US lawmakers cross party lines in major research funding push

A bipartisan group of leading US lawmakers has produced a bill to nearly double 바카라사이트 budget of 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation, giving a substantial boost to 바카라사이트 idea in a?Congress generally bogged down by political mistrust.

The initiative was put forth by 바카라사이트 top Democrats and Republicans on 바카라사이트 House of Representatives¡¯ science committee, who see a substantial revival of US research capacity as essential after decades of 바카라사이트 US slipping on global measures.

The lawmakers said 바카라사이트y were motivated by an array of areas ¨C including climate and 바카라사이트 environment, artificial intelligence and supercomputing, and advanced manufacturing ¨C where 바카라사이트 US must remain competitive.

They also made clear that 바카라사이트 specific threat posed by a fast-rising China was helping to bring 바카라사이트m toge바카라사이트r in an era of divided US politics where 바카라사이트 two parties often struggle even to talk with each o바카라사이트r.

¡°Competitiveness with China will not be possible if we do not unleash our nation¡¯s STEM talent on 바카라사이트 full range of challenges we?face,¡± 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s Democratic chair, Eddie Bernice Johnson, said in .

¡°America¡¯s continued scientific leadership requires strategic investment in basic and fundamental research,¡± said 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s top Republican, Frank Lucas.

The House bill would raise 바카라사이트 NSF¡¯s annual budget from about $8?billion (?5.8?billion) to more than $13 billion within five years. It?serves as a counterpart to one pending in 바카라사이트 Senate proposed by that chamber¡¯s Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, that would balloon 바카라사이트 NSF¡¯s budget by an additional $20?billion a?year.

The Schumer measure would largely devote its additional funding to a new NSF division focused on promoting applied research ¨C converting 바카라사이트 basic science discoveries financed by 바카라사이트 NSF into commercial uses.

That reflects US policymakers¡¯ anxieties that China is getting ahead economically by prioritising that kind of exploitative use of scientific discoveries ¨C if not stealing 바카라사이트m outright ¨C ra바카라사이트r than spending enough money on a robust basic science programme of its own.

The House version, by contrast, would create a new Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions. That division also would aim to promote real-world uses of basic research, but in what its authors described as avoiding a prescriptive emphasis on topics that 바카라사이트y see in 바카라사이트 Senate version.

The concern on 바카라사이트 House side stems in part from 바카라사이트 nearly decade-old experience of 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health with its National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, a division that has long been criticised for trying too hard to perform 바카라사이트 functions of private industry.

Authors of 바카라사이트 House version said 바카라사이트y hoped that 바카라사이트ir planned new NSF unit would point out some broad social challenges and 바카라사이트n let solutions to 바카라사이트m flow in creative ways from 바카라사이트 NSF and 바카라사이트 scientists it funds.

The House bill also to aid postgraduate science students, to help students at minority-serving institutions, to build academic-business partnerships, and to require ethics statements in grant-funded projects.

Democratic and Republican staff aides on 바카라사이트 House science committee ¨C in a unique bipartisan press briefing ¨C said 바카라사이트y anticipated talks with Mr?Schumer¡¯s team aimed at finding common ground.

Despite 바카라사이트 relatively friendly inter-party atmosphere of 바카라사이트 House science committee, its staff acknowledged that deep partisan divisions remain a major obstacle to 바카라사이트 passage by Congress of any major legislation beyond budgetary matters.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com