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HIGHLIGHTS
• The President's FY 2004 request for the National Science Foundation
(NSF) is $5.5 billion (see Table II-7). This
represents an increase of $171 million, or 3.2 percent, over the FY
2003 level of $5.3 billion. This falls significantly short of the authorized
level of $6.4 billion signed into law late last year.
• Research and Related Activities (R&RA) would increase to
$4.1 billion, a 1.2 percent increase over the FY 2003 level.
• In addition to NSF's "core" research and education
activities, six priority areas are highlighted: Nanoscale Science and
Engineering; Information Technology Research; Mathematical Sciences;
Human and Social Dynamics; Biocomplexity in the Environment; and Workforce
for the 21st Century.
• The President is proposing to fund NSF's Education and Human
Resources (EHR) programs at $938 million, a $35 million or 3.9 percent
increase over FY 2003. Within the EHR account, the budget includes funding
to increase the annual stipends for NSF fellowship and traineeship recipients
from $27,500 to $30,000. The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive
Research (EPSCoR) would be funded at $75.0 million, a decrease of $14
million from the enacted FY 2003 level of $89 million.
• The Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC)
account is slated for a sizable increase, going from $149 million in
FY 2003 to $202 million in FY 2004 with the most significant beneficiaries
of this increase being the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), EarthScope,
and the IceCube Neutrino Observatory.
• The budget proposes $200 million for the third year of a Math
and Science Partnership initiative focused on improving K-12 math and
science education.
AGENCY OVERVIEW
NSF's Mission: Since its founding in 1950, the Foundation has
had an extraordinary impact on American scientific discovery. Despite
its small size, it is the only federal agency with responsibility for
the overall health of science and engineering across all disciplines.
This is in contrast to other federal agencies that support research focused
on specific missions, such as health or defense. The NSF is also committed
to ensuring the nation's supply of scientists, engineers, and science
and engineering educators.
NSF accomplishes its mission with remarkable efficiency. Approximately
95 percent of the agency's total budget goes directly to support the actual
conduct of research and education, while less than five percent is spent
on administration and management. For the second straight year, the NSF
was the only agency in the entire federal government to receive "green
lights" for its implementation of the President's management agenda,
garnering high marks for both its financial management and E-government.
NSF Support: NSF plays a crucial role in the support of university-based
research. Although NSF represents less than four percent of the total
federal budget for research and development, it supports roughly 50 percent
of all non-medical basic research at colleges and universities. In several
fields, it is the leading federal source.
The agency funds approximately 20,000 research, education and training
projects through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to more
than 2,000 colleges, universities, and other research and/or education
organizations in all parts of the United States. More than 200,000 people
are involved directly in NSF research and education programs and activities.
In FY 2004, these are projected to include 43,000 senior researchers and
other professionals, 69,000 postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students,
15,000 K-12 students and 87,000 K-12 teachers.
The agency does not operate its own laboratories, but does support national
research centers, user facilities, oceanographic vessels and Antarctic
research stations. NSF also supports university-industry research partnerships,
U.S. participation in international scientific efforts, and efforts to
improve K-12 education as well as education in universities and colleges.
Agency Structure: NSF is an independent federal agency run by a presidentially
appointed, Senate-confirmed director and deputy director. The agency's
policy direction is established by the National Science Board, which consists
of 24 scientists, mathematicians, engineers, top university officials,
and industry leaders.
NSF has a staff of roughly 1,200 people and is divided into seven directorates.
Six of the directorates are directly responsible for funding discipline-oriented
basic and applied research: Biological Sciences (BIO); Computer and Information
Science and Engineering (CISE); Engineering (ENG); Geosciences (GEO);
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS); and Social, Behavioral and Economic
Sciences (SBE). The remaining directorate is responsible for overseeing
NSF's Education and Human Resources (EHR) activity. The NSF also has an
account for Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC).
Congressional Support: NSF has traditionally enjoyed broad Congressional
support. While the agency's appropriation dipped slightly between FY 1995
and FY 1996, the total appropriation for the NSF has increased each year
since then, even when other agencies under the VA, HUD and Independent
Agencies appropriations bill were cut.
Since FY 1999, the Congress has continually provided the NSF with increases
to its budget that have been greater than the increases received by any
other scientific research agency except the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). In FY 2001, Congress provided the largest single increase in both
percentage and dollar terms in the history of the NSF, an increase of
13.3 percent over FY 2000. In FY 2002, Congress substantially exceeded
the President's request for the NSF, increasing funding by 8.5 percent
over FY 2001. And again in FY 2003, the Congress substantially increased
funding for the NSF, providing a total of $5.3 billion for the agency,
an increase of $521 million, or 10.9 percent, over FY 2002.
