[Okgrantsmanship] Article on NSF Funding Boost for Science Education

[Mason, Linda]

INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION, June 13

Boost Proposed for Science Education

A House of Representatives subcommittee Thursday unanimously approved
spending increases for agencies including the National Science
Foundation and the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards
and Technology, increasing their share over last year's amount and
shifting some of their focus from research to education-related
programs. 

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and
Related Agencies signed off on the $56.8 billion bill, which would fund
the agencies under the panel's jurisdiction for the 2009 fiscal year.
The markup amount is about $5 billion over last year's enacted funding
level and more than $3.1 billion above President Bush's budget request
for the year <http://insidehighered.com/news/2008/02/05/scibudget> .
Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-W.V.), the subcommittee's chairman, said that
the allocation provided to the subcommittee by the full Appropriations
Committee permitted an increase in spending on climate change research
and aeronautics, as well as other areas "in which the [president's]
budget request was inadequate," he said. A spokesman for Mollohan said
that this year's bill is adjusting its funding priorities in certain
areas.

"Under Chairman Mollohan's leadership, the Subcommittee shifted about
$50 million from research and related activities to an emphasis on
education activities," the spokesman said in an e-mail. "The $50 million
shift was made in recognition of America's need for robust investments
in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.
Specifically, these new investments are focused on Noyce Scholarships,
math and science partnerships and climate change education grants."

The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program of the NSF enables colleges
and universities to encourage math, science and engineering majors to
become teachers in high-risk K-12 schools.

The subcommittee's bill would appropriate some $26 billion for science,
technology and innovation spending - the cornerstone of President Bush's
American Competitiveness Initiative, which was enacted by the America
COMPETES Act but hasn't yet been fully funded - an increase of $1.7
billion over fiscal year 2008. The NSF would receive $6.9 billion, a 13
percent increase; the bill would provide $785 million for NIST,
restoring proposed cuts to a technology enhancement program, Mollohan
said at the markup session.

Further details on the subcommittee's bill probably will not be
available until the full Appropriations Committee meets to draft its
version of the bill next Thursday.

- Andy Guess <mailto:andy.guess at insidehighered.com> 

The original story and user comments can be viewed online at
http://insidehighered.com/news/2008/06/13/commerce
<http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/06/13/commerce> .

 

 

Linda Mason, Ed.D.

Coordinator for Grant Writing and External Funding

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

655 Research Parkway, Suite 200

Oklahoma City, OK 73104

405-225-9486

lmason at osrhe.edu

IP: 164.58.250.178

 

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