Government Briefs

At Last, A Science Policy From Bush At the very end of his campaign for president, George Bush finally offered scientists a glimpse of how they would fare under his administration. And, in what came as a surprise to many scientists, it was a view that embraced many of the positions urged upon both candidates by the major scientific organizations. Speaking three weeks ago to a Columbus, Ohio, audience of broadcasters, Bush pledged to promote his science adviser to a Cabinet-level position (with an official title of Assistant to the President for Science and Technology), as well as giving him a seat on the Economic Policy Council and a voice in national security issues. The adviser, Bush said, would also direct a “stronger Office of Science and Technology Policy, one that performs analyses and helps to prepare R&D budgets” across the federal government. In addition, Bush vowed to replace the current low-profile White House Science Council with a new body to be called the President’s Council of Science and Technology Advisers. DARPA Cooled Off On High Tc Funding The importance of spending more on superconductivity research took a back seat to holding down the defense budget last month as Congress whacked as much as $20 million off what the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency had expected to spend this year on the topic. As a result, DARPA division director Kay Rhyne has dropped plans to expand her program into cryogenics and structural support. She warns that existing projects may also have to be trimmed as the agency’s overall spending on superconductivity will dip from $30 million this year to $25 million in 1989. On other high-Tc fronts, however, the news from Washington was much better. NSF plans to boost its spending on superconductivity from $14.6 million this year to $17.2 million in 1989; likewise, DOE will raise its commitment from $27.1 million to $38.7 million. Overall, the federal government next year is expected to spend from $10 million to $20 million more on superconductivity than this year’s total of $92 million. Seeking The Solace Of Invisibility David Kingsbury, NSF assistant director for biological, behavioral, and social sciences, is returning to academia. But the former Stanford microbiologist, whose four years at NSF have been tainted by an ongoing federal investigation into his ties to several biotechnology firms, moves into a faculty position this month at George Washington University medical school convinced that strict rules against outside affiliations keep many scientists away from government service. “It’s difficult for people who want to remain active as a researcher and a scholar to do it while they are in government,” he says. “I’ve had invitations to collaborate with the private sector, to write books, and to work as an adviser on various projects, but I’ve said no to any interaction from which I could possibly derive some benefit.” Kingsbury says he is leaving NSF because of a request for NIH funding of his work on slow viruses that would take the place of a five-year grant that expires December 31. “I couldn’t stay out of the lab much longer without falling behind as a researcher,” he says about his role as head of a five-person team at GWU. Admitting that the 18-month investigation by the Justice Department has taken its toll, he adds, “Besides, it’ll be nice to be invisible again.” Playing The Numbers At NSF NSF’s recent allocation of the $1885 billion that Congress gave it to spend this year gives observers a chance to speculate about winners and losers among the various disciplines. But Director Erich Bloch has changed the way the game is played by adding to each individual discipline’s total its proportional share of such overarching programs as the advanced supercomputer centers, graduate fellowships, and the new science and technology centers. Not surprisingly, the new formula also gives Bloch ammunition to fight critics who have accused him of favoring computer science and engineering at the expense of the more traditional disciplines. Bloch’s adjusted figures put the mathematical and physical sciences on top, with an increase of 16.4%, followed closely by engineering, with 15.9%, and biological and behavioral sciences, with 15.6%. Geology and computer sciences trail, with 10% and 8.3%, respectively. Based on the normal breakdown by program area, however, computer sciences leads the way with an 18.2% increase, followed by engineering with 9.5%. Geology receives 6.4% more, biology 5.4%, and math physical sciences trails with a 4.1% increase. NSF’s overall research budget rose by 9%, representing $130 million in new funds; it received a 23% increase, representing $32 million more, for science education.

Government Briefs

The Scientist Staff

At Last, A Science Policy From Bush

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