increased federal support for science and engineering research went for naught this year, but it does cloud the picture as far as immediate actions are concerned.  The outlook will become clearer after the elections, particularly for the movement to double the R&D budget of the National Science Foundation.

As this newsletter went to press,  Congress still had on its plate two versions of legislation setting NSF on a path to doubling its research budget over five years.  The House overwhelmingly passed a bill over the summer which would start the process with 15 percent increases over each of the next three fiscal years, and the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved even more generous terms covering five years.  Before bringing the bill to a final vote in the Senate, House and Senate staff members were meeting to try to come to agreement on the terms of the bill.  In addition to the differing number of years for the authorization to run, the Senate bill contains a provision dealing with math and science education partnerships that troubles many in the science and technology community.  It would combine programs of the Department of Education and NSF, and turn the Math and Science Partnerships program at NSF into a formula program rather than the traditional NSF practice of awarding grants by merit only, beginning in FY 2006.  Further complicating the picture is opposition from NSF itself because the authorization level exceeds the President’s budget request for FY 2003, the bill increases the independence of the National Science Board from the National Science Foundation, and the Tech Talent program established by the bill might violate recent court rulings on affirmative action.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SCIENCE FUNDING

At our press time, the House Appropriations Committee had just reported out its DOE bill but the full House had not acted on it.  While providing only a 1.6 percent increase for DOE’s Office of Science, the Committee report offered some hopeful perspectives:

“As are many others, the Committee is concerned about the growing imbalance in the Federal investment in research in the physical sciences versus the life sciences…The Committee hopes that the Department submits a fiscal year 2004 budget request that will support a robust physical sciences research program in the Office of Science.  In addition to funding the capabilities that already exist at the national laboratories, the next budget request should also invest in the future by supporting the development of the next generation of scientists and engineers and the next generation of research instruments.  The Committee will support future growth in the Science budget if the Department is able to present a rational scheme for setting priorities among the various research areas and among the wide range of possible new projects…, can improve its program and project management, and takes tangible and aggressive steps to implement external regulation at its Science laboratories.”

NEW NANOTECHNOLOGY BILL

Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and George Allen (R-VA) are the sponsors of the 21^st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, introduced on September 17 and approved two days later by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.   Senator Lieberman emphasized that the bill, S.2945, would complement and expand the current civilian National Nanotechnology Initiative, begun by President Clinton and continued by President Bush, by “authorizing establishment of an independent advisory panel; emphasizing long-term goals; striking a balance between long-term and short-term research;  supporting the development of research facilities, equipment, and instrumentation;  creating special funding to support research that falls in the breach between agency missions and programs;  promoting interdisciplinary research and research groups;  facilitating technology transition and outreach to industry;  conducting studies on the societal implications of nanotechnology including those related to ethical, educational, legal, and workforce issues;  and the development of metrics for measuring progress toward program goals.”  Senator Lieberman also noted that the legislation will complement the provision he authored in this year’s Defense Department authorization bill, which would establish a nanotechnology R&D program within DOD.  As S.2045 was sent to the Senate floor, Senator Wyden said, “Here’s a chance for a model for our times.  We can use it over and over again if we do it right.”

NSF SOLICITATION FOR MATH AND SCIENCE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

On October 1, the National Science Foundation published its program solicitation 02-190 for Math and Science Partnership Program (MSP) Comprehensive and Targeted Projects.  Comprehensive awards will be made as Cooperative Agreements, target awards will be made as Standard or Continuing Grants or as Cooperative Agreements.  MSP Project Data Registration is strongly encouraged by December 2.  Full proposal deadlines are January 7, 2003.   The solicitation is at www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf02190.htm