FY 2008 Funding Bill: NIBIB and Dept. of Education Math-Science Programs

The Consolidated Appropriations Act provides funding for the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and the Department of Education’s Mathematics and Science Partnership program.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOMEDICAL IMAGING AND BIOENGINEERING:

As explained in a congressional budget request document, “A major focus of NIBIB since its inception is bridging and integrating the life, engineering, and physical sciences in order to improve human health.” NIBIB is part of the National Institutes of Health. A review of its FY 2008 budget request is at http://www.aip.org/fyi/2007/020.html

The FY 2007 NIBIB budget was $296.9 million.
The Administration requested $300.5 million, an increase of 1.2 percent or $3.6 million.
The Senate bill recommended an increase of 2.5 percent or $7.4 million, to $304.3 million.
The House bill recommended an increase of 2.2 percent or $6.4 million, to $303.3 million.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, after an across-the-board recission, provided $298.7 million. This is an increase of 0.6 percent or $1.8 million.

There was no NIBIB language in the accompanying Explanatory Statement. See http://www.aip.org/fyi/2007/069.html for a review of the Senate Appropriations Committee report language regarding NIBIB. There was no House report language.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: MATH AND SCIENCE PROGRAMS:

The Department of Education and National Science Foundation have distinct programs with a similar name: Mathematics and Science Partnerships. As reviewed in http://www.aip.org/fyi/2007/122.html , the Consolidated Appropriations Act increases NSF’s total Education and Human Resources budget by 4.0 percent. The Explanatory Statement said the following in the section about NSF: “The Math and Science Partnership program remains a high priority of the Committees. The Math and Science Partnership program provides for the collaboration between pre-college and college to promote excellence in teaching and learning.” The Statement did not specify an NSF partnership funding level.

The Department of Education’s Mathematics and Science Partnership’s outcome is as follows:

The FY 2007 budget was $182.2 million.
The Administration requested $182.1 million, essentially flat funding.
The House Appropriations Committee recommended $182.2 million, or flat funding.
The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $184.0 million, an increase of 1.0 percent or $1.8 million.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, after an across-the-board recission, provided $179.0 million. This is a reduction of 1.8 percent or $3.2 million.

There was no language in the Explanatory Statement regarding the Department of Education’s Mathematics and Science Partnership. See http://www.aip.org/fyi/2007/068.html for important Senate Appropriations Committee report language and http://www.aip.org/fyi/2007/074.html for important House language regarding the Partnership program. Introductory language in the Explanatory Statement notes “In implementing this Act, the Departments and agencies should be guided by the language and instructions set forth” in these reports.

The Administration requested $250.0 million for two new programs, Math Now for Elementary Schools and Math Now for Middle Schools. Appropriators did not fund these programs.