November 23, 2004

The National Science Foundation (NSF), suffering its first budget cut in years, will operate at 1.9% below FY 04 spending levels. The Foundation is funded at $5.47 billion, $105 million below last year and $232 million below the FY 05 request.

The budget cut affects the two major NSF accounts: Research & Related Activities (R&RA) and Education and Human Resources (EHR). The R&RA Account, which funds NSF's core research directorates and programs, falls to $4,220.56, $30.8 million (0.7%) below FY 04 funding levels and $200.95 million below the FY 05 request level. Funding decisions by directorate and program will be left to the discretion of NSF, pending Congressional approval. The EHR Account drops $97.56 million, or 10.4%, below FY 04 spending levels to $841.4 million.

The mark includes a 12.1%, or $18.68 million, increase for the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction Account (MREFC), resulting in a total of $173.65 million for FY 05. The conferees provided funding for two new starts. The Scientific Ocean Drilling Vessel received $15 million ($25.85 million below the FY 05 request), and the Rare Symmetry Violating Processes Project received $15 million ($15 million below the FY 05 request). The Large Millimeter Array ($49.7 million) and EarthScope ($47.35 million) projects received requested funding levels. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory received $48 million, $6.25 and $14.6 million increases above the FY 04 estimate and FY 05 request, respectively. The National Ecological Observatory Network was not funded in the MREFC Account, but may receive up to $6 million in funding from the R&RA Account.

NSF's Salaries and Expenses (S&E) Account is funded at $223.2 million, $4.5 million (2.1%) above FY 04 levels. The National Science Board is provided $3.97 million, up $90 thousand from last year. The Office of the Inspector General is funded at $10.03 million, $90 thousand over the FY 04 level.

The table below provides NSF funding levels as determined from the report language, with FY 05 Marks incorporating the across the board rescission of 0.8%.

SUMMARY OF NSF FY 2005 APPROPRIATIONS

Comparison of Conference Mark with FY 04 Estimate

(Dollars in Millions)

	FY04 Estimate	FY 05 Request	FY 05 Mark with Rescission	Change from FY 04 Estimate with Rescission ($)             (%)
Research & Related Activities	$4,251.36	$4,452.31	$4,220.56	-$30.8	-0.7%
Education and Human Resources	938.98	771.36	841.42	-97.56	-10.4%
Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction	154.97	213.27	173.65	18.68	12.1%
Salaries and Expenses	218.70	294.00	223.20	4.5	2.1%
National Science Board	3.88	3.95	3.97	0.09	2.3%
Office of Inspector General	9.94	10.11	10.03	0.09	0.9%
TOTAL, NSF	$5,577.83	$5,745.00	$5,472.82	$105.01	-1.9%
Note: Totals may not add due to rounding.

See also:

• NSF & Congress Archive