NSF Alert (fwd)

Patricia Clay (pclay@WHSUN1.WH.WHOI.EDU)
Tue, 2 Jul 1996 13:37:32 -0400

FYI. Trish Clay

Forwarded message:
> From owner-anthap@oak.oakland.edu Mon Jul 1 16:05:57 1996
> Date: 01 Jul 96 12:42:12 EDT
> From: PATSY EVANS <PATSY@aaa.mhs.compuserve.com>
> To: <coswa-l@relay.doit.wisc.edu>, <anthap@oakland.edu>
> Subject: NSF Alert
> Message-Id: <960701164211_555063.0_EHF31-1@CompuServe.COM>
> Sender: owner-anthap@oak.oakland.edu
> Precedence: bulk
> Errors-To: majordomo-owner@oak.oakland.edu
> Reply-To: PATSY EVANS <PATSY@aaa.mhs.compuserve.com>
>
> Following is a message from Peggy Overbey, Director of Government
> Relations at AAA: URGENT!!!
>
> NSF ALERT
>
> The House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill on June
> 26 that increases NSF funding in Fiscal Year (FY) 1997 by less than 1%
> over the FY 1996 level. The House adopted two amendments that affect
> NSF's allocation and overall funding in the bill. These are: a cut of
> $9.1 million to NSF salaries & expenses to add to NSF research; and an
> across-the-board cut of 0.4% to transfer funds from NSF (and other
> agencies appropriated in the VA, HUD and Independent Agencies
> appropriation bill) to the Veterans Administration. Although the
> movement of funds from NSF salaries & expenses to NSF research might
> appear as a good one to science researchers, there is a concern that cuts
> in salaries & expenses would make it difficult to administer research
> proposals and grants and result in grave problems for peer review.
>
> A third amendment to the bill adopted by the House denies the
> release of federal funds (including those from NSF) to any institution
> that prohibits ROTC or keeps military recruiters off campus.
>
> The bill now moves to the Senate where the Senate VA, HUD and
> Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to mark up a
> bill the week after the July 4 - July 9 recess. The Coalition of
> National Science Funding and Consortium of Social Science Associations,
> both of which AAA is a member organization, urge scientists who are
> constituents of members of the Senate VA, HUD and Independent Agencies
> Appropriations Subcommittee and the Chair and Ranking Minority Member of
> the Senate Appropriations Committee to FAX or email their Senators (see
> Subcommittee members below) by July 9.
>
> Scientists should ask their Senators to fund NSF at $3.375 billion
> or FY 1997. This would result in NSF being funded at the President's
> requested level of $3.325 billion, with an additional $50 million for NSF
> research. This would increase NSF's funding by 4.8% over the FY 1996
> level.
>
> Thankfully, the language of eliminating an NSF directorate
> presumably the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate where
> the anthropology programs are housed) included in the House authorization
> bill of NSF does not appear in the House appropriations bill. However,
> anthropologists may want to stress how NSF funding of anthropology has
> benefitted the state and Nation, using specific examples of significant
> findings and research in their letters to their Senators.
>
> Senate VA, HUD & Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee:
>
> Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond (R-Missouri), Chair of the
> Subcommittee
> Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland), Ranking Minority Member
> of the Subcommittee
> Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana)
> Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)
> Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama)
> Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah)
> Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colorado)
> Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vermont)
> Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-Louisiana
> Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey)
> Sen. J. Robert Kerrey (D-Nebraska)
>
> Senate Appropriations Committee Chair and Ranking Members:
>
> Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-Oregon), Chair of the Committee
> Sen. Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia), Ranking Minority Member of
> the Committee
>
> Thank you for your help. For more information, contact Dr. Peggy
> Overbey, Director of Government Relations, American Anthropological
> Association, 4350 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 640, Arlington, Virginia 22203;
> (703) 528-1902, ext. 3006; FAX (703) 528-3546; email:
> peggy@aaa.mhs.compuserve.com.
>
>
> Posted by Patsy Evans at Request of Peggy Overbey
> American Anthropological Association
> 703/528-1902; FAX 703/528-3546
> e-mail: peggy@AAA.MHS.compuserve.com