"This is a great day for NSF, and that means it's a great day
for the nation. There has been a lot of rhetoric about doubling the
NSF budget, but now the Administration is behind it. The FY 2007 Budget
Request is the first installment. We are grateful to the Administration
for its recognition and leadership."- NSF Director Arden Bement
So began Monday's budget briefing by National Science Director Arden
Bement. Under the Administration's FY 2007 budget request, funding for
NSF would increase 7.9% or $439.0 million, from $5,581.2 million this
year to $6,020.2 million.
There is a considerable range in the request. Major Research Equipment
and Facilities Construction funding would see an increase of 26.0% or
$49.6 million to $240.5 million. The budget for Research and Related
Activities would increase 7.7% or $334.5 million to $4,666.0 million.
Education and Human Resources spending would see a 2.5% or $19.5 million
increase to $816.2 million.
If Congress agrees with the request, researchers would see gains in
a number of areas. The foundation's funding rate would increase from
20% to 21%, growing from 6,190 grants to a projected 6,760 research
grants. Annual award size would increase; the average duration of research
grants would remain unchanged at 3.0 years. Another projection shows
the total number of people involved in NSF activities, ranging from
K-12 students and teachers to senior researchers would increase from
an estimated 171,080 to 177,485.
The National Science Foundation's entire FY 2007 Budget Request to
Congress is available at http://www.nsf.gov/about/budget/fy2007/toc.jsp;
see the Directorate Summaries as listed in the Table of Contents for
specific language (document page numbers for the Directorates within
the Summaries are noted.) The Education and Human Resources Division
budget will be summarized in a forthcoming FYI.
MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES: Up 6.0% or $64.9 million
from $1,085.5 million to $1,150.3 million. The budget document states:
"Emphasis is on strengthening investments across the MPS portfolio.
Themes to be emphasized include: Physics of the Universe, Fundamental
Mathematical and Statistical Science, Physical Sciences at the Nanoscale,
Cyberinfrastructure and the Cyberscience it Enables, and the Molecular
Basis of Life Processes. Includes a $15 million investment to reinforce
NSF support for university-based research in elementary particle physics."
Within this budget are the following divisions:
ASTRONOMICAL SCIENCES: Up 7.7% or $15.5 million, from $199.7 million
to $215.1 million. (page 139)
MATERIALS RESEARCH: Up 6.0% or $14.5 million from $242.9 million to
$257.5 million. (page 143)
PHYSICS: Up 6.6% or $15.4 million from $233.1 million to $248.5 million.
(Page 147)
GEOSCIENCES: Up 6.0% of $42.0 million from $702.8 million to
$744.9 million. The budget document states: "Increases funding
for preparation of the Ocean Observatories Initiative, supports two
Science and Technology Centers initiated in FY 2006 -- the Center for
Atmospheric Process Modeling and the Center for Coastal Margin Observation
/ Prediction. Increased funding will enable 65 new research grants while
maintaining award size and duration of existing grants. Support for
cyberinfrastructure initiatives increases." Within this budget
are the following divisions:
ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES: Up 5.0% or $10.8 million from $216.1 million
to $226.9 million. (page 113)
EARTH SCIENCES: Up 8.7% or $12.2 million from $140.1 million to $152.3
million. (page 115)
INNOVATIVE & COLLABORATIVE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH: Up 0.3% or $0.2
million from $58.4 million to $58.6 million. (page 117)
OCEAN SCIENCES: Up 6.5% or $18.9 million from $288.3 million to $307.1
million. (page 119)
ENGINEERING: Up 8.2% or $47.6 million from $580.9 million to
$628.6 million. The budget document states: "Increases funding
for added support of disciplinary and interdisciplinary research projects;
strengthens investment in Industry and University Cooperative Research
Centers; and provides new funding for Emerging Frontiers in Engineering
Research and Education. Within the increase is $20.0 million to support
sensor research that is relevant to the detection of explosive devices
and related threats." Within this budget are the following
divisions:
CHEMICAL, BIOENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL AND TRANSPORT SYSTEMS: Up.
1.3% or $1.6 million from $122.9 million to $124.4 million. (page 91)
CIVIL, MECHANICAL AND MANUFACTURING INNOVATION: Up 3.7% or $5.4 million
from $146.8 million to $152.2 million. (page 93)
ELECTRICAL, COMMUNICATIONS AND CYBER SYSTEMS: Up 4.7% or $3.6 million
from $77.3 million to $80.9 million. (page 95)
INDUSTRIAL INNOVATION AND PARTNERSHIPS: Up 8.6% or $9.5 million from
$110.6 million to $120.1 million. (page 97)
ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND CENTERS: Up 2.1% or $2.5 million from $123.4
million to $126.0 million. (page 99)
EMERGING FRONTIERS IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION: New budget line of $25.0
million. (page 101)
OFFICE OF POLAR PROGRAMS: Up 12.5% or $48.8 million, from $389.3
million to $438.1 million. The budget document states: "Support
increases for research, especially for International Polar Year (IPY)
activities focusing on Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH),
Polar Ice Sheet Dynamics and Stability, and Life in the Cold and Dark.
Provides support for a new Science and Technology Center -- the Center
for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets. Support for facilities and infrastructure
increases, principally to support IPY activities and to explore Antarctic
resupply options. Funding for polar icebreaking declines slightly."
Within this budget are:
U.S. POLAR RESEARCH PROGRAMS: Up 14.8% or $47.9 million, from $322.7
million to $370.6 million. (page 203)
U.S. ANTARCTIC LOGISTICAL SUPPORT: Up 1.3% or $0.86 million, from $66.7
million to $67.5 million. (page 205)
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