NSF is supporting three separate efforts, one in-house, to help it decide how to create, operate and evaluate such basic research facilities. Congress has already heard Xestimony from representatives of several major scientific organizations on the need to move slowly and carefully.
Chief among their concerns are:
"I expect the centers to focus on areas that are important to the U.S. economy," said Richard Nicholson, assistant director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences and coordinator of the Foundation's five-year plan for the centers. "It's not un-American to worry about the contribution of science to improving the country's economic indicators.
"If Erich Bloch had asked for more money to do fundamental research on quarks, we'd be looking at a smaller budget instead of the 18 percent increase that has been proposed by this administration. We're not promising to eliminate the federal deficit, but training and the production of knowledge are keys to ...
