ACS Position Statement: FY 2010
Statement on National Science Foundation: FY 2010
ACS Position
The American Chemical Society (ACS) urges Congress to provide, at a minimum, the president’s budget request of $7.0 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF) for FY 2010 (8.6 percent increase over FY 2009). This increase, in conjunction with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act puts the NSF on a doubling track to 2016.
NSF investments in research and education have returned exceptional dividends to the American people as globalization has amplified the worldwide competition for ideas, science and engineering talent, and leadership in turning new technologies into real world applications. For the last half century, the U.S. has held a commanding position in all three areas. Now, other nations are implementing new policies and stepping up investments in research and training new talent. These global initiatives pose new challenges for America’s innovation enterprise.
America COMPETES Act
ACS also remains committed to the broad blueprint contained in the America COMPETES Act. The COMPETES Act, which authorizes NSF at $8.1 billion for FY 2010, represented a moment of true bipartisanship in the first session of the 110th Congress. America’s future competitiveness will be enhanced through sustained, predictable, federal investments in science agencies like NSF. Currently, NSF accounts for less than four percent of federal R&D spending but supports nearly 50 percent of non-medical basic research in academia.
Research
Increases in the NSF research budget should primarily support a greater number of highly rated core research proposals. Supporting the best ideas and exploring new frontiers across research disciplines have been the hallmark of NSF and the backbone of the American research system. A commitment to core basic research is essential to meet the enormous promise of scientific innovation; to better train future scientists, engineers, and technicians; and to promote the success of multidisciplinary initiatives, including biotechnology and nanotechnology.
ACS is particularly concerned about declining federal support for the physical sciences and notes that NSF plays a central role in supporting chemistry, physics, mathematics, and other key research areas at colleges and universities. The Society supports the 10-year doubling request for NSF as well as the increased focus on the Math and Physical Sciences Directorate.
Education
NSF plays the pivotal role in sustaining America’s technological leadership by fostering improvements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at the K–12, undergraduate, and graduate levels. We strongly support the America COMPETES Act intent to reestablish NSF’s preeminent role as the lead agency for improving STEM education and the funding blueprint for NSF’s Education and Human Resources Directorate contained in the Act. The most critical issue facing STEM education today is the supply of qualified K–12 science and mathematics teachers. Funding for the NSF Math and Science Partnerships program should be expanded towards the level of $123 million authorized in FY 2010 for this program by the America COMPETES Act.
Given the importance of science education in improving American competitiveness and the inclusion of science as a part of No Child Left Behind testing requirements starting in the 2007–2008 school year, we are concerned that the budget for NSF’s Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate still lags behind its comparable FY 2004–2005 levels. We support the clear intent of the America COMPETES Act to provide funding increases for NSF’s education programs, in FY 2010 and beyond, that are comparable to those provided for NSF’s research directorates.
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization, chartered by Congress, with more than 154,000 chemical scientists and engineers as members. The world’s largest scientific society, ACS advances the chemical enterprise, increases public understanding of chemistry, and brings its expertise to bear on state and national matters.