A friend and colleague of mine brought to my attention some fast-breaking news about the House plan to inject money into science agencies in the stimulus package. According to ASTRA, the Alliance for Science & Technology Research in America, reports [1] that the House plans to invest $1.9B in the Department of Energy and $3.0B in the National Science Foundation. According to their budget analysis of the proposal [2]. The proposed FY’09 budget from the House and Senate represented a roughly $0.6-0.7B increase for both agencies over the current continuing resolution. The stimulus plan in the House, by comparison, proposes total increases over the continuing resolution of $1.9B for DOE and $3B for NSF.
Where are the increases targeted? ASTRA reports specifically on these increases as for “basic science”, specifically:
Department of Energy: $1.9 billion for basic research into the physical sciences including high-energy physics, nuclear physics, and fusion energy sciences and improvements to DOE laboratories and scientific facilities. $400 million is for the Advanced Research Project Agency – Energy to support high-risk, high-payoff research into energy sources and energy efficiency.
and for NSF,
National Science Foundation: $3 billion, including $2 billion for expanding employment opportunities in fundamental science and engineering to meet environmental challenges and to improve global economic competitiveness, $400 million to build major research facilities that perform cutting edge science, $300 million for major research equipment shared by institutions of higher education and other scientists, $200 million to repair and modernize science and engineering research facilities at the nation’s institutions of higher education and other science labs, and $100 million is also included to improve instruction in science, math and engineering.
Amazing. Who knows if these will survive, but they are COMPELLING numbers. Time is of the essence, including a possible vote tomorrow, Wednesday, in the House. Fax or call your local representative and U.S. senators in support of this package, calling out the importance of basic science – and, yes, particle physics! [3] – to the nation.
Note added later: The American Institute of Physics (AIP) last week did post an FYI with the breakdown of the stimulus money and its impact on science [4].
[1] U.S. Innovation.org Analysis of Act
[2] www.usinnovation.org/files/ASTRAHouseScienceStimulus09.pdf
