ASME task force assesses NSF program funding

On April 15, the ASME National Science Foundation Task Force of the Council on Education submitted written testimony to the House Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. Each fiscal year, the task force reviews the NSF budget request and closely examines the overall request.

While the fiscal year 2004 request of $5.5 billion is nine percent greater than the fiscal 2003 request, it is actually only 2.8 percent greater than the actual fiscal 2003 appropriation of $5.3 billion. This falls short of the authorized doubling of the agency that was enacted by Congress last year. Concerns were also raised in the statement regarding the balance between basic research and funding of new initiatives.

The statement can be viewed at http://www.asme.org/gric/ps/2003/03.pdf.

For more information, contact Patti Burgio at burgiop@asme.org.



States notified about funding for math and science program

The U.S. Department of Education recently notified the states of their fiscal year 2003 funding for the Math and Science Partnership program.

In a letter to chief state school officers, the U.S. Department of Education informed the states that they will receive a proportional amount of $100,343,500, which was appropriated by Congress in February, based on the number of school-age children from families living below the poverty line in their state.

State education agencies must then award subgrants to eligible partnerships, which "must include both an engineering, mathematics, or science department of an institution of higher education and a high-need local education agency."

The list of authorized activities is broad, but strong emphasis is placed on the creation of intensive summer institutes for the professional development of teachers. State education agencies will be asked to submit a description of the activities it intends to fund and how they will be evaluated.

The money is slated for fiscal 2003; therefore, the subgrantees must obligate these funds no later than Sept. 30, 2004.

For more information, visit http://www.engineeringpolicy.org/
Education/K12Ed-MSP.html.

Reps. Vernon Ehlers, Rush Holt, Judy Biggert and others sent a letter to Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ralph Regula, R-Ohio, thanking him for the fiscal 2003 appropriation and requesting $200 million for fiscal 2004 and full funding of the authorized $450 million by fiscal 2007, when science testing will also be required.

ASME and others worked with these offices to develop this funding scenario. Similar bipartisan requests are expected in the Senate.

A copy of the letter can be found at http://www.engineeringpolicy.org/
Education/RegulaLtr.pdf.

The ASME-led K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Coalition also sent a letter to Regula and the entire Congress, requesting $200 million for the Department of Education's Math and Science partnership program for fiscal year 2004. The letter was signed by 65 organizations.

A copy of the letter can be found at http://www.asme.org/
gric/ps/2003/03-15.html.

— Melissa Murray
ASME Government Relations

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