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FYI
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
Number 52: April 17, 2003

House Appropriators Disappointed with NSF Request

"Dismal" and "inadequate" were some of the terms used
by members of
the House VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee as they reviewed NSF's
FY 2004 budget request on April 10.  After Congress passed
legislation last year authorizing the doubling of the foundation's
budget over five years, the subcommittee was disappointed that the
$5.5 billion requested by the President for FY 2004 would not keep
NSF on track toward that goal.  The doubling legislation, and the
10.4 percent funding increase Congress provided for NSF in FY 2003,
demonstrate "that our enthusiasm was more than just rhetoric,"
declared Ranking Minority Member Alan Mollohan (D-WV). Noting that
President Bush had signed the doubling legislation, Chairman James
Walsh (R-NY) asked, "Did he really mean it?" 

Both praised the foundation's work and acknowledged the importance of
basic research.  One of the areas where Congress is in "bicameral,
bipartisan" agreement, Walsh said, is that physical sciences funding,
especially at NSF, "needs to grow."  To NSF Director Rita Colwell, he
said, "I hope you'll help us navigate the funding dilemma we're in."

Colwell said she was grateful for the "record increases" Congress has
provided for the foundation.  The budget request, she said, "leaves
no doubt that the President embraces" the value of NSF.  She defended
the FY 2004 request, which is an increase of 3.2 percent over the
final FY 2003 level, by pointing out that Congress had not completed
the FY 2003 appropriations bills when the FY 2004 budget was
proposed.  She remarked that the request represented a 9.0 percent
increase over the previous year's request, and added that it places
"a major emphasis" on physical and mathematical sciences.  It is of
note that she viewed the substantial increase for the current fiscal
year "as an early downpayment" for FY 2004. 

One of Colwell's goals is to increase the average research grant size
and duration to $250,000 per year for five years, as the "most
efficient way" of maintaining the nation's science and engineering
enterprise.  The FY 2003 appropriation enabled NSF to make progress
toward that goal.  When asked whether, if funding were available, she
would consider advancing construction of some major projects (such as
the Rare Symmetry Violating Processes project, scheduled for funding
starting in FY 2006), she answered that it was "very important" to
continue increasing the grant size and duration.

Several members inquired about NSF's ability to administer its
programs, and about an upcoming review of NSF management by the
National Academy of Public Administration.  Colwell reminded the
subcommittee that the Office of Management and Budget had scored NSF
highly for its progress in meeting the President's Management
Agenda.  However, she noted that, as the foundation's budget has
grown, staffing levels have remained constant over the past decade
and were stretched "to the limit." 

In response to other questions, Colwell described NSF's efforts in
high-performance computing, nanotechnology, and attracting more
American-born students to science and engineering.  Discussing the
trade-offs between increasing grant size and funding more grants, she
admitted that the foundation had to decline approximately $1 billion
in proposals each year "of the same quality as those we fund."  "I
have a sense we're not doing enough," remarked Rep. Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI); "you've got to ask for more money."

Mollohan questioned why NSF uses rotators rather than permanent
employees to fill many positions, and whether this presented
conflicts of interest. Using rotators is "one of the strongest, most
powerful aspects of NSF," Colwell explained; it enables the
Foundation to bring in scientists familiar with "new developments and
fresh ideas." 

In closing, Walsh said he anticipated subcommittee mark-up of the
VA/HUD appropriations bill in early June, and he hoped it would reach
the House floor by the Fourth of July.

###############
Audrey T. Leath
Media and Government Relations Division
The American Institute of Physics
fyi{at}aip.org
(301) 209-3094
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