NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) FUNDING - There are indications that the $3.95 billion President Clinton requested for NSF in FY 2000, a 5.8 percent increase over the prior year's budget, will not occur. NSF appropriations is under the jurisdiction of the Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Subcommittee. That subcommittee is gearing up for debate early next week with a total allocation several billion dollars below its FY 1999 level.

Since NSF does not enjoy the popularity of the NIH, projections are not optimistic that it will fare well during the appropriations process. Subcommittee staff advise that without a cash infusion, policy makers will have to cut other programs just to keep NSF at its current level. While some hope that it will be protected from cuts if action is delayed until later in the fiscal year, everyone acknowledges that under current budget uncertainties, NSF is not likely to get a boost this year.

PLEASE WRITE YOUR CONGRESSPERSON ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FUNDING FOR THIS IMPORTANT ARM OF U.S. SCIENCE. FOR FORMAT, PLEASE CONSULT OUR SITE "HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE LETTER TO CONGRESS". PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL COPY TO P. CALARCO – calarco@itsa.ucsf.edu