The National Science Foundation for the Future Act was introduced on March 26, 2021 by Representative Eddie Johnson [D-TX-30] on behalf of herself and Representatives Lucas Frank [R-OK-3], Haley Stevens [D-MI-11] and Michael Waltz [R-FL-6]. The subcommittee on Research and Technology marked up the bill and forwarded it to a full vote by the Committee on Science Space and Technology on May 13, 2021. The bill currently has 20 cosponsors and is viewed as a bipartisan alternative to the Endless Frontiers Act (1) that is currently in the Senate.
THE BILL: H.R.2225 “To fully realize the potential of science to benefit society, we must fund more research on the questions that matter to the American people” --Rep. Eddie Johnson What does the Bill do? The purpose of this bipartisan Bill is to authorize appropriations for the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the fiscal years 2022-2026 with the intent of doubling the agency’s overall budget over the course of five years. This would start with a $2 billion increase in FY2022, putting the NSF budget at $11.4 billion for the year, and growing at an annual average of 6%. The Bill authorizes a significant increase in funding, in order to improve STEM education, accelerate interdisciplinary research, strengthen commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and create better research security while expanding accessibility and accountability. A major goal of this Bill is to increase participation in the STEM workforce because diversifying STEM initiatives is essential for addressing some of the most pressing challenges we face as a nation. Diverse backgrounds and ideas from qualified individuals bring about the most innovative solutions. The Bill will therefore address STEM education at all levels first by encouraging the expansion of data collection on the nature of the STEM workforce, and by authorizing a 50% increase in funding for STEM education programs over the next 5 years. The Bill will provide support for advancing and developing research and initiatives to address educational challenges at all levels. This will start with a review initiated by the Director of NSF, to assess opportunities for PreK-12 STEM education research in order to provide recommendations over the next decade. Additionally, it will scale initiatives in PreK-12 education partnerships programs to support translational research. On the University level, the Bill supports efforts to align undergraduate STEM education with the current workforce needs, and will advance policies and funding to support training, mentoring and professional development for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. A priority of the Bill is to broaden participation of historically underrepresented groups, and expand partnerships or collaborations with international groups. It will establish a pilot program to support partnerships, expand research and provide opportunities to students attending minority serving institutions. By prioritizing STEM education and initiatives, the Bill would help to improve the leadership, competitiveness, and national security of the US. Security for those within research organizations funded by NSF would be improved through modifications to the mandatory responsible conduct of research training to include promising practices for preventing and addressing harassment. The Bill would also include practices for protecting against security risks that threaten research integrity. This Bill would specifically prioritize funding for research on global climate change both to improve our understanding of it and to increase the security of communities through the development of strategies for mitigating and adapting to it at the local level. Improvements to data management plans and training would allow the Director to ensure that public access to data, software, and code created by NSF-funded projects is stored and maintained with high quality. Additionally, the Bill lays out the vision for the Foundation’s future. In doing so, a Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions would be added to the agency to determine research priorities with a focus on societal challenges such as: Climate change and environmental sustainability, the food-energy-water nexus, global competitiveness in critical technologies, cybersecurity, national security, STEM education and workforce, and social and economic inequality. Why was it proposed? Innovative research is an important part of growing the economy, enhancing national security and advancing the country as a global leader. Just after World War II, the NSF was created by Congress in 1950 with the goals of promoting and progressing science, advancing national health, prosperity and welfare, and securing national defense (2). Today, the NSF supports more than 25% of the federally funded research occurring at colleges and universities (2). However, in the 2019 fiscal year, about $3 billion in proposals that were deemed fundable by their ratings, (“very good” and above) could not be funded due to limitations on the NSF budget (3). Especially in an increasingly competitive global market, it is unfortunate that many innovative projects that would benefit the American people cannot be funded. In order for the United States to address critical societal challenges and remain a global leader, the Federal Government must increase funding for initiatives that advance science and technology innovation and broaden participation in the STEM workforce. This starts first by recruiting and supporting a diverse group of highly qualified researchers, and implementing mentorship and policies to retain STEM workers and a positive work environment. Mitigating harassment and hostile working conditions would be improved through expanded training and updated policies (4). Benefits Bipartisan support for this Bill highlights the fact that both parties believe the role of NSF is fundamental to keep the country in a global leadership position as it provides funding for research, innovation, and development. To address the worldwide threat of climate change, prioritized funding for projects studying the mechanisms and effects of this will enhance the safety and security of all communities, especially vulnerable communities in the US. Cyber security continues to be a major threat and NSF supports research on improving critical systems to identify threats, understand space weather and natural disasters that could disrupt satellites, and protect personal data (5). NSF supports a broad range of fundamental science and engineering fields - everything other than medicine. Increased funding for NSF would progress research initiatives across the board, helping to address societal challenges and expand the STEM workforce by creating programs to increase retention throughout STEM education. Challenges Many other scientific agencies also need an increase in funding to support their priorities (see our previous blog post about proposed allocations to various science agencies). Despite the desperate need for this funding, it is difficult to allocate so much to NSF when many agencies are currently underfunded compared to previous years. Expanding NSFs mission brings about worry of security issues as expansion could lead to weakened oversight of initiatives. Some argue that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is better suited to pursue these target goals as it has a stronger record on research security. However, just one agency won’t fix the major issues outlined in this Bill - collaboration between multiple agencies and internationally is needed. The work and innovation outcomes funded by NSF would support DARPA work. Want to advocate? Does this bill resonate with you? Do you want to see it become a law? Have concerns or thoughts you would like to discuss? There are currently 20 co-sponsors of this bill in the Senate: Eddie Johnson [D-TX-30], Lucas Frank [R-OK-3], Haley Stevens [D-Mi-11], Michael Waltz [R-FL-6], Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2] Gwen Moore [D-WI-4], James Baird [R-IN-4], Peter Meijer [R-MI-3], Steve Cohen [D-TN-9], Jahana Hayes [D-CT-5], Daniel Kildee [D-MI-5], Ro Khanna [D-CA-17], Brian Fitzpatrick [R-PA-1], Elaine Luria [D-VA-2], Zoe Lofgren [D-CA-19], Paul Tonko [D-NY-20], Ed Case [D-HI-1], Suzanne Bonamici [D-OR-1], Susan Wild [D-PA-7], Sheila Jackson Lee [D-TX-18] and Ed Perlmutter [D-CO-7] Do you see your Congresspeople listed above? If not, you can email your policymakers by finding their emails at https://www.congress.gov/members?searchResultViewType=expanded or call their offices to voice your thoughts. Remember to use our Resources page for more information and guidance when reaching out! Footnotes
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