From: rsherme@diamond.nswc.navy.mil (Russel Shermer (R43))
Newsgroups: sci.research
Subject: fyi #112: SACR: NSF
Keywords: Congressional Budget, NSF.
Date: 18 Aug 92 17:02:19 GMT
Organization: NAVSWC DD White Oak Det.

Posted for:
Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
Contact:  Audrey T. Leath
Phone: (202) 332-9662
Email: fyi@aip.org



Senate Appropriations Committee Report:  NSF

FYI No. 112, August 18, 1992

The Senate Appropriations Committee has produced a report to
accompany its version of H.R. 5679, the VA, HUD, Independent
Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 1993.  Below are
selected portions of Senate Report 102-356, as it pertains to the
National Science Foundation:

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION:

Appropriations, 1992                         $2,570,500,000
Administration Request, 1993                  3,027,000,000
House Bill                                    2,696,250,150
Senate Committee Recommendation               2,732,750,000

"While recognizing the role the Foundation has played in
establishing U.S. leadership in basic research over the past 40
years, the Committee believes that the new world order requires the
Foundation to take a more activist role in transferring the results
of basic research from the academic community into the market
place.  The Committee believes the Foundation will play the key
role in making the Nation's academic research infrastructure more
accessible to those endeavoring to build America's technology base
and improve U.S. economic competitiveness."

RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Appropriations, 1992                         $1,879,000,000
Administration Request, 1993                  2,211,500,000
House Bill                                    1,860,210,000
Senate Committee Recommendation               1,859,000,000

"This recommendation includes the following adjustments to the
request by the administration:

     -$11,000,000 from major research equipment for mathematical
and physical sciences.  Within this program element, the Committee
is providing $38,000,000 for construction of the Laser
Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory [LIGO], $17,000,000
for the Gemini 8-meter telescopes, and $13,000,000 for the National
High Magnetic Field Laboratory.  The  Committee is also providing
$5,000,000 within the physics subactivity for research and
development of the LIGOproject.  The Committee reiterates its
commitment that the United States provide no more than one-half of
the total required funding for the 8-meter telescope project."

ACADEMIC RESEARCH FACILITIES AND INSTRUMENTATION:

Appropriations, 1992                         $33,000,000
Administration Request, 1993                  33,000,000
House Bill                                    32,670,000
Senate Committee Recommendation               50,000,000

"This program includes both the Research Facilities Modernization
Program and the Academic Research Instrumentation Program."

"The Committee directs the Foundation to allocate 75 percent of the
total amount for facilities, guaranteeing an allocation of
$37,500,000 for facilities and $12,500,000 for instrumentation."

EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES:

Appropriations, 1992                         $465,000,000
Administration Request, 1993                  479,500,000
House Bill                                    460,350,000
Senate Committee Recommendation               510,000,000

"The Foundation's education and human resources activity is
designed to encourage the entrance of talented students into
science and technology careers, to improve the undergraduate
science and engineering education environment, to assist in
providing all precollege students with a level of education in
mathematics, science, and technology that reflects the needs of the
Nation and is the highest quality attained anywhere in the world,
and extend greater research opportunities to underrepresented
segments of the scientific and engineering communities."

"In decisions of support and promotion of university mathematics
and science faculty, a serious national imbalance exists between
the weight given to teaching and research contributions.  The
Committee believes that this situation is a significant impediment
to providing students with the highest quality undergraduate
education.  The Committee urges the Foundation to seek ways to
bring about the required culture change in U.S. universities and to
recognize those institutions that serve as national models of
excellence in undergraduate mathematics and science education."

Other report sections include:  U.S. Antarctic Program Research
Activities, U.S. Antarctic Logistical Support Activities, Defense
Conversion Engineering Traineeship Activities, Critical Technology
Institute, Salaries and Expenses, and Inspector General.

The full Senate intends to vote on the VA/HUD bill when it returns
from recess on September 8.


###############
Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
Contact:  Audrey T. Leath
(202) 332-9662
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