--_002_CAF07A49B846juramirezdavidsonedu_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-ID: <90667666-51a4-4b88-b23d-15ea8f822ee7> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Dear FUN Colleagues, Thanks to all those who made time to inform their congressional representat= ives that supporting the NSF was key to strengthening the scientific infras= tructure of the United States. Please read the information for more detail= s. Note the comments on the importance of neuroscience in document. With thanks from the FUN Public Policy and Governmental Affairs Committee, Julio J. Ramirez, Ph.D. Chair, Public Policy and Governmental Affairs Committee R. Stuart Dickson Professor Director, Neuroscience Program Director, SOMAS-URM Program Department of Psychology Box 7017 Davidson College Davidson, NC 28035 Voice: 704-894-2888 [Image removed by sender.] November 18, 2011 FY 2012 National Science Foundation Appropriations Bill Signed Into Law Yesterday the House and Senate passed H.R. 2112, providing funding for the = National Science Foundation. The President signed this appropriations bill= into law today. Accompanying this bill is the Joint Explanatory Statement= of the Committee of Conference, which is the second section of House Repor= t 112-284. This statement provides important language setting forth the re= commendations and specific guidance of House and Senate appropriators. The following selections are taken from the Joint Explanatory Statement. The se= ction on NSF starts on PDF page 266. Note that introductory language in the Statement includes the following: =93The committee of conference approves report language included in House R= eport 112=96169 or Senate Report 112=9678= that is not changed by the conference. T= he statement of managers, while repeating some language for emphasis, is no= t intended to negate the language referred to above unless expressly provid= ed herein. In cases where both the House and Senate reports address a parti= cular issue not specifically addressed in the conference report or joint st= atement of managers, the conferees have determined the House report and the= Senate report are not inconsistent and are to be interpreted accordingly.= =94 National Science Foundation (total): The FY 2011 budget was $6,859.9 million The Administration requested $7,767.0 million The FY 2012 appropriation provides $7,033.1 million, an increase of $173.2 = million or 2.5 percent There is no introductory language regarding the foundation. Research and Related Activities (R&RA): The FY 2011 budget was $5,563.9 million The Administration requested $6,253.5 million The FY 2012 appropriation provides $5,719.0 million, an increase of $155.1 = million or 2.8 percent The Statement explains: =93Research Priorities -- The conferees appreciate NSF=92s commitment to re= viewing its portfolio of programs and proposing reductions or terminations = where appropriate. Such proposals provide a more fiscally sustainable way t= o support new or expanded programs. Accordingly, the conference agreement = incorporates all of NSF=92s R&RA termination and reduction proposals except= for the requested reduction to the radio astronomy program. =93By accepting NSF=92s proposal to eliminate funding for the Deep Undergro= und Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL), the conference agreement co= mpletes a multi-year phase-out of NSF involvement in this project. NSF is d= irected to report to the Committees on Appropriations about future efforts = or commitments, if any, to collaborate with the Department of Energy on a d= eep underground lab. =93Advanced manufacturing. -- The conference agreement adopts, by reference= , language in the House report regarding advanced manufacturing. =93Neuroscience. -- NSF is uniquely positioned to advance the nonmedical as= pects of cognitive sciences and neurosciences, particularly through interdi= sciplinary science, computational models, visualization techniques, innovat= ive technologies, and the underlying data and data infrastructure needed to= transform our understanding of these areas, and the conferees encourage NS= F to sustain and expand its investments in these areas. In addition, to bet= ter focus the agency=92s efforts and guide future budget submissions, NSF i= s encouraged to establish a cognitive sciences and neurosciences crosscutti= ng theme. The conferees note that language is included under the OSTP headi= ng encouraging OSTP to establish a NSTC working group to coordinate Federal= investments in neuroscience research. [See PDF page 255 for the OSTP langu= age.] =93Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT). --The direction in this section= is provided in lieu of any language in the Senate report relating to the G= SMT program. NSF has decided to proceed with the selection of a viable GSMT= project, consistent with the National Research Council=92s (NRC) 2010 astr= onomy and astrophysics decadal survey recommendations. The conferees expect= that this selection will be made expeditiously and utilize a fully competi= tive process, with a solicitation issued no later than the end of calendar = year 2011 and a result announced no later than July 31, 2012. Cybersecurity research. -- The conference agreement adopts, by reference, l= anguage from the Senate report regarding cybersecurity research.