National Science Foundation Budget Request for FY 1994: An Overview
The major budget document for the National Science Foundation became available today, providing additional details about the agency’s request to Congress. Funding levels for various components of the NSF budget of interest to the physics, astronomy, and science education communities are reported in FYI #38. Further information on these components will be given in seven future FYIs.
If the supplemental funding legislation now stalled in the Senate is approved, the over-all NSF budget request will increase by 8.2% or $240.03 million, to a total budget for fiscal year 1994 of $3,180.20 million.
Citing the report by the Commission on the NSF, and its own internal planning discussions, the budget document briefly describes three strategies guiding fiscal year 1994 budgetary and programmatic decisions. They are:
Enhancing the nation’s fundamental science and engineering capability, Investing in people, Addressing critical research and technology priorities.
In describing the first strategy, NSF states that under full funding, more than 22,200 awards will be made in fiscal year 1994. By “Investing in People,” through education and training, NSF estimates that it will reach 110,000 individuals, including senior scientists at universities and students in summer science camps.
Under the category, “Addressing critical research and technology priorities,” the document notes: “Because the progress of science is closely tied to the application of new knowledge to the pressing concerns of society, strategic research on critical areas of national priority has become an integral part of the NSF portfolio.” The following FCCSET coordinated initiatives are listed:
Advanced Materials and Processing Program: An increase of $9.50 million to $328.00 million.
Biotechnology: An increase of $10.00 million to $215.60 million.
U.S. Global Change Research Program: An increase of $7.55 million to $170.05 million.
High Performance Computing and Communications: An increase of $43.79 million to $304.96 million.
Advanced Manufacturing Technologies: An increase of $17.55 million to $130.25 million.
Math and Science Education: An increase of $84.01 million to $621.88 million.