The high level of Congressional support for the NSF was also demonstrated
last year when Congress passed H.R. 4664, the NSF Authorization Act of
2002, a bill aimed at putting the NSF on a track to double its budget
over five years. This Act (P.L. 107-368), signed into law by President
Bush on December 19, 2002, authorized a maximum funding level for the
NSF in FY 2004 of $6.4 billion. When the bill was introduced, House Science
Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) stated that "In moving
toward doubling, we are returning to the vision that Vannevar Bush laid
out in the 1940s, when he proposed a science agency that would be the
preeminent funder of science for the federal government, with responsibilities
across many areas of inquiry and application. Fifty-two years later, NSF
is honorably attempting to fulfill that vision. We need to ensure that
it succeeds."
Given the record of recent years and with the newly enacted NSF Authorization
Act, it is likely that Congress will again exceed President Bush's request
in FY 2004. NSF has enjoyed strong support by the Chairman and ranking
Democrat on the Senate VA, HUD and Independent Agencies Subcommittee,
Christopher Bond (R-MO) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), who have also spoken
out in favor of moving to double the NSF's budget over five years. House
VA, HUD and Independent Agencies Subcommittee Chairman James T. Walsh
(R-NY) has also said that NSF is his top priority within the VA-HUD bill.
One of the difficulties always faced by Congressional appropriators in
trying to increase funding for the NSF, however, is that it receives its
funding from the same appropriations bill that funds other research agencies,
e.g. NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). The significant funding pressures resulting from the VA and HUD
alone invariably make it difficult to significantly increase funding for
other agencies contained in this bill, including the NSF. These pressures
within the VA-HUD bill are likely to be even greater in a year in which
the Nation finds itself faced with increasing budget deficits and wartime
expenses.
RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES (R&RA)
Research and Related Activities (R&RA) would receive $4.1 billion
in the President's FY 2004 budget, an increase of $50 million or 1.2 percent
above the FY 2003 level (see Table II-7 for
R&RA details).
Requests for specific R&RA directorates are as follows:
Biological Sciences (BIO): $562 million (down 1.6 percent). Among
the activities supported within BIO are Molecular and Cellular Biosciences;
Integrative Biology and Neuroscience; Environmental Biology; Biological
Infrastructure; Emerging Frontiers; and Plant Genome Research. In FY 2004,
BIO expects to make 3,494 awards with an average annualized award size
of $165,200 per year and an average duration of 3.1 years. (For more on
BIO programs, see Chapter 19.)
Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE): $584 million
(up 1 percent). The FY 2004 request for CISE includes $218 million
as part of NSF's Information Technology Research priority area and $20
million for Cyberinfrastucture intended to develop the next generation
of sensors, storage systems, computers and networks. In FY 2004, CISE
expects to make 2,400 awards with an average annualized award size of
$143,000 per year and an average duration of 3 years. (For more information
on CISE, please see Chapter 24.)
Engineering (ENG): $537 million (up 1.1 percent). Activities
supported within ENG include Bioengineering and Environmental Systems;
Chemical and Transport Systems; Civil and Mechanical Systems; Design,
Manufacture and Industrial Innovation; Electrical and Communications Systems;
and Engineering Education and Centers. In FY 2004, ENG expects to make
3,550 awards with an average annualized award size of $107,000 per year
and an average duration of 3 years. (For more information, see Chapters
26 and 27.)
Geosciences (GEO): $688 million (up 0.5 percent). Activities
supported within GEO include Atmospheric Sciences; Earth Sciences; and
Ocean Sciences. The FY 2003 request for GEO included approximately $74
million in transferred programs from the U.S. Geological Survey, EPA,
and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The proposed
program transfers were not approved for transfer by Congress and are not
re-proposed in the FY 2004 request. In FY 2004, GEO expects to make 3,300
awards with an average annualized award size of $107,000 per year and
an average duration of 3 years. (For detailed information on Atmospheric
Sciences, see Chapter 16; for Ocean Sciences,
see Chapter 17; and for Earth Sciences, see
Chapter 18.)
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS): $1.1 billion (up 2.6 percent).
Activities supported within MPS include Astronomical Sciences;
Chemistry; Materials Research; Mathematical Sciences; Physics; and Multidisciplinary
Activities. In FY 2004, MPS expects to make 4,800 awards with an average
annualized award size of $145,000 per year and an average duration of
3.2 years. (For more information on NSF mathematics research, see Chapter
23; for more on physics research, see Chapter
14; and for more on astronomy research, see Chapter
15.)
Social, Behavioral and Economic Science (SBE): $212 million (up
10.9 percent). SBE is the principal source of federal support
for basic research in the social, behavioral and economic sciences. For
fields such as anthropology, archaeology and political science, NSF is
the sole source of federal research support. In other fields, such as
sociology and social psychology, NSF provides more than half of all federal
support. NSF provides more than one-third of federal support for basic
research in economics. In FY 2004, SBE expects to make 2,230 awards with
an average annualized award size of $80,000 per year and an average duration
of 2.7 years. (For more on SBE, please see Chapter
21; for more on Science Resources Statistics within SBE, see Chapter
22.)
