First Budget Numbers for National Science Foundation, NASA

After months of speculation about the FY 1998 budget, some first figures are becoming available for the National Science Foundation and NASA. Yesterday, the House VA, HUD, Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its bill. Details will not be known until July 8, when the full House Appropriations Committee meets to vote on the legislation.

The Senate subcommittee will complete work on its version of the bill after the July 4 recess. They have less overall money to spend (their 602(b) allocation), so their numbers could be less. This is known about the House bill:

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION:

The VA, HUD subcommittee recommends a 6.6 percent increase in NSF’s overall budget. At a time when staying even with inflation is seen as an achievement, this increase is remarkable.

The administration requested a $97 million increase over this year. The subcommittee recommends an increase of $217 million to $3,487 million.

Within this overall budget is Research and Related Activities. The subcommittee recommends an increase of 4.3 percent, or $106 million, to $2,538 million. This is $23 million over the request. Preliminary information suggests that this additional $23 million is to be used as follows: Next Generation Internet - $13 million; Gemini Telescopes - $4 million; U.S. Mexico Foundation - $1 million; phase out money relating to the Partnerships for Advanced Computational Infrastructure program - $5 million.

The Education and Human Resources recommended budget increase is 2.3%, or $14 million, to $633 million. This is $7 million more than the administration requested, with this additional money be used as follows: Minority Graduate Education - $5 million; and Advanced Technological Education program - $2 million.

NSF lumps construction and acquisition budgets for large, expensive research facilities into the Major Research Equipment account. The subcommittee provided all of the money requested for the Polar Cap Observatory, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO), and the Millimeter Array Radio Telescope. They included significant additional funds, above the request, for the South Pole Station modernization.

The subcommittee also provided the full request for NSF’s salaries and expenses account.

NASA:

The subcommittee recommends an FY 1998 total budget of $13.648 billion. While this is $148 million more than the administration requested, it is $61.2 million less than current year funding. The additional $148 million is distributed as follows: space station - $100 million than requested; and Science, Aeronautics and Technology - $48 million than requested, to be used for earmarks, the National Space Grant Colleges and Fellowships, and space radiation science program enhancements.