The United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency plan to expand programs that give out money for extramural, peer-reviewed research. The action is in response to recommendations by outside panels.
But the extent to which Congress will go along with the policy is not clear. At both EPA and NOAA, such extramural programs received 1991 budget increases that fell short of expectations. At USDA, a hefty increase in the agency's extramural competitive grants program comes with the requirement that overhead costs be held to a level that is one-third or less what institutions usually charge the government.
Such restrictions will force scientists who want money from EPA and NOAA to compete for a smaller pot of funds. There will be fewer overall grants, and several programs will take longer to get off the ground. In addition, some scientists may be prevented ...
