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FYI
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
Number 29: February 26, 2003

Ray Orbach Addresses Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee Meeting

At one of the first, if not the first, advisory committee meetings 
since the release of the FY 2004 budget request for the DOE Office of 
Science, its director, Ray Orbach, described the "superb" support 
there is for his office's programs, while acknowledging that funding 
is not sufficient.  Orbach's comments came yesterday, the first day of 
a two-day meeting of the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee 
(BESAC), chaired by Geri Richmond of the University of Oregon.

Orbach began by describing the strategic plan now being developed that 
will guide the Office of Science in the coming decades.  This study 
will be based not on politics, but on where the most exciting research 
frontiers are for his office.  He described the diversity of federal 
funding sources for science, and while saying that "they do look 
messy," added that the current system is much more desirable than a 
single federal department of science.  The programs funded by  various 
agencies are complementary, he said, explaining that his office's 
programs support higher risk, longer-term research.  Office of Science 
programs support research converging from multiple fields, and it is 
the funding offered for support at these intersections that makes the 
office unique.

Also setting the Office of Science apart is its construction of large
facilities.  Orbach told the committee that there is a great deal of 
trust by Congress and the Administration for the office's management 
of large capital projects.  "This is very important . . . we need that 
trust," he said.  The strategic plan looks ahead for twenty years, and 
will prioritize new facilities costing $50 million or more.  A draft 
plan is due next month, with the final plan scheduled for May.

Under one budget scenario, the funding envelope seems sufficient to
construct the various facilities that have been recommended by the 
Office of Science assistant directors.  This scenario assumes that 
funding levels authorized by Rep. Biggert's bill, H.R. 5270 (see
http://www.aip.org/enews/fyi/2002/093.html) are realized, leading to a
60% increase in the Office of Science budget over five years.  
Additional annual increases of 4%, which is the target for overall 
discretionary spending increases, would also be realized.  This 
funding profile would allow for operations at existing facilities, the 
accomplishment of various missions, and the construction of new 
facilities.  Under such funding, Orbach said, "we can do it."

At present, the Office of Science has not prioritized the new 
facilities.  Under Orbach's direction, all advisory committees are 
reviewing various new facilities, which was one of the main items on  
the BESAC agenda.  Within the next few weeks, Orbach will take the 
facility recommendations of the various advisory committees and 
prioritize them.  He will do this by himself, he said, because no 
committee has been able to successfully prioritize across fields.

For the short run, Orbach said, the Office of Science is still 
analyzing the FY 2003 omnibus appropriations bill.  It appears that 
the office's budget is down around $9 million from the request.  But 
the mechanics of the bill are difficult, and the ultimate level could 
be even lower.  "These are the cards we have been dealt," Orbach 
stated.  Acknowledging that the "flatness" of the budget does not fit 
the sought growth curve, Orbach feels that an authorization bill would 
be instrumental to achieving higher future budgets.  Support for the 
Office of Science, both in Congress and in the Bush Administration is, 
Orbach told the committee, "is superb."

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Richard M. Jones
Media and Government Relations Division
The American Institute of Physics
fyi{at}aip.org
(301) 209-3094
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