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Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Hearing on NSF
July 12, 2000
The National Science Foundation's 50th anniversary
and the success it has enjoyed since its founding
was a recurring theme during the Senate Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on NSF on July
12. Senator James Jeffords, Chairman, opened the hearing
with a brief history of the Foundation and made many
laudatory comments about the programs NSF has supported
over the years.
Director Rita Colwell emphasized that if NSF is to
continue to meet the challenges of providing a solid
research base for future technology development, it
must have the resources to do so. The 17.3 percent
budget increase the agency has requested is a first
step in providing those resources. After outlining
the four major initiatives in the FY 2001 budget request
- Information Technology, Nanoscale Science and Engineering,
Biocomplexity and 21st Century Workforce - Colwell
noted NSF's unique role in supporting basic research
across all fields of science. Over half the requested
increase for NSF would go to support these core basic
research programs.
A second panel of witnesses focused on NSF's role in
improving math and science education. The need for
improving teacher training providing ongoing professional
development was a recurring theme in the testimony.
Dennis Bartels of the Exploratorium in San Francisco
testified on the value of NSF supported science centers
as resources for science teachers. He noted that the
first two years of a teacher's career are a critical
period in their eventual success, but a critical period
in which they ware often working without a net. Science
centers, experienced teachers, and bench scientists
can often provide needed assistance during this period,
but there is a more formal mechanism to provide technical
and expert support would be beneficial.
The third panel emphasized the economic and societal
benefits that result from the Federal investments
in basic research. Dr. Charles Vest, President of
MIT was joined by computer entrepreneur Steve Wallach,
and EPSCoR Foundation head Joe Danek in discussing
the wide array of outcomes from NSF-supported research
and education - from research infrastructure development
to graduate student training.
See also:
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