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NSF Congressional Update
July 20, 2004

House VA, HUD Appropriators Recommend Two Percent Decrease for NSF

On Tuesday, July 20, 2004, the House Appropriations VA/HUD Subcommittee marked-up its FY 05 VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies Appropriations bill and provided NSF with $5.47 billion, $111 million (2%) under the FY 04 appropriated level.

The Research and Related Activities (R&RA;) account will fall from $4.25 to $4.15 billion, a $99.62 million (2.3%) decrease. After accounting for a one-time administrative move of $25.9 million for Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignments (IPAs) into the Salaries and Expenses (S&E;) account, funding for the R&RA; account will decrease $73.67 million (1.7%). Funding decisions by directorate will be left to the discretion of NSF, pending Congressional approval.

The Education and Human Resources (EHR) account is funded at $842.9 million, a $96 million (10.2%) decrease over FY 04 appropriated levels. After accounting for a one-time administrative move of $5.5 million for IPAs into the S&E; account, funding for the EHR account will decrease $90.5 million (9.6%). The Math and Science Partnership program is funded at $82.5 million, an increase of $2.5 million above the request, but $56.6 million below the FY 04 level.

The bill added funding within EHR for EPSCoR ($10.4 million above the request to $94.4 million); Informal Science Education ($12.1 million above the request to $62.1 million); the STEM Talent Expansion Program ($9.9 million above the request to $24.9 million); the Noyce Scholarship Program ($4.0 million above the request to $7.95 million); Advanced Technology Education ($7.1 million above the request to $45.2 million); and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program ($3.9 million to $23.9 million). The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation, the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professorate (AGEP), Centers for Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST), and Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE) programs are funded at FY 04 levels of $34, $14.9, $14.9, and $2.5 million, respectively.

The Subcommittee noted that given fiscal restraints, no funds are provided for the proposed Workforce for the 21st Century program, the proposed new class of Science and Technology Centers, or the proposed Innovation Fund.

In the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) account, the Subcommittee provided the requested level of funding for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array and EarthScope, and an increase in funding for IceCube. The Subcommittee provided funding for two new starts, the Scientific Ocean Drilling Vessel received $30 million ($10.9 million below the request) and the Rare Symmetry Violating Processes Project received the requested level of $30 million. The National Ecological Observatory Network was not funded in the MREFC account, but received $6.0 million in funding in the R&RA; account.

NSF's Salaries and Expenses (S&E;) account is funded at $249.97 million. After accounting for a one-time administrative move of $31.4 million for IPAs into the S&E; account, the funding provided by the Subcommittee is $186 thousand below the FY 04 level. The National Science Board is provided $4.0 million, up $70 thousand from last year. The Office of the Inspector General is funded at $10.1 million, $170 thousand over the FY 04 level.

Chairman Walsh noted that all major agencies and departments are below FY 04 levels with the exception of the Department of Veterans' Affairs. The Chairman opened the hearing by calling the bill "brutally fair" to all involved. He also stated, "NSF has done very well by the Subcommittee over the past six years, and although this year is a step backwards, I hope it is a brief step."

See also:

• Information From Previous Congresses

 
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