NSF to get $7.8 billion
Brian Vastag at the Washington Post
reports that the National Science Foundation is one of the few winners
in the president’s proposed budget. The nation’s primary funder of
nonmedical basic research is to receive $7.8 billion – a 13%increase
over 2010 funding.
Meanwhile,
House Republicans have targeted the NSF for cuts, proposing a 16%
reduction in the agency’s 2011 budget compared with 2010 levels. Vastag
writes:
“Under
the president’s proposal, renewable energy, wireless communications,
next-generation computer processors and robotics research all would
receive a boost. Climate monitoring is also a priority, with $88 million
proposed for a national network of observation stations to monitor the
effects of climate change.
“The
proposal also would provide $40 million for the training of elementary
school, high school and college science and math teachers. The budget
positions basic scientific research and technology development as key
drivers of economic growth, a point that NSF-watchers also make.”
APS endorses Obama budget plan
The American Physical Society expressed their support of President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2012 budget this week.
“APS
is pleased that the President’s budget maintains a doubling path for
the three scientific agencies that are crucial to our nation’s future
competitiveness – the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the
National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and
Technology. Scientists, who receive funding from these agencies, are
engaged in research that will generate solutions to the country’s most
pressing challenges, including developing technologies that will
generate new, clean energy for all Americans.”
“The
President’s budget is consistent with the bipartisan approach taken by
former President George W. Bush and congressional Democrats during the
last four years. Science should not be a partisan issue,” said Michael
S. Lubell, director of public affairs for APS. “The President’s budget
sustains momentum envisioned by Bush’s American Competitiveness
Initiative and the America COMPETES Act.”
Research community gets a valentine
Janet Raloff reports on the budget for Science News. She see healthy increases for most federal agencies”
“President
Obama sent the research community a valentine of sorts in his proposed
2012 federal budget. Sent to Congress on February 14, the budget was a
pledge to fight for increased investment in research and education even
as the president committed to a belt-tightening for most segments of
federal spending.”
Fiscal austerity with increased R&D spending?
In the New Republic,
Mark Muro and Kenan Fikri, analyze Obama’s bid to balance heightened
spending in R&D with a pledge to pursue a more austere spending
future:
“On
multiple fronts the Obama administration appears to be doubling down on
innovation as the linchpin of a two-step strategy to acknowledge fiscal
austerity with trims across many programs while embracing the need to
invest in innovation so as to transcend the current budget crisis
through growth.”