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H.Rept. 106-379
Conference Report accompanying H.R.2684, VA/HUD and
Independent Agencies Bill for FY 2000
RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
Appropriates $2,966,000,000 for research and related
activities instead of $2,768,500,000 as proposed by
the House and $3,007,300,000 as proposed by the Senate.
Bill language provides up to $253,000,000 of this
amount for Polar research and operations support.
The conferees have included bill language which specifies
that $60,000,000 of appropriated funds are to be for
a comprehensive research initiative on plant genomes
for economically significant crops. Language has also
been included which prohibits NSF from obligating
or expending funds to enter into or extend a grant,
contract, or cooperative agreement regarding the administration
of the domain name and numbering system of the Internet.
Finally, the conferees have agreed to bill language
which: (1) prohibits funds spent in this or any other
Act to acquire or lease a research vessel with ice-breaking
capability built or retrofitted outside of the United
States if such a vessel of United States origin can
be obtained at a cost of not more than 50 per centum
above the cost of the least expensive, technically
acceptable, non-United States vessel; (2) requires
that the amount of subsidy or financing provided by
a foreign government, or instrumentality thereof,
to a vessel's construction shall be included as part
of the total cost of such vessel; and (3) provides
that should a U.S. vessel as set forth in the foregoing
language not be available for leasing for the austral
summer Antarctic season of 2002-2003, and thereafter,
a vessel of any origin can be leased for a period
not to exceed 120 days of that season until delivery
of such a United States vessel occurs.
The conference agreement provides an increase of $196,000,000
above the fiscal year 1999 appropriated level for
research and related activities, $90,000,000 of which
is to be used within the Computer and Information
Sciences and Engineering (CISE) directorate and $106,000,000
of which is for the remaining directorates, including
Integrative Activities.
With regard to the additional funds provided for CISE,
the conferees expect the Foundation to support individual
and team research projects related to information
technologies, specifically in the areas recommended
in the PITAC report and in H.R. 2086. Among the most
important of these are software research, scalable
information infrastructure, software design, stability,
security and reliability, as well as the need to acquire
high-end computing equipment. In addition, the conferees
expect an appropriate level of funding be provided
for research to study privacy and access to information,
and to further the understanding of the impact information
technology advances have on issues that are of significant
societal, ethical, and economical importance. Finally,
as the NSF prepares to release CISE research funds
through its normal competitive process, the conferees
strongly encourage that an increased ratio of grants
be issued at higher funding levels and for longer
duration.
Within the amounts made available to all other directorates,
$50,000,000 is for the new Biocomplexity Initiative.
All other programs within the Integrative Activities
directorate, except the Opportunity Fund, have been
funded at the budget request. The Opportunity Fund
has, without prejudice, not been funded for fiscal
year 2000.
The NSF is directed to provide up to $5,000,000 for
the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, and
is further directed to contract with a non-federal
entity to carry out a review of the merit review process
of the Foundation. This review is to be completed
and submitted to the Committees on Appropriations
within eleven months of enactment of this Act.
The conferees have provided $25,000,000 for Arctic
research support and logistics, an increase of $3,000,000
above the budget request. The conferees expect the
Foundation, in conjunction and in close cooperation
with the Interagency Arctic Research and Policy Committee
to develop a multi-year, multi-agency plan for the
implementation of joint United States-Japan Arctic
research activities as envisioned by the March 1997
science and technology section of the Common Agenda
agreed to by the United States and Japan. In this
regard, the conferees expect the Foundation to provide
up to $5,000,000 from within available funds for logistical
activities in support of United States-Japan international
research activities related to global climate change.
Consistent with a directive of the Senate to strengthen
international cooperation in science and engineering,
the conferees encourage NSF to consider providing
from within available funds up to $3,000,000 to strengthen
cooperative research activities between the United
States and the former Soviet Union through the Civilian
Research and Development Foundation.
Except as previously noted, the conferees expect that
the remaining additional funds will be distributed
proportionately and equitably, consistent with the
ratio of the budget request level above the fiscal
year 1999 funding level, among all of the remaining
directorates, and request that such distribution be
specifically noted in the fiscal year 2000 Operating
Plan submission.
