Latest News: House Subcommittee Approves NSF Authorization

House Subcommittee Approves NSF Authorization

April 20, 2010

The House Subcommittee on Research and Science Education recently approved a Committee Print of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2010. The bill will authorize funding for NSF through fiscal year 2015. The House Committee on Science and Technology is scheduled to mark up the NSF Authorization as a part of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 on April 28, 2010. You can read the Committee Print of the NSF Authorization online.

Funding for Education and Human Resources will be authorized at a much higher level than originally requested by NSF. The funding level in the current bill is almost 27% higher than the 2010 enacted levels, and almost 24% higher than the 2011 request (the complete NSF budget request is available online).

The bill authorizes an almost 19% increase in funding for Research and Related Activities over 2010 enacted levels, 10% higher than the 2011 request.

Overall, $8.22 billion will be authorized for NSF in 2011. This is approximately 20% higher than the 2010 enacted level, and almost 11% higher than the 2011 request.

One noteworthy change at the Division of Undergraduate Education this year: the Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Program (CCLI) has changed to Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science (TUES). As Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Acting Assistant Director of EHR, said at a February 4th hearing before the subcommittee, ?This name change signals strongly the intention to move beyond small-scale change, and understand what is needed to fully bring about STEM undergraduate education that engages and empowers every student.? The call for proposals under the new TUES program is on the NSF website.

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