FY 2005 National Science Foundation Budget Request: Selected Programs

The FY 2005 National Science Foundation budget request to Congress is an almost 500-page document that describes in considerable detail the foundation’s plans for the fiscal year starting October 1. This FYI provides the percentage and dollar changes between the current year and FY 2005 request for selected physics-related programs. The headings below correspond to those found in the Table of Contents in the NSF budget request found at http://nsf.gov/bfa/bud/fy2005/toc.htm ; see this document for program descriptions.

MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES: Overall funding up 2.2% or $24.0 million from $1,091.5 million to $1,115.5 million.

Astronomical Sciences: Up 4.0% or $7.8 million from $196.6 million to $204.4 million.
Materials Research: Up 0.9% or $2.3 million from $250.9 million to $253.2 million.
Physics: Up: 3.6% or $8.1 million from $227.7 million to $235.8 million.

GEOSCIENCES: Overall funding up 2.2% or $15.4 million from $713.1 million to $728.5 million.

Atmospheric Sciences: Up 2.0% or $4.9 million from $238.8 million to $243.6 million.
Earth Sciences: Up 2.7% or $4.0 million from $151.6 million to $155.6 million.
Ocean Sciences: Up 2.0% or $6.5 million from $322.7 million to $329.3 million.

ENGINEERING: Overall funding up 1.9% or $10.8 million from $565.1 million to $575.9 million.

Bioengineering and Environmental Systems: Down 2.5% or $1.3 million from $51.0 million to $49.8 million.
Chemical and Transport Systems: Down 2.5% or $1.7 million from $68.9 million to $67.2 million.
Civil and Mechanical Systems: Up 27.3% or $18.3 million from $67.2 million to $85.5 million.
Design, Manufacture, and Industrial Innovation: Up 0.1% or $0.1 million from $65.8 million to $65.9 million.
Electrical and Communications Systems: Down 2.5% or $1.9 million from $74.6 million to $72.7 million.
Engineering Education and Centers: Down 2.5% or $3.3 million from $134.0 million to $130.7 million.

OFFICE OF POLAR PROGRAMS: Overall funding up 2.2% or $7.6 million from $342.2 million to $349.7 million.

U.S. Polar Research Programs: Up 2.8% or $7.6 million from $274.1 million to $281.7 million.
U.S. Antarctic Logistical Support: Flat funding at $68.1 million

MAJOR RESEARCH EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION (MRFEC): Overall funding up 37.6% or $58.3 million from $155.0 million to $213.3 million. Note that not all projects below received funding in this current fiscal year.

ONGOING MRFEC PROJECTS:
ALMA Construction: $49.7 million requested.
EarthScope: USArray, SAFOD, PBO: $47.4 million requested.
High-Performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research: No funding requested.
IceCube Neutrino Observatory: $33.4 million requested.
Large Hadron Collider: No funding requested.
Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation: No funding requested.
South Pole Station: No funding requested.
Terascale Computing Systems: No funding requested.

NEW MRFEC STARTS IN FY 2005:
National Ecological Observatory Network: $12.0 million requested.
Scientific Ocean Drilling Vessel: $40.9 million requested.
Rare Symmetry Violating Processes: $30.0 million requested.