U-M Washington Office

Citing the support the National Science Foundation (NSF) provides 200,000 university researchers and students nationally, President Mary Sue Coleman last week urged a House Appropriations panel to increase NSF support in the 2005 federal budget.

Appearing on behalf of the Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy, a coalition of nonprofit scientific societies, Coleman said funding for NSF must be increased because it is the only agency that supports basic research across all scientific disciplines.

“This broad support of basic science has been critical to the development of both new scientific understanding and new tools for the other sciences to use in advancement of their own research,” Coleman said.

Coleman cited two examples of NSF-funded research at U-M that are having positive impacts on the state’s economy and the nation.

“Our Wireless Integrated MicroSystems Center focuses on the development of low-cost, integrated microcircuits and wireless technology that will have far-ranging applications for industry, health care and the environment,” Coleman told the subcommittee. “Our Center in Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems is developing the science base for a new generation of manufacturing systems that can be quickly designed, upgraded or reconfigured to meet market demands.”

Coleman pointed out that NSF only has enough funding for one out of every four highly rated proposals it receives, and urged Congress to fulfill its pledge to double spending for NSF during the next five years.

“In my home state of Michigan, I have been communicating an essential message: that an investment in our universities is an investment in the state and nation,” Coleman said. “When an agency such as NSF funds university research, it is investing in our national economy as well as creating the next generation of outstanding scientists and engineers.”