Biophysical Society Bulletin | December 2022

Public Affairs

2020–21 academic year. However, it remains to be seen whether those numbers will bear out. In December, the NSF will release additional information that includes additional data sets on the impact of COVID-19 on research, graduation timelines, and postgraduation plans. NSF to End Cost-SharingMandate for Some Grants to Level the Playing Field The new CHIPS and Science Act aimed at improving US competitiveness with China was signed into law in August and also contains a directive for the NSF to eliminate the cost-sharing requirement in two of the five agency programs that currently require the measure and to then evaluate what happens after the change. For the next five years, the NSF will no longer require universities and other organizations to cover 30% of an award from its major research instrumentation (MRI) program, which funds new equipment. It is also ending the 50% match required by two of the four funding tracks in the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, which trains math and science teachers.

Several US government research programs require financial buy-in from institutions when applying for a grant or new instrument to stretch federal dollars and guarantee that every grantee has a stake in the project. But many institutions, including those serving rural areas and students from groups underrepresented in science, cannot raise enough money to even compete for the grant. Opponents are concerned that requiring the NSF to foot the entire cost of MRI and Noyce awards will mean fewer or smaller grants unless Congress increases each program’s budget. A more level playing field is also likely to generate more applications, making for even fiercer competition. MRI’s $75 million budget now supports some 150 awards annually, and Noyce makes about 60 to 70 grants a year from its $67 million budget. MRI awards range from $100,000 to $4 million, and Noyce grants can be as large as $3 million over six years. The new law orders the NSF to report back in five years on how the waiver for MRI and Noyce has affected participation and the quality of the research, as well as whether it should become permanent. It also requires the NSF to assess its impact on the demographics of the applicant pool.

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December 2022

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