I think it would have been illegal for me to send this message (or at
least to lobby Congress) two weeks ago, while I was still working as
a Program Officer at NSF, but now that I'm back at the University of
Maryland as a faculty member I'll forward this message I got today
from AIBS. If you benefit from or anticipate applying for NSF funding
from the Biological Sciences Directorate or the Education and Human
Resources program, you might want to read this message and contact
your elected representatives. Funding rates for NSF proposals are
already too low, and without changes to the proposed legislation they
will get much worse.
David Inouye
The United States Senate Appropriations Committee has approved
legislation that would slash funding for the National Science
Foundation (NSF). Under the Committee's proposal, the Research and
Related Activities account at NSF would be cut by $120,875,000 in
the next fiscal year. This is the account that provides funding for
NSF's various research directorates, such as the Biological Sciences
Directorate.
Additionally, both the House and the Senate have developed
appropriations legislation that would cut funding for Education and
Human Resources programs at NSF, but the House would cut roughly $6
million less than the Senate.
If enacted, these cuts would be damaging to NSF programs and counter
to bipartisan pledges of support for scientific research and education.
Importantly, the Senate spending plan provides significantly less
funding to NSF than the appropriations bill approved by the House
Committee on Appropriations. Under the House plan, Research and
Related Activities would receive roughly $5.6 billion in the next
fiscal year, about $43 million above the current funding level.
If the Senate fails to increase funding for NSF, it is almost
guaranteed that the agency will receive a significant budget cut in
the coming fiscal year. It is important that all scientists
concerned about funding for the National Science Foundation share
their concerns.
<http://capwiz.com/aibs/utr/1/JXRMQOOMGB/FJWUQOOOLC/7361756001>Contact
your Senators today to urge them to oppose the Senate Appropriation
Committee's proposed cuts to NSF.
If you will be in Washington, DC, in the coming days, please make
time to stop by your Senators' offices to express your concerns. You
may also schedule an appointment to meet with your Senators at one
of their offices in your state
(<http://capwiz.com/aibs/utr/1/JXRMQOOMGB/EWVIQOOOLD/7361756001>click
here to locate Senate offices in your state).
<http://capwiz.com/aibs/utr/1/JXRMQOOMGB/IPTTQOOOLE/7361756001>Don't
wait, please contact your Senators today!
