(Washington, DC) Today, the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education of the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology held an oversight hearing to examine the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) FY 2009 budget request and related policy issues.
As the primary source of federal funding for non-medical, basic research conducted at colleges and universities, NSF has long-served as a catalyst for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education reform. Subcommittee Members today targeted attention on the agency’s proposed $6.85 billion budget request – which amounts to a 13% increase over the FY 2008 request and demonstrates a commitment to doubling NSF funding over the next ten years.
Subcommittee Chairman Brian Baird (D-WA) and Members heard testimony from Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr, Director of the NSF and Dr. Steven C. Beering, Chairman of the National Science Board. Members questioned why the FY 2009 budget request failed to fund the priorities contained in the landmark bipartisan America COMPETES Act and whether the budget adequately addresses the need to spread funding out over multiple education levels.
"I am happy that the Administration remains determined to keep NSF on a doubling-path and that key NSF education programs are getting an increase," said Chairman Baird. "However, I join Committee colleagues on both sides of the aisle in my voicing my dismay at the treatment of K-12 education in the budget request. The America COMPETES Act addressed the critical shortage of K-12 stem teachers by increasing funding for the Noyce Teacher Scholarship program. It is unfortunate that the Administration chose to flat-fund this program instead of sharing the sentiment that NSF should invest in increasing the number of well-trained K-12 stem teachers."
NSF’s FY 2009 budget increased funding for scientific research programs and research facilities, including funding for three new cross-foundation initiatives: the Science and Engineering Beyond Moore’s Law, Adaptive Systems Technology, and Dynamics of Water Processes in the Environment.
Also included in the budget was increased funding to $125 million for Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRF), a program that allows graduate students the independence to choose a research advisor who might not be able to support another student. The Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training Program (IGERT), however, received flat-funding at $64 million.
"I am also interested in learning more about NSF’s decision to apply all of the increases in the graduate research and education to the Graduate Research Fellowship Program, rather than distributing the increase between GRF and IGERT, since IGERT is also an extremely well-regarded and effective program," said Baird during the hearing.
Members also discussed the proposed changes to the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction budget, as well as some changes proposed with respect to the Coast Guard icebreaker fleet and NSF’s investment in social and behavioral sciences.
"As a social scientist, I also want to say a word about the social and behavioral sciences. While I understand that not all fields will get equal increases every year, I want to reiterate the importance of the social sciences to all of the major challenges our nation is facing, including energy, water, health, national security and competitiveness," concluded Baird.
For more information on this hearing, please visit the Committee’s website at www.house.gov/science.
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