Subcommittee Reviews NSF’s FY 2013 Budget Request
(Washington, DC) – Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Science Education held a hearing to review the Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget request for the National Science Foundation (NSF). Testifying before the Subcommittee were Dr. Subra Suresh, Director of NSF, and Dr. Ray Bowen, Chairman of the National Science Board.
“I feel strongly that we need to prioritize investments that deliver real returns to taxpayers and boost our economic competitiveness,” said Ranking Member Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), “As a result, I am pleased that the Administration’s FY 2013 budget continues to emphasize science, innovation, and STEM education generally, and the National Science Foundation in particular.”
In anticipation of the Congressional budget negotiations later this year, Mr. Lipinski also stressed the need for a sustainable, predictable path of growth for the NSF. He said, “Predictability will help our research institutions to plan while helping our scientists avoid the booms and busts that have driven some of our brightest minds out of the lab.”
Democratic Members expressed support for the research and education budget being proposed, citing the value of specific proposals such as the advanced manufacturing research called for in COMPETES, the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace initiative, and the overall increase in the Education and Human Resources budget. Democrats also spoke about the Innovation-Corps (I-Corps) program, a public-private partnership that connects NSF-funded researchers with the technological, entrepreneurial, and business communities to help identify basic research that could be used as emerging technology concepts for transitioning into new products and processes. Mr. Lipinski said, “Although it’s only about one quarter of one percent of NSF’s budget, I think this program will yield disproportionate benefits, helping turn NSF’s research investments into jobs, and encouraging both scientists and universities to push their work outside of the ivory tower.”
Dr. Suresh defended the five percent increase to NSF’s budget despite today’s fiscal environment by noting that “NSF has the mandate not only to fund all fields of science and engineering, but also supports human capital development. Since 1952, NSF has supported 48,000 graduate students in the country through NSF fellowships. [These graduate students] have been the engines of innovation in this country.” Quoting Norman R. Augustine, retired CEO of Lockheed Martin and Chair of the 2005 National Academies’ Rising Above the Gathering Storm report, Dr. Suresh said, “If an aircraft has serious overweight issues and we have to reduce weight, the first thing we throw out isn’t the engine.” He went on to cite a number of international comparisons of investment in R&D, including in particular the funding provided by China and the European Union. During the last decade, China’s R&D expenditures have been growing at an annual rate of about 20 percent, compared to the U.S. rate of 5 percent. “So this is the context in which we have to look at the NSF budget request,” concluded Dr. Suresh.
Mr. Lipinski closed his opening statement, “As I indicated at the outset, I believe that strong and sustained investments in the NSF, STEM education, and innovation generally are critical for our nation’s future. My colleagues in Congress have, on a bipartisan basis, historically agreed with me, and I hope that will continue to be the case. I think this type of investment is critical to the future growth of our country.”
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