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2\13 FYI No 24- FY04 Science Education Request
Part 1 of 2

FYI
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
Number 24: February 13, 2003

FY 2004 Budget Request: Science Education Programs

Federal support for science education programs is spread across many
departments and agencies, including the Department of Education, the
National Science Foundation, NASA and the Department of Energy.  This 
FYI addresses the FY 2004 budget request for the science and math 
education programs of NSF and the Education Department.

Because funding levels for FY 2003 have not yet been enacted, it is
difficult to place the FY 2004 request in context.  One way to look at 
the FY 2004 request is to compare it to the FY 2002 appropriations 
level, which is based on a final appropriation, to see how funding 
would change over the two-year period.  Below, the FY 2004 request has 
been compared with both the FY 2003 request and the FY 2002 
appropriation.

Under the Administration's FY 2004 request, NSF's total Education and 
Human Resources Activity would see an increase from both the FY 2003 
request and the FY 2002 appropriation.  Within this Activity, NSF's 
Elementary, Secondary, and Information Education programs would be cut 
substantially compared to both the FY 2002 funding level and the FY 
2003 request, while the Graduate Education programs would receive a 
significant increase by both measures.  Results are mixed for some of 
NSF's other education programs.  Funding for NSF's Math and Science 
Partnerships program would remain equal to the FY 2003 request, and 
greater than the FY 2002 appropriation. The request for the 
complementary Math and Science Partnerships within the Department of 
Education would remain unchanged from the FY 2003 request and the FY 
2002 appropriation.

Administration budget documents describe the Math and Science 
Partnership programs as follows: "The President's goal of improving 
the quality of math and science education in Grades K-12 continues to 
be pursued through the Math and Science Partnerships (MSP) Initiative, 
which supports school districts to form partnerships with institutions 
of higher education, allowing scientists and engineers to be part of 
the solution in improving student math and science achievement.  The 
budget provides $200 million for this initiative at the National 
Science Foundation and $12.5 million at the Department of Education."

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Education within NSF is supported by the Education and Human Resources
(EHR) Activity.  This activity "supports education, research, and
infrastructure development in all science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) disciplines," according to NSF budget documents.  
"NSF is the principal federal agency charged with promoting science 
and engineering (S&E) education at all levels and in all settings....  
EHR's education and research programs are aligned with Administration 
priorities as outlined in the "No Child Left Behind Act" and the 
Administration's interagency priorities for R&D."

The FY 2004 request for the EHR activity is $938.0 million, an 
increase of 8.3% from the FY 2002 appropriation and of 3.3% from the 
FY 2003 request.  For fiscal year 2004, the EHR activities will be 
targeted toward four broad goals: attracting U.S. citizens to STEM 
careers and preparing the next generation of STEM professionals; 
improving public scientific and technological literacy; developing 
"the capacity to promote participation (diversity) and achievement in 
STEM consistently and effectively;" and supporting the recruitment, 
retention and retraining of the STEM workforce.  Within the FY 2004 
EHR request are the following programs:

 - Math and Science Partnership: $200.0 million; up 33.3% from the FY 
2002 appropriation; equal to the FY 2003 request.  Within this program 
will be funded a new MSP Teacher Institutes for the 21st Century 
initiative.

 -  EPSCoR: $75.0 million; down 17.3% from the FY 2002 appropriation; 
equal to the FY 2003 request.  The request supports research 
infrastructure improvement, co-funding of research and education 
proposals, and outreach efforts.

(continued)

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