=94 Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC): The FY 2011 budget was $117.1 million The Administration requested $224.7 million The FY 2012 appropriation provides $167.1 million, an increase of $50.0 mil= lion or 42.7 percent The statement explains: =93Project priorities. -- With the MREFC funding provided either directly o= r via potential transfer from the R&RA account, NSF will be able to achieve= significant progress on its current portfolio of construction projects, bu= t some prioritization of funds will still be necessary. The conferees expec= t that NSF will dedicate funds first to the completion of projects that are= already in the final stages of construction, with remaining funds allocate= d to projects in earlier phases of development. =93Project funding profiles. -- NSF should promptly review its current port= folio of MREFC projects and their outyear funding profiles to ensure they a= re consistent with fiscal year 2011 and 2012 appropriations. If adjustment= s to the portfolio in either of those fiscal years will necessitate a revis= ion of the outyear funding profiles for any current or planned project, NSF= is directed to immediately report the revised profiles to the Committees o= n Appropriations and to include the new profiles in the fiscal year 2013 bu= dget request. =93Construction funding management. -- The conferees remain concerned about= how NSF and its grantees are defining, estimating and managing constructio= n funding, particularly contingency funds. Stronger management and oversig= ht of these funds could result in improved project efficiencies and, ultima= tely, cost savings. NSF is directed to report to the Committees on Appropri= ations on the steps it is taking to impose tighter controls on the drawdown= and use of contingencies, as well as steps intended to incentivize grantee= s to complete construction under budget, for projects managed through the M= REFC appropriation and for other large facility projects. This report shoul= d be submitted no later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act.=94 Education and Human Resources (EHR): The FY 2011 budget was $861.0 million The Administration requested $911.2 million The FY 2012 appropriation provides $829.0 million, a reduction of $32.0 mil= lion or 3.7 percent The statement explains: =93Program changes. -- In parallel with terminations and reductions propose= d in the R&RA account, NSF has proposed a number of program reductions or t= erminations within EHR. For the most part, these cuts were proposed not due= to any dissatisfaction with the programs in question but rather because NS= F would prefer to implement new initiatives. The conferees have no objectio= n to this approach, with the exception of the proposed reductions to the Ro= bert Noyce Scholarship Program and the Math and Science Partnership program= . The conferees do not believe that those cuts are warranted solely to make= room for new activities. =93Broadening Participation at the Core. -- The conference agreement adopts= , by reference, language from the House report regarding funding levels for= the existing Broadening Participation at the Core programs. =93Best practices in K=9612 STEM education. -- NSF is encouraged to find mo= re effective mechanisms for disseminating the results of its education rese= arch to the K=9612 STEM education community. Such mechanisms could include = partnerships with nonprofits and professional associations, Webinars, newsl= etters and workshops, drawing when possible on the resources of existing ne= tworks. =93In particular, NSF is directed to ensure that the NRC report entitledSuc= cessful K=9612 STEM Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science,= Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics [see FYI #126] is widely distribu= ted within the educational and scientific communities. In addition, NSF is= directed to begin work to identify methods for tracking and evaluating the= implementation of the recommendations in the NRC=92s report. NSF and its c= ollaborators should provide an evaluation plan to the Committees on Appropr= iations within 12 months of the enactment of this Act that describes these = methods and recommends the necessary steps that should be taken by NSF and = other Federal agencies to implement that plan. Within the amounts availabl= e in this account, up to $500,000 should be used for the formulation of the= evaluation plan. =93Hispanic Serving Institutions. -- The conference agreement adopts, by re= ference, language from the House report on Hispanic Serving Institutions. =93Federal Cyber Service: Scholarships for Service. -- The conferees adopt = the Senate recommendation to expand the Federal Cyber Service: Scholarships= for Service program. The agreement provides $45,000,000 for this program, = which is $20,000,000 above the requested level.=94 --_002_CAF07A49B846juramirezdavidsonedu_ Content-Type: image/png; name="5CA082D6-1D56-402F-8451-42DACECD8C86.png" Content-Description: 5CA082D6-1D56-402F-8451-42DACECD8C86.png Content-Disposition: inline; filename="5CA082D6-1D56-402F-8451-42DACECD8C86.png"; size=647; creation-date="Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:57:56 GMT"; modification-date="Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:57:56 GMT" Content-ID: <5CA082D6-1D56-402F-8451-42DACECD8C86> Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAlgAAAB9CAAAAABb80KsAAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAC OUlEQVR4Ae3SsREAIAwDscD+O8MS+U4ewMWfzhtTYL/A3b/0qMAMWBQkBcBKsjoFi4GkAFhJVqdg MZAUACvJ6hQsBpICYCVZnYLFQFIArCSrU7AYSAqAlWR1ChYDSQGwkqxOwWIgKQBWktUpWAwkBcBK sjoFi4GkAFhJVqdgMZAUACvJ6hQsBpICYCVZnYLFQFIArCSrU7AYSAqAlWR1ChYDSQGwkqxOwWIg KQBWktUpWAwkBcBKsjoFi4GkAFhJVqdgMZAUACvJ6hQsBpICYCVZnYLFQFIArCSrU7AYSAqAlWR1 ChYDSQGwkqxOwWIgKQBWktUpWAwkBcBKsjoFi4GkAFhJVqdgMZAUACvJ6hQsBpICYCVZnYLFQFIA rCSrU7AYSAqAlWR1ChYDSQGwkqxOwWIgKQBWktUpWAwkBcBKsjoFi4GkAFhJVqdgMZAUACvJ6hQs BpICYCVZnYLFQFIArCSrU7AYSAqAlWR1ChYDSQGwkqxOwWIgKQBWktUpWAwkBcBKsjoFi4GkAFhJ VqdgMZAUACvJ6hQsBpICYCVZnYLFQFIArCSrU7AYSAqAlWR1ChYDSQGwkqxOwWIgKQBWktUpWAwk BcBKsjoFi4GkAFhJVqdgMZAUACvJ6hQsBpICYCVZnYLFQFIArCSrU7AYSAqAlWR1ChYDSQGwkqxO wWIgKQBWktUpWAwkBcBKsjoFi4GkAFhJVqdgMZAUACvJ6hQsBpICYCVZnYLFQFIArCSrU7AYSAp8 164B+VI4peIAAAAASUVORK5CYII= --_002_CAF07A49B846juramirezdavidsonedu_--