NSF PR 96-2 - January 19, 1996
NSF Tackles Shutdown Backlog as More Uncertainty Looms
As mailroom employees work overtime on a backlog of
at least 2,500 research proposals and more than 40,000
pieces of mail, the National Science Foundation is
preparing for more uncertainty. The current continuing
resolution allows NSF to continue to operate at roughly
its fiscal year 1995 funding level, but it expires
on January 26.
"I am very concerned about the serious long-term and
short term impact that this unprecedented shutdown
could have on the nation's research and education
community," said NSF Director Neal Lane. "It has already
been very disruptive, and the impact will likely reverberate
throughout the year."
Lane added that he is "hopeful that an agreement will
be reached for our appropriation that will enable
us to recover from the backlog and to continue the
business of investing in the nation's future."
NSF supports non-medical science and engineering research
and education through competitive grants to about
2,000 universities and other research and education
institutions nationwide. The agency receives about
60,000 proposals each year -- an average of 240 a
day -- and makes awards to about one third of them.
Typically, a grant is awarded or declined within six
months of its receipt. However, NSF officials are
warning proposers to expect delays, while promising
to do all it can to avoid them.
"Mail clerks and proposal processing technicians will
work 12-hour shifts until the proposals are properly
accounted for and distributed, said NSF's director
for information and resource management, Connie McLindon.
She estimated the process to take a few weeks.
In attacking the proposal backlog, NSF's six research
directorates will struggle to reschedule dozens of
canceled meetings of top researchers -- called review
panels -- who advise the agency on whether or not
to fund new proposals. Dr. Lane worried that "although
science will go forward, it will limp painfully."
Many of the institutions that NSF supports have already
felt the impact.
"The shutdown was beginning to fray nerves when our
researchers missed grant deadlines and couldn't get
answers to their questions," said University of Alaska
(Fairbanks) Provost John Keating.
Steve Kahl, Director of the University of Maine Water
Research Institute, worried that some proposals may
not be submitted because of lack of information from
NSF during the shutdown. He added that even funded
research may be severely impacted if the money arrives
late. If your field season is three months long, and
a month-long shutdown means that the funding will
be a month late, you have a real problem," said Kahl.
Dr. Lane remains "cautiously optimistic" that the
recognition of the obvious value of scientific research
will lead to stable funding, but continues to worry
about the potential impact of the shutdown and projected
budget cuts over the next several years.
"Americans have been justly proud of our scientific
achievements, and assume that we will retain our world
leadership. But that assumption has been rocked by
the shutdown and by continuing budget uncertainties,
he said.
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