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04 Apr 2003

FYI THIS MONTH: MARCH 2003
HIGHLIGHTS OF DEVELOPMENTS IN WASHINGTON IMPACTING THE PHYSICS
COMMUNITY FROM FYI, THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS BULLETIN OF
SCIENCE POLICY NEWS
Richard M. Jones, Audrey T. Leath           fyithismonth{at}aip.org
                                                
To read the cited FYIs, see the FYI archive at:
http://www.aip.org/enews/fyi/2003

SCIENCE COMMITTEE REVIEWS FY04 REQUEST FOR S&T: The FY 2004 request
"is a good budget for science," presidential science advisor John
Marburger testified to the House Science Committee (FYI #31).  In an
analysis of the S&T request, the Committee commended the
Administration's R&D priorities but raised concern that the
biomedical sciences "continue to dwarf the remainder of the R&D
budget" (FYI #32).  A separate analysis was put out by the
Committee's Democrats (FYI #33).

FY04 APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS BEGINS: As the FY04 appropriations
process begins, the House has passed its version of a budget
resolution, which gives an early indication of its intentions for
FY04 funding.  While the resolution does not go into detail in many
instances, specific recommendations are made within general science
funding for NSF and NASA appropriations.  The result would be a
reduction of at least 15% for DOE's Office of Science (FYI #39).

OFFICE OF SCIENCE FY04 REQUEST: Hearings have been held on the FY04
budget request for DOE's Office of Science by subcommittees in both
the House and the Senate, but the outlook is still unclear.  Senate
Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman
Pete Domenici (R-NM) noted that the office's request was "only a
little better than flat," and remarked on "the tremendous imbalance"
between life and physical sciences funding (FYI #34).  At a meeting
of DOE's Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee, Office of Science
Director Raymond Orbach told the group that "we are going to try to
work within" the FY04 budget request, but added that "these are going
to be a couple of lean years" for DOE's fusion program (FYI #35). 

CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR R&D: Members of Congress
make important decisions impacting the funding and conduct of federal
science and technology.  Web sites are identified for congressional
committees and subcommittees with jurisdiction over R&D and science
education (FYI #36). 

NASA FY04 REQUEST: Although the House Science Committee received
testimony from NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe on the space agency's
FY04 request, it is likely that the results of the shuttle Columbia
accident investigation will affect the agency's final budget.
Committee members questioned the impact of a grounded shuttle fleet
on the International Space Station, progress on a vehicle to
complement the shuttle, and the many proposed new intiatives (FYI
#37).

NANOTECHNOLOGY LEGISLATION: As an indication that many in Congress
believe in the importance of nanotechnology to the future of the
nation, bills to enhance and improve the federal nanotechnology
effort have been introduced in both the House and Senate (FYI #38).

FY03 APPROPRIATIONS RESULTS: Even as the FY04 budget process gets
underway, the results of the long-drawn-out FY03 appropriations cycle
are still being assessed.  DOE's Office of Science received a small
decrease, but most of its physics-related programs received
single-digit increases (FYI #40). NSF's Mathematical and Physical
Sciences, Geosciences, Engineering, and Polar Research programs all
saw increases in the 10% range (FYI #41). NASA's Space Science, Earth
Science, and Biological and Physical Research budgets all grew by at
least 5%, while budgets for Human Space Flight and the space station
declined (FYI #42). 

Please visit the AIP Science Policy site at http://www.aip.org/gov
for previous issues of FYI, other science policy information, and
subscriber options.

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