Appropriators Hold Hearings on the President’s FY 2024 Funding Request for the NSF and NASA

Last month, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees held hearings to review the Biden Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 proposed budget for the National Science Foundation (NSF). In addition to the NSF budget, the Senate Appropriations Committee also reviewed the budget request for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Both hearings addressed the request of funding increases for the agencies while also highlighting the global competition challenges the US scientific enterprise is facing, specifically relating to China as they continue to heavily invest in research and development. NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan was the sole witness at the House hearing and was also a witness at the Senate hearing alongside NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) held its hearing overseen by Subcommittee Chair Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS) on April 18. Both Shaheen and Moran spoke highly of recent achievements from both agencies, Chair Shaheen specifically called out NSF’s new Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) directorate. Despite agreement from both sides that funding the work of NSF and NASA is important, members did raise the recent calls from House Republicans to cut the budget back to FY 2022 levels. Dr. Panchanathan stressed that global competition does not allow the US to slow down. With regard to the CHIPS and Science Act enacted last year, cuts would significantly impact workforce development and the creation of new jobs. Dr. Panchanathan also spent time discussing the importance of investing in AI and AI research, which NSF has committed to supporting. Dr. Panchanathan stated that investing in AI is investing in people and reiterated the NSF’s commitment to create and maintain strong partnerships, including with the growing AI Institutes and recently launched ExLENT initiative. The importance of bringing social, behavioral, and economic scientists into the equation was also highlighted, as well as a fusion of different directorates on AI activities more generally. Other topics discussed during the hearing were global scientific competitiveness, progress on upcoming NASA missions, NSF’s EPSCoR program, funding levels for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and agriculture/hydrology. The hearing recording is available on the Senate CJS Subcommittee website.

The House CJS Subcommittee held its hearing overseen by Subcommittee Chair Hal Rogers (R-KY) and Ranking Member Matt Cartwright (D-PA) on April 19. Like the Senate hearing, members of both parties seemed generally supportive of NSF and stressed the importance of global competition and equal opportunity to communities across the country- both rural and urban. Dr. Panchanathan cited his belief that innovation can be anywhere and opportunity should be everywhere. He highlighted the launch of the GRANTED program, which aims to enhance research and development on inequalities and support the administrative and infrastructure needs of under-resourced institutions, as well as the importance of meeting the goals of the EPSCoR program. Here too Dr. Panchanathan addressed the talk of budget cuts and noted that cuts would impact many areas of research, including AI and future quantum research, and offered to provide the committee with a comprehensive list of what would be impacted. Other issues discussed during the hearing were NSF’s priorities from the National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics 2020, workforce development for the semi-conductor network in partnership with leading universities, China’s current research capabilities, measuring success on grant programs, research efforts concerning the opioid epidemic, AI research limits, and the research security strategy and policy office at NSF. The hearing recording is available on the House CJS Subcommittee website.