Government agencies, in the face of legislation drafted by the House of Representatives to cut nondefense research, are preparing to trim grants for the federal fiscal year beginning October 1.
However, says John C. Crowley, director of MIT's Washington office, "it is not time to panic. The actions of program managers to be conservative in funding decisions are entirely predictable. It is the byproduct of the inability of Congress and the administration to reach agreement on the budget.
"The entire process could either come to conclusion by October 1, the start of the new fiscal year, or it could continue for several weeks if not months. Nobody can predict how it will go," he said.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has published a detailed analysis of the funding situation. House Republican leaders have drafted legislation that would cut nondefense R&D by $1.1 billion or 5.1 percent, according to the AAAS.
The report, which summarizes the situation for each major science funding agency, is available on the web at http://www.aaas.org/spp/dspp/rd/upd812.htm.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on September 25, 1999.
