It's All Fun and Games Until Your Funding Gets Cut

Just as the U.S. is losing its lead in basic scientific research, "Congressional support for boosting U.S. academic research this year slammed head-on into other national needs and a growing demand to curb federal spending," reports Science in the Jan. 6 issue. "The resulting crackup has left the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with its first cut in spending since 1970 and the National Science Foundation (NSF) with an increase that only regains lost ground and mocks the recent rhetoric about the importance of a 7-year doubling of its budget.... Basic and applied research spending across all federal agencies will inch up by $1 billion in 2006, to $57 billion, according to an analysis by AAAS (which publishes Science). But the lion's share of the increase went to preparation for NASA's moon-Mars mission, a bump that helped NASA achieve an overall 1.5% increase, to $16.5 billion. Even a 2.1% increase in the Defense Department's $73 billion research and development budget masks a 2.9% drop in its $1.5 billion basic research account and a flat budget for the $3 billion Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).... NIH and NSF officials have been told to expect little or no increases, with another cut likely in NSF's education programs and no money for any major new scientific facilities. But last-minute agency appeals were still pending at press time, leaving some officials hopeful that White House budgeteers might be listening to the recent drumbeat of support to boost investment in research and training."