The conferees commend the Foundation for its support
of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL)
located in Tallahassee, Florida. That laboratory is
an excellent example of a facility that has worked
closely with teams of academic and industrial scientists
from throughout the United States and abroad. The
conferees strongly support the work of this important
national facility and commend the NSF for its increased
support and interest in the work of the NHMFL.
Finally, pursuant to recommendations made by the federally-mandated
National Gambling Impact Study Commission, the conferees
encourage the NSF to explore the feasibility of establishing
a multi-disciplinary research program that will estimate
the benefits and costs of gambling.
MAJOR RESEARCH EQUIPMENT
Appropriates $95,000,000 for major research equipment
instead of $56,500,000 as proposed by the House and
$70,000,000 as proposed by the Senate.
The conference agreement provides the budget request
level for all projects within the MRE account, including
$36,000,000 for the development and construction of
a new, single site, five teraflop computing facility.
The conferees expect that the competition for this
project will allow for significant participation by
universities and other institutions throughout the
country, and will have as its goal completion of such
a facility within 16 months of enactment of this Act.
The conferees further expect the Foundation to provide
regular, informal reports as to the progress of this
project, including the funding requirements necessary
to complete five teraflop capability.
The conference agreement also provides $10,000,000
to begin production of the High-Performance Instrumented
Airborne Platform for Environmental Research (HIAPER).
This new high-altitude research aircraft will, upon
its completion, be available to support critical and
outstanding atmospheric science research opportunities
over the next 25 to 30 years.
EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES
Appropriates $696,600,000 for education and human resources
instead of $660,000,000 as proposed by the House and
$688,600,000 as proposed by the Senate.
Within this appropriated level, the conferees have
provided $55,000,000 for the Experimental Program
to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to allow
for renewed emphasis on research infrastructure development
in the EPSCoR states, as well as to permit full implementation
awards to states which have research proposals in
the planning process. In addition, the conferees have
provided $10,000,000 to initiate a new Office of Innovation
Partnerships. This new office, in addition to housing
the EPSCoR program, will examine means of helping
those non-EPSCoR institutions receiving among the
least federal research funding expand their research
capacity and competitiveness so as to develop a truly
national scientific research community with appropriate
research centers located throughout the nation.
The conferees expect that funds for these two efforts
will be included in a single program office within
the EHR account, under the direct supervision of the
Director's office. Building upon the EPSCoR experience,
the conferees also expect the new office to work with
CISE to insure that all areas of the country share
in advanced networking and computing activities, especially
rural and insular areas with research institutions.
Assistance in developing scientific research applications
for use on the computing and networking systems now
available as a result of earlier NSF programs is a
high priority in the EPSCoR states. The conferees
also expect the new office to coordinate with all
research and related activities directorates.
The conference agreement also provides $10,000,000
for Historically Black Colleges and Universities through
the underrepresented population undergraduate reform
initiative, including $8,000,000 from the EHR account
and $2,000,000 from the RRA account. Similarly, the
conferees have provided the budget request level of
$46,000,000 for the Informal Science Education (ISE)
program. This program has acted as a catalyst for
increasing the public's appreciation and understanding
of science and technology in settings such as science
centers, museums, zoos, aquariums, and public television.
The ISE program has also been involved in the professional
development of science teachers. The conferees continue
to support this important program, including its focus
for fiscal year 2000 on increasing access to informal
learning opportunities in inner cities and rural areas
that have received little exposure to science and
technology.
Except as previously noted, the conferees expect that
the remaining additional funds will be distributed
proportionately and equitably, consistent with the
ratio of the budget request level above the fiscal
year 1999 funding level, among all of the remaining
directorates, and request that such distribution be
specifically noted in the fiscal year 2000 Operating
Plan submission.
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriates $149,000,000 for salaries and expenses
instead of $146,500,000 as proposed by the House and
$150,000,000 as proposed by the Senate. Consistent
with the position of the Senate, the conferees direct
the Foundation to fund program travel only from within
the salaries and expenses account. Additionally, the
conferees urge the Foundation to improve its oversight
activity of its many programs, using available funds
from within this account.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
Appropriates $5,450,000 for the Office of Inspector
General instead of $5,325,000 as proposed by the House
and $5,550,000 as proposed by the Senate. The conferees
expect the OIG to increase efforts in the areas of
cost-sharing, indirect costs, and reducing misconduct
in scientific research.
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