FY 1996 Budget Request: NSF - Education and Human Resources

The National Science Foundation requested $599.00 million for the Education and Human Resources Directorate for FY 1996. This is a decrease of $6.97 million, or 1.2%, from the current year budget of $605.97 million.

Declines in various programs are usually small. NSF Director Neal Lane explained in a budget briefing last week that a period of evaluation was now appropriate. The seven activities this directorate funds are:

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM REFORM: The budget would decline by $1.09 million (1.1%) from $96.44 million to $95.35 million. The budget document states: “Although the FY 1996 request...represents a slight reduction from the FY 1995 level, the USI [Urban Systemic Initiatives] will be able to sustain their activities and the RSI [Rural Systemic Initiatives] will provide up to two implementation awards. SSI [Statewide Systemic Initiatives] will begin its sixth year and several states, from the first cohort, will move into PHASE II where exemplary activities will receive support for an additional 2 - 5 years.”

EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH: The budget would decline by $1.01 million (2.7%) from $36.92 million to $35.91 million. The budget document states the request “will enable the Activity to continue supporting systemic improvements in the science and technology enterprises of the 19 participating jurisdictions at the FY 1995 level. There will be a slight decrease in the number of awards made to EPSCoR programs jointly funded in the Foundation and innovation awards under EPSCoR’s Experimental Systemic Initiative (EIS).”

ELEMENTARY, SECONDARY, AND INFORMAL EDUCATION: The budget would decline by $1.60 million (0.8%) from $195.75 million to $194.15 million. Within this activity are four subactivity budgets. The first subactivity, Student Support, would remain unchanged at $10.00 million. The second subactivity, Curriculum Development, would decline by $0.60 million (1.2%) from $48.78 million to $48.18 million. The third subactivity is Teacher Enhancement and Development, which would decline $1.00 million (1.0%) from $100.97 million to $99.97 million. Informal Science Education, the fourth subactivity, remains unchanged at $36.00 million. The budget document states, “There will be a slight decrease in the number of awards for new materials development and teacher enhancement projects.”

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: The budget would decline by $0.82 million (1.0%) from $84.25 million to $83.43 million. There are two subactivity budgets. Curriculum and Laboratory Development would decline $0.55 million (0.9%) from $59.15 million to $58.60 million. Teacher and Faculty Development would decline by $0.27 million (1.1%) from $25.10 million to $24.83 million. The budget document states: “The FY 1996 budget...will result in a modest reduction in the number of awards made.”

GRADUATE EDUCATION: The budget remains unchanged at $66.79 million. The budget document states: “The current level of active Graduate Fellows and Graduate Minority Fellows, will be sustained at 2,360 during 1995-1996.... “Graduate Research Traineeships will be supported at $13.00 million, unchanged from FY 1995. These funds will support the out-year commitments for about 520 traineeship positions awarded in prior years. No new traineeship positions are planned.”

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT: The budget would decline by $1.95 million (2.5%) from $76.75 million to $74.80 million. There are four subactivities. Precollege Education spending would decline $0.45 million (2.8%) from $16.28 million to $15.83 million. Undergraduate Student Support remains unchanged at $26.41 million. The third subactivity, Research and Education Infrastructure, declines by $1.25 million (7.9%) from $15.79 million to $14.54 million. The fourth subactivity, Opportunities for Women and Persons with Disabilities, declines $0.25 million (1.4%) from $18.27 million to $18.02 million. The budget document states: “The FY 1996 Budget...will decrease support available for new projects.”

RESEARCH, EVALUATION AND COMMUNICATIONS: The budget would decline by $0.50 million (1.0%) from $49.07 million to $48.57 million. There are three subactivities. The Research request is unchanged at $13.03 million. The Evaluation Subactivity request is also unchanged at $10.27 million. The Technology Utilization budget declines $0.50 million (1.9%) from $25.77 million to $25.27 million.