U.S. Polar Programs: $330 million (up 3.4 percent). The
FY 2004 request for U.S. Polar Programs includes $262 million for U.S.
Polar Research Programs and $68 million for U.S. Antarctic Logistical
Support. The extreme environments and geographically unique characteristics
enable research to be performed in both the Arctic and Antarctic that
is not feasible elsewhere.
Each year, about 650 science personnel from institutions in 30 states
travel to Antarctica for research purposes. NSF facilities there include
the Center for Astrophysical Research at the South Pole and two Antarctic
LTER sites, one near Palmer Station that focuses on marine research, and
another in the Dry Valleys near McMurdo Station, that studies polar desert
oases and permanently ice-covered lakes.
Integrative Activities: $132 million, (down 9.9 percent).
Integrative Activities (IA) was created in FY 1999 within R&RA to
support cross-disciplinary research efforts and major research instrumentation.
IA also supports the Science and Technology Policy Institute, which provides
analytical support to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
to identify short-term and long-term objectives for research and development
and identify options for achieving those objectives.
In FY 2004, the Major Research Instrumentation program is to receive $90
million, $6 million more than the FY 2003 level. The Partnerships for
Innovations program, which aims to stimulate the transformation of knowledge
into innovation through the creation of local and regional technology
development strategies, is slated to double to $10 million.
NSF PRIORITY AREAS
In addition to NSF's "core" research and education activities,
six focused areas are highlighted in the agency's request:
Nanoscale Science and Engineering: NSF plans to spend approximately
$249 million in this area in FY 2004 to be used to develop and strengthen
promising fields, including nanobiotechnology, manufacturing at the nanoscale,
and education. (For more on nanoscale science, see Chapter
25.)
Information Technology Research (ITR): In FY 2004, NSF will continue
to lead a multi-agency initiative in ITR. The budget request calls for
$303 million for this initiative, which will address computer system architecture,
information storage and retrieval, scalable networks, and connectivity,
as well as studies of the impact of information technology on society.
The effort also will focus attention on the need for safe, secure, and
dependable information infrastructure for national security and consumer
protection. (For more on ITR, see Chapter 24.)
Mathematical Sciences: In FY 2004, NSF plans to spend $89 million
on this priority area. Funding will support the integration of mathematics
and statistics across the full range of science and engineering disciplines
and support educational activities that foster closer connections between
research and education in the mathematical sciences (see Chapter
23).
Human and Social Dynamics: NSF's FY 2004 request for this priority
area would be $24 million. This area draws on the convergence of research
in biology, engineering, information technology, and cognitive science
to investigate the causes and ramifications of change and its complex
consequences (see Chapter 21).
Biocomplexity in the Environment: The budget requests $100 million
for this initiative which seeks to bring together environmental knowledge
across scientific fields to investigate the interactions among ecological,
social, and physical earth systems.
Workforce for the 21st Century: NSF proposes to spend approximately
$9 million on this priority area in FY 2004, which is aimed at coordinating
NSF's effort to ensure a scientifically literate and technically skilled
future workforce.
EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES (EHR)
The EHR directorate would receive $938 million in FY 2004, an increase
of 3.9 percent over the FY 2003 level.
The Math and Science Partnerships Initiative proposed by President Bush
is projected to receive $200 million, an increase of $73 million above
FY 2003. Now in its third year of funding, this proposed $1 billion, five-year
initiative is intended to link local elementary and secondary schools
with colleges and universities to raise the performance of all U.S. students
in mathematics and science, train teachers, and create innovative ways
to reach underserved students and schools.
The budget request includes funding to increase the annual stipends for
NSF fellowships and traineeships recipients from $27,500 to $30,000. The
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) would
receive $75 million, a decline of 14 percent below FY 2003. (For more
on NSF's EHR programs, please see Chapter 5.)
MAJOR RESEARCH EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION
The Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) account
receives a total of $202 million in the FY 2004 request, an increase of
$54 million or 36.2 percent over the FY 2003 level. For FY 2004, the highest
funding priorities within this account are: construction of the Atacama
Large Millimeter Array (ALMA; $51 million); EarthScope ($45 million);
the IceCube Neutrino Observatory ($60 million); the Higher Performance
Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research (HIAPER; $26
million); the George Brown Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation
($8 million); the National Ecological Observatory Network ($12 million);
and South Pole Station modernization ($1 million). The priority for new
starts in FY 2005 will be Scientific Ocean Drilling, and Rare Symmetry
Violating Processes and Ocean Observatories in FY 2006. (For more information
on ALMA, see Chapter 15; for more information
on EarthScope, see Chapter 18; for more information
on NEON, see Chapter 19.)
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