House and Senate conferees have completed work on the FY 2004 Energy
and Water Development Appropriations Bill. Selections from House Report
108-357 follow. The full text of the Science report language can be
accessed at http://thomas.loc.gov/
under Committee Reports; view the second "Science" entry.
OFFICE OF SCIENCE:
"The conference agreement provides $3,451,700,000 instead of
$3,480,180,000 as proposed by the House and $3,360,435,000 as
proposed by the Senate. The conference agreement does not include
language specifying funding allocations as contained in the House and
Senate reports." This is an increase of 5.8% or $190.5 million
over
last year's budget of $3,261.2 million. This outcome is much more
favorable than the 1.5% cut that was made between last year's budget
and that for FY 2003. These figures include administrative and other
"non-science"expenditures. Also note that the new budget uses
$10.0
million in unspent money from last year.
Regarding the upcoming FY 2005 budget request to be released next
February, the report states: " The conferees encourage the Department
to request sufficient funds for the Office of Science in fiscal year
2005 to increase operating time, enhance user support, and upgrade
essential equipment at the Department's Science user facilities."
Regarding university research programs and future facilities, the
report states: "The conferees reiterate their support for broader
participation by universities in DOE's research programs, including
existing user facilities and potential new user facilities. The
conferees are aware of the Office of Science's strategy for future
facilities. Where existing facilities provide capabilities critical
to a new user facility, co-location is appropriate; where this is not
the case, the location of new user facilities should be openly
competed. Regardless of location, broad participation in design by
staff from national laboratories, user faculty from universities, and
industrial investigators and groups should be sought. All these user
groups must have access to these capabilities on a competitive
basis."
HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS: "The conference agreement provides
$725,478,000 for high energy physics research, the same as the budget
request." This is an increase of 1.1% or $7.6 million over last
year. The report continues: "The conference agreement also includes
the requested amount, $12,500,000, for construction of the Neutrinos
at the Main Injector project at Fermilab. The conferees recognize the
efforts by Fermilab, the Office of Science, and the other Science laboratories
on the challenges posed by the Tevatron luminosity upgrade. The conferees
encourage the Department to accelerate progress on the Supernova/Accelerator
Probe (SNAP)."
NUCLEAR PHYSICS: "The conference agreement provides $391,930,000
for nuclear physics, $2,500,000 over the budget request." This
is an increase of 3.2% or $12.3 million over last year. The report states:
"The additional funds are provided for research and development
and preconceptual design activities in support of the Rare Isotope Accelerator.
The conferees encourage the Department to increase operational time
for the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility at the Thomas
Jefferson National Accelerator Facility and to move forward expeditiously
with the 12GeV upgrade for this facility."
BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH: " The conference
agreement includes $592,000,000 for biological and environmental research,
an increase of $92,465,000 over the budget request." This is an
increase of 17.6% or $88.4 million over last year. The conference report
language for Biological and Environmental Research cites many facilities
for which funding is specified. View this language by accessing the
conference report as explained above.
BASIC ENERGY SCIENCES: "The conference agreement includes
$1,016,575,000 for basic energy sciences, an increase of $8,000,000
over the budget request." This is almost the same amount as last
year's budget. The conference report states: " The conference agreement
includes $575,711,000 for materials sciences and engineering research,
and $220,914,000 for chemical sciences, geosciences, and energy biosciences.
The additional $8,000,000 for materials sciences and engineering research
is to support additional nanoscience research at existing user facilities
and the new nanoscale science research centers. For purposes of reprogramming
in fiscal year 2004, the Department may reallocate funding among all
operating accounts within Basic Energy Sciences. The report continues:
"The conference agreement provides the requested amounts of $124,600,000
for construction of the Spallation Neutron Source (99-E-334); $35,000,000
for the Molecular Foundry (94-R-313); $29,850,000 for the Center for
Integrated Nanotechnologies (04-R-313); $20,000,000 for the Center for
Nanophase Materials Sciences (03-R-312); $7,500,000 for project engineering
and design (PED) for the Linac Coherent Light Source (03-SC-002); and
$3,000,000 for the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (02-SC-002).
The conference agreement also provides the request of $7,673,000 for
the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)."
FUSION ENERGY SCIENCES: "The conference agreement includes
$264,110,000 for fusion energy sciences, an increase of $6,800,000 over
the budget request." This is an increase of 7.0% or $17.2 million
from last year. The report then states: " The budget request proposed
$12,000,000 for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor
(ITER), but did so by displacing $10,800,000 of ongoing domestic fusion
research. The conference agreement provides $8,000,000 for ITER activities
in fiscal year 2004, and restores $6,800,000 to domestic fusion research.
The conferees strongly caution the Department against submitting any
future budget requests for ITER that are funded at the expense of domestic
research."
ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING RESEARCH: " The conference
agreement includes $203,490,000 for advanced scientific computing research
(ASCR), an increase of $30,000,000 over the budget request." This
is an increase of 21.6% or $36.1 million. The report then states: "
The conferees provide these additional funds for the Department to acquire
additional advanced computing capability to support existing users in
the near term and to initiate longer-term research and development on
next generation computer architectures. The conferees expect that, to
the maximum extent practicable, these funds will be awarded among various
technologies, laboratories, universities, and private sector suppliers
using a merit-based, competitive process. The conferees support the
High End Computing Revitalization Task Force established by the Office
of Science and Technology Policy, and expect the Department to participate
fully in this interagency effort."
The conference report also contains language regarding science
laboratories infrastructure, external regulation, safety compliance
audits, infrastructure support, safeguards and security, scientific
workforce development, and science program direction. View this
language as noted above.
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