Administration proposes boosting environmental science funding: $136 million for NSF Biocomplexity initiative

February 10, 2000

 

The Clinton Administration has proposed increasing the National Science Foundation (NSF) budget by $675 million (+17%) to $4.57 billion for fiscal year 2001.

Biocomplexity and the Environment (BE), one of four major NSF budgetary initiatives would grow to $136.3 million from $50 million this year. NSF has received more than 500 letters of intent for research proposals on its present $50 million special competition on biocomplexity in the environment.

The Biocomplexity and the Environment budget request, which went to Congress on Monday, includes:

• $50 million for "microscale systems" [systems operating at the scale of molecules and organisms];

• $30 million for "ecosystems" [interactions between human, biological, geological, and climate systems]

• $23 million for "planetary systems" [characteristics and the dynamics of the earth's cycles]; and,

• $33 million for research platforms including about $12 million for initial construction of a National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). This facility will explore the biology of the planet (pole-to-pole) with state-of-the-art research tools and infrastructure."

According to NSF, "[t]he enhanced BE initiative will bring together interdisciplinary teams of scientists in an intensified effort to understand dynamic interactions within biological systems and the physical environment." Details are available at http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/media/2000/fsbiocom2001.htm

The National Council for Science and Environment will be analyzing this budget request to evaluate its consistency with the recommendations of the NSF report, "Environmental Science and Engineering for the 21^st Century: The Role of the National Science Foundation," which was approved in final form by the National Science Board earlier this month. See: http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/press/00/pr004.htm

Included in the $43.3 billion (+6%) request for civilian research and development are:

• $747 million (+14%) for Integrated Science for Ecosystem Challenges (ISEC), a coordinated multi-agency effort to improve understanding of causes and consequences of environmental stressors; understand the importance and ecological role of biodiversity; study ecosystem processes; make it possible to begin to apply information technology to ecological data.

• $1.74 billion (+ 2%) for the interagency U.S. Global Change Research Program.

• $758 million (+14%) for research at the Environmental Protection Agency.

• $895 million (+10%) for research at U.S. Geological Survey - including a $30 million increase for Community/Federal Information Partnerships and a $10 million increase for development of decision support systems for resource managers;

• $302.5 million for oceanic and atmospheric research at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

• $1.406 billion for NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise.

• A new program led by the U.S. Agency for International Development and NASA to map, monitor and report on tropical forests.

The National Council for Science and Environment will report on the progress of these initiatives as part of our effort to educate scientists and decisionmakers about the need for science in environmental decisionmaking.