Biophysical Society Newsletter - April 2016

6

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

2016

APRIL

Public Affairs

President Presents Vision in Budget

House Approves NSF National Interest Bill

President Obama sent his final budget request to Congress on February 9. The budget includes funding increases for research and science educa- tion, including new initiatives to find cures for cancer, increase investment in clean energy re- search and development, and expand the nation’s investment in computer science. However, the funding the White House would need for these programs is greater than the amount Congress allotted in its budget deal last fall. To get around this, the White House has categorized some of its requests as coming from mandatory funding, rather than discretionary, which in fact it is not. Congress immediately rejected the distinction. With that said, the overall budget does provide insight into the President’s commitment to sci- ence and research if the budget decisions were solely up to him. The chart below outlines the President’s budget request in comparison to FY 2016.

On February 10, the United States House of Representatives passed legislation that would require the National Science Foundation (NSF) to affirm that each research grant it approves is in the national interest and, therefore, worthy of taxpayer support. The Scientific Research in the National Interest Act (H.R. 3293), written by House Science Com- mittee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), was ap- proved on a mostly party line vote of 236 (R) to 178 (D). The original language of the bill was the same as a provision in the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, which the House approved last May. The Society opposed the language at that time and communicated that to Congress. If the bill were to become law, it would require NSF to affirm in writing that each of its grant awards is worthy of federal funding and in the national interest. An award would be deemed in the national interest if it met one of seven criteria, including increasing US economic competi- tiveness, advancing health, increasing scien- tific literacy, or promoting the progress of science in the United States. The likelihood of the bill becoming law in the next year is slim. The Senate does not cur- rently have plans to consider the bill, and the White House issued a statement saying that the President’s senior advisors would recom- mend that he veto the bill if it were to come to his desk for his signature. The Society will continue to track this issue and ask members to take action when and if necessary.

President's Budget Requests for FY 2017

FY 2016 Enacted Level

FY 2017 President's Request

Percent Change

Agency

National Institutes of Health National Science Foundation Department of Energy Office of Science NIST Science and Tech Labs Department of Defence Basic Research Veteran's Affairs Medical and Pro- thetic Research NASA Science

$32,100 $33,136 2.5%

$7,460

$7,960

6.7%

$5,350 $5,672

6.1%

$5,589 $5.303 -5.1%

$690

$731

5.9%

$2,320 $2,115

-9%

$631

$663

5.2%