FYI THIS MONTH: MARCH 2008

HIGHLIGHTS OF DEVELOPMENTS IN WASHINGTON IMPACTING THE PHYSICS COMMUNITY FROM FYI, THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS BULLETIN OF SCIENCE POLICY NEWS

Richard M. Jones

To read the cited FYIs, see the FYI archive.

FY 2009 NSF APPROPRIATIONS HEARING: Strong bipartisan support was expressed for the National Science Foundation at a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, with Members focusing most of their attention on larger science policy issues. Appropriators acknowledged that the FY 2008 outcome was unsatisfactory, but cautioned that funding constraints would make it difficult to provide the full 13.6 percent requested increase for FY 2009. (#32)

SENATE EFFORT IN SUPPORT OF DOE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND NSF: Senate proponents of the Office of Science and NSF circulated letters among their colleagues asking for their support of the Administration's FY 2009 budget requests. (#33)

HOUSE SCIENCE COMMITTEE EVALUATES FY 2009 S&T REQUEST: Committee Democrats and Republicans offered different critiques of the Administration's request. Democrats criticized program requests that they judged too low, while Republicans applauded the request for its attempt to get the funding profiles for the Office of Science, NSF, and NIST research programs back on the doubling track. (#34)

NIH SEEKS COMMENTS ON PUBLIC ACCESS POLICY: The National Institutes of Health held a one-day public comment session on a public access policy it will implement. A 60-day comment period is open for additional comments. (#35)

FY 2009 OFFICE OF SCIENCE APPROPRIATIONS HEARING: Members of the House Energy and Water Development Subcommittee were generally supportive of the Office of Science request, but were highly critical of other proposed reductions. A number of probing questions were asked about the impacts of zero ITER funding this year. (#36 and #37)

FY 2009 COMMERCE DEPARTMENT AND NSF APPROPRIATIONS HEARINGS: Senators expressed support for the NIST request, but were far more concerned about troubled Commerce Department programs. (#38) A hearing on the NSF request was cancelled because of all-day voting on the Senate floor. (#39)

SENATE LETTER SEEKS ADDITIONAL CURRENT YEAR FUNDING FOR OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND NSF: Eight Democratic and Republican senators asked the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee to consider $350 million in additional FY 2008 funding for the NSF and the DOE Office of Science. (#40)

FY 2009 FUNDING OUTLOOK: Initial House and Senate budget blueprints had good numbers for science programs. The overall picture is considerably more troubled. (#41)

Richard M. Jones
Media and Government Relations Division
American Institute of Physics
fyi@aip.org
301-209-3095

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