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NSF Congressional Highlight
Congress Reduces NSF Budget to $5.47 Billion
November 23, 2004
The National Science Foundation (NSF), suffering its first budget cut
in years, will operate at 1.9% below FY 04 spending levels. The Foundation
is funded at $5.47 billion, $105 million below last year and $232 million
below the FY 05 request.
The budget cut affects the two major NSF accounts: Research & Related
Activities (R&RA) and Education and Human Resources (EHR). The R&RA
Account, which funds NSF's core research directorates and programs, falls
to $4,220.56, $30.8 million (0.7%) below FY 04 funding levels and $200.95
million below the FY 05 request level. Funding decisions by directorate
and program will be left to the discretion of NSF, pending Congressional
approval. The EHR Account drops $97.56 million, or 10.4%, below FY 04 spending
levels to $841.4 million.
The mark includes a 12.1%, or $18.68 million, increase for the Major
Research Equipment and Facilities Construction Account (MREFC), resulting
in a total of $173.65 million for FY 05. The conferees provided funding
for two new starts. The Scientific Ocean Drilling Vessel received $15
million ($25.85 million below the FY 05 request), and the Rare Symmetry
Violating Processes Project received $15 million ($15 million below the
FY 05 request). The Large Millimeter Array ($49.7 million) and EarthScope
($47.35 million) projects received requested funding levels. The IceCube
Neutrino Observatory received $48 million, $6.25 and $14.6 million increases
above the FY 04 estimate and FY 05 request, respectively. The National
Ecological Observatory Network was not funded in the MREFC Account, but
may receive up to $6 million in funding from the R&RA Account.
NSF's Salaries and Expenses (S&E) Account is funded at $223.2 million,
$4.5 million (2.1%) above FY 04 levels. The National Science Board is
provided $3.97 million, up $90 thousand from last year. The Office of
the Inspector General is funded at $10.03 million, $90 thousand over the
FY 04 level.
The table below provides NSF funding levels as determined from the report
language, with FY 05 Marks incorporating the across the board rescission
of 0.8%.
SUMMARY OF NSF FY 2005 APPROPRIATIONS
Comparison of Conference Mark with FY 04 Estimate
(Dollars in Millions)
| |
FY04
Estimate |
FY 05
Request |
FY 05
Mark with
Rescission |
Change from FY 04
Estimate with
Rescission
($) (%)
|
Research & Related
Activities |
$4,251.36 |
$4,452.31 |
$4,220.56 |
-$30.8 |
-0.7% |
 |
Education
and Human Resources |
938.98 |
771.36 |
841.42 |
-97.56 |
-10.4% |
|
| Major
Research Equipment and Facilities Construction |
154.97 |
213.27 |
173.65 |
18.68 |
12.1% |
|
| Salaries
and Expenses |
218.70 |
294.00 |
223.20 |
4.5 |
2.1% |
|
| National
Science Board |
3.88 |
3.95 |
3.97 |
0.09 |
2.3% |
|
| Office
of Inspector General |
9.94 |
10.11 |
10.03 |
0.09 |
0.9% |
|
| TOTAL,
NSF |
$5,577.83 |
$5,745.00 |
$5,472.82 |
$105.01 |
-1.9% |
|
Note: Totals may not add due to rounding. |
See also:
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