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Research Funding

The American Physical Society believes that long-term investments in research funding and scientific infrastructure are essential for America’s economic competitiveness, national security, and quality of life. Federal funding of scientific research since the end of World War II has lead to such groundbreaking discoveries and innovations as the microprocessor, the Internet, high temperature superconductors, and MRI machines. To unduly constrain federal spending on scientific programs would jeopardize the future well being of our nation and remove the country’s best tool to compete in a world where many other nations are increasing their national investment in science.

APS Statements on Research Funding:

More APS Positions and Statements

Recent Activity, FY 2008 Budget Progress

Science Research Budgets

DOE/SC Funding:

On July 17th, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3183, the FY2010 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill, covering includes funding for the Department of Energy. The Senate passed H.R. 3183 on July 29th.

In the House, the bill includes a total of $4.94B for the Office of Science (DOE/SC) and represents an increase of 3.58% over FY2009 funding. Nearly all of the DOE/SC accounts, including High Energy Physics (HEP), Nuclear Physics (NP), and Basic Energy Sciences (BES) received increases over FY09 levels. The only two exceptions were a modest reduction in the Biological and Environmental Research (BER) account due to a reduction in earmarks, and an 8% reduction in funding for Science Laboratory Infrastructure (SLI) because of the additional funding that account received in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA - the "Stimulus" bill). Without earmarks, BER received a 30.44% increase of FY09 levels. Moreover, when coupled with the additional funding provided in the ARRA, DOE/SC, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institutes of Standards & Technology (NIST), FY2010 increases in funding for science puts these agencies on track to meet the ten year doubling track set out in the America COMPETES Act strongly supported by the Obama Administration. It is unclear, however, if such increases will continue in successive fiscal years, particularly in light of the expected Administration push for deficit reduction measures.

The Senate numbers for the same accounts are fairly close, but with more modest increases over FY09 levels. For example, the topline number for DOE/SC represents a 2.64% increase totaling $4.89B, lower than the House 3.58% increase over FY09. Fusion received nearly 4% less in the Senate bill than in the House, with an increase of 3.34% instead of the 9.55% in the House.

NSF and NIST Funding:

The House passed H.R. 2847, the FY 2010 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) bill, which funds NSF and NIST, on June 18th. NSF received a 6.87% increase over FY2009 funding, with Research and Related Activities adding 8.85% to its account over last fiscal year. These increases are in addition to the $3 billion NSF received through the ARRA. The Senate has not yet considered the CJS bill.

A complete listing of changes in key DOE/SC, NSF and NIST accounts is included below:

Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE/SC) - House and Senate Fiscal Year 2010 Numbers

	House			Senate
	FY2010	% Increase Over '09		FY2010	% Increase Over '09
*TOTAL*	$4,943M	3.58%		$4,898M	2.64%
High Energy Physics (HEP)	$819M	2.92%		$813M	2.17%
Nuclear Physics (NP)	$536M	4.76%		$540M	5.45%
Biological & Environmental Research (BER)	$597M		-0.72%	$604M	0.44%
Basic Energy Science (BES)	$1,675M	6.55%		$1,653M	5.20%
Fusion	$441M	9.55%		$416M	3.34%
Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR)	$409M	10.89%		$399M	8.18%

National Science Foundation (NSF) - House FY 2010 Fiscal Year 2010 Numbers

	FY2010	% Increase Over '09
*TOTAL*	$6,936M	6.87%
Research & Related Activities (R&RA)	$5,642M	8.85%
Education & Human Resources (EHR)	$862M	2.08%

National Institute of Standards of Technology (NIST) - House Fiscal Year 2010 Numbers

	FY2010	% Increase Over '09
*TOTAL*	$781M	1.44%
Scientific & Technical Research and Services (STRS)	$510M	8.05%
Construction & Research Facilities (CRF)	$76.5M	-55.5%

To track the progress of the appropriations bills, visit www.aaas.org/spp/rd/approp08.htm or check back for more updates.

Important Items Concerning Research Funding

FY 2010 Senate "Dear Colleague" Letter for the DOE Office of Science, sponsored by Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) [Download Letter]
FY 2009 "Dear Colleague" Letters - Has your Congressional Delegation signed these letters? [Signer Tracking page]
- Senate DOE Office of Science Letter, sponsored by Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) [Download Letter]
- Senate NSF Letter, sponsored by Senators Christopher Bond (R-MO) and Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT) [Download Letter]
- House NSF Letter, sponsored by Representatives Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Bob Inglis (R-SC) and Brian Baird (D-WA) [Download Letter]
National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Impact of the FY08 Omnibus. [Download Report]
Unofficial Impact of the FY08 Omnibus on the National Science Foundation (NSF). [Download Report]
DOE Impact Report of the FY08 Omnibus on the Department of Energy, Office of Science. [Download Report]
FY 2008 "Dear Colleague" Letter - Due to the looming budget battle, Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL), Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), and Rush Holt (D-NJ) have circulated a Dear Colleague letter asking that the House number for the DOE Office of Science, $4.5 billion, be retained in the final bill for FY08. Go to the Signer Tracking Page to see if your Representative signed.
FY 2008 "Dear Colleague" Letters - Has your Congressional Delegation signed these letters? [Signer Tracking page]
- 64 Senators sign DOE Office of Science Letter, sponsored by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) [Download Letter]
- 44 Senators sign NSF Letter, sponsored by Senators Christopher Bond (R-MO) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) [Download Letter]
- 87 Congressman sign House NSF Letter, sponsored by Representatives Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Rush Holt (D-NJ), and Bob Inglis (R-SC) [Download Letter]
FY 2007 Continuing Resolution "Dear Colleague" Letters
- 45 Senators sign DOE Office of Science Letter: Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) [Download Letter]
- 62 Congressmen sign DOE Office of Science Letter: Representatives Judy Biggert (R-IL), Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), and Rush Holt (D-NJ) [Download Letter]
- 84 Congressmen sign NSF Letter: Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN), Representatives Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) and Rush Holt (D-NJ) [Download Letter]
FY 2007 "Dear Colleague" Letters
- 70 Senators sign DOE Office of Science Letter: Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) [Download Letter]
- 139 Congressmen sign DOE Office of Science Letter: Representatives Judy Biggert (R-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) [Download Letter]
- 164 Congressmen sign NSF Letter: Representatives Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) and Rush Holt (D-NJ) [Download Letter]
November 2006 - New Report by the Taskforce on the Future of American Innovation: "Benchmarks of Our Innovation Future II: Measuring the Moment: Innovation, National Security, & Economic Competitiveness" [Download Report] [Download Briefing Slides]
FY 2006 "Dear Colleague" Letters
- 68 Senators sign DOE Office of Science Letter: Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) [Download Letter] [Download Press Release]
- 121 Congressmen sign DOE Office of Science Letter: Representatives Judy Biggert (R-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) [Download Letter]
- 167 Congressmen sign NSF Letter: Representatives Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) and Rush Holt (D-NJ) [Download Letter]
February 2005 - Report by the Taskforce on the Future of American Innovation: "Benchmarks of our Innovation Future" [Download Report]
APS Panel on Public Report: Assessment of NASA's Moon-Mars program [Download Report] [Download Press Release]