Finally, the Committee is concerned that the President's budget is based on uncertain and unlikely revenue sources. The Committee hopes that discretionary science programs do not suffer as a result of revenues that are unlikely to materialize. We urge the Committee on the Budget to provide sufficient funding to meet the authorizations approved by the Science Committee. The Committee has set out its priorities in authorizations for programs under its jurisdiction. They are: H.R. 1184: To authorize appropriations for carrying out the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 for FY2000 and FY2001, and for other purposes. H.R. 1550: To authorize appropriations for the United States Fire Administration for FY2000 and FY2001, and for other purposes. H.R. 1551: To authorize the Federal Aviation Administration's civil aviation research and development programs for FY2000 and FY2001, and for other purposes. H.R. 1552: Marine Research and Related Environmental Research and Development Programs H.R. 1553: To authorize appropriations for FY2000 and FY2001 for the National Weather Service, Atmospheric Research, and National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes. H.R. 1654: To authorize appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for FY2000, FY2001, and FY2002, and for other purposes. H.R. 1655: To authorize appropriations for FY2000 and FY2001 for the civilian energy and scientific research, development, and demonstration and related commercial application of energy technology H.R. 1656: To authorize appropriations for FY2000 and FY2001 for the commercial application of energy technology and related civilian energy and scientific programs, projects, and activities of the Department of Energy, and for other purposes. H.R. 1742: To authorize appropriations for FY2000 and FY2001 for the environmental and scientific research, development, and demonstration programs, projects, and activities of the Office of Research and Development and Science Advisory Board of the Environmental Protection Agency, and for other purposes. H.R. 1743: To authorize appropriations for FY2000 and FY2001 for the environmental and scientific and energy research, development, and demonstration and commercial application of energy technology programs, projects, and activities of the Office of Air and Radiation of the Environmental Protection Agency, and for other purposes. H.R. 1744: To authorize appropriations for the National Institute of Standards and Technology for FY2000 and FY2001, and for other purposes. H.R. 1273 (P.L. 105-207): A bill to authorize appropriations for FY1998 and FY1999 for the National Science Foundation, and for other purposes. The FY2001 Views and Estimates for programs within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science are contained in the following pages. COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT The United States stands as the global leader in computing, communication and information technology. This $500 billion-a-year industry accounted for one-third of our Nation's economic growth since 1992 and created new industries and millions of new, high-paying jobs. This staggering success, however, is predicated on Federal research conducted over the last three decades. Fundamental IT research played an essential role in the Information Revolution. However, maintaining the Nation's global leadership in information technology is not a given. The congressionally chartered President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) stated that the "current boom in information technology is built on basic research in computer science carried out more than a decade ago. There is an urgent need to replenish the knowledge base." Although the private sector conducts most of the IT research, that spending has focused on short-term, applied work. As the Nation's economy becomes more dependent on the Internet and IT in general, current federal programs and support for fundamental research in IT must be revitalized. By a vote of 41-0, the Science Committee passed H.R. 2086, the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act (NITRD), a five-year authorization bill in September of 1999. The House passed the bill by voice vote on February 15, 2000. H.R. 2086 provides comprehensive authorization for the Federal Government's civilian basic information technology research effort at the six agencies under the Science Committee's jurisdiction: NSF, NASA, DOE, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This bill fundamentally will alter and greatly enhance the way information technology research is supported and conducted. Its centerpiece is the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development program, which will be managed primarily through NSF and will focus on long-term, peer-reviewed basic research of the kind in which NSF excels. While funding for individual investigators remains an important aspect of IT research, funding for research teams and centers also can lead to dramatic progress. Therefore in FY2001, the bill authorizes $25 million for large grants of up to $1 million for high-end computing, software, and networking research and $45 million for information technology research centers that are comprised of research teams of six or more members. To attract more students to science and to careers in IT, the bill also authorizes $95 million for universities to establish for-credit internship programs for IT-related research at private high-tech companies. Both twoand four-year schools will be eligible for these grants, which will operate on a 50-50 cost sharing basis. To help meet the need for state-of-the-art computing systems for the civilian research community in FY2001, H.R. 2086 authorizes $70 million for a terascale computing competition at NSF. The bill requires that the funds be allocated on a competitive, peer-reviewed basis, and that awardees be required to connect to the Partnership for Advanced Computational Infrastructure (PACI) network. The bill also authorizes the Next Generation Internet program through completion in FY2002. Our future global influence lies in the hands of our young people, the education and training they receive, and the new scientific breakthroughs they produce. H.R. 2086 combines increased authorizations for research funding with important policy changes that will keep the Nation at the cutting edge of information technology and produce the next generation of highly skilled IT workers. It offers opportunities for all by providing open competition for IT grant funding, as well as benefiting diverse groups ranging from two-year community colleges to the largest universities. This bipartisan legislation demonstrates a commitment to upholding our Nation's preeminence in information technology. It has been endorsed by dozens of organizations including the 1999 co-chairs Bill Joy and Ken Kennedy of PITAC, the Technology Network, the Computing Research Association, the Big Ten Universities and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. During consideration of the bill on the House floor, the House adopted an amendment by Congressman Capuano to reduce funding for DOE's High Performance Computing and Communication (HPCC) program and transfer the funding to NSF. The Committee supports this prioritization of NSF basic research and encourages the Committee on Budget to reallocate funding accordingly. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TAX CREDIT The Science Committee continues to support the National Science Policy Study goal to permanently extend the R&D Tax Credit to create a stable R&D planning foundation for private industry. The Committee believes that last year's five-year extension of the R&D credit is a positive step in this endeavor. GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS ACT (Results Act) Each year, American taxpayers invest billions of federal funds in civilian science agencies and programs. Rightly so, the American people are demanding that these funds be spent in a more efficient and businesslike manner. While the Nation has entered an era of projected federal budget surpluses, this does not justify wasteful inefficient management and spending for federal programs. We must continue to strive for good government, meaning efficient, effective and well managed programs. The Government Performance and Results Act aims to implement these principles in agencies practice. The Government Performance and Results Act (the Results Act) continues to provide an effective oversight tool for the Science Committee to reexamine the value and effectiveness of science programs and legislate the necessary corrective measures to these programs. By Congress requiring agencies to adopt new planning, budgeting and reporting procedures, government agencies and programs should become more efficient, effective and accountable to the American taxpayer. For science, in particular, "the application of the Results Act to federal science projects must not result in a lost of efficiency by overwhelming scientists with burdensome bureaucratic obligations and distracting them from their research efforts," as the National Science Policy Study pointed out. There is a distinction, however, between high quality research and low quality research. That distinction can be measured. For example, the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP) study included a roadmap for establishing useful measures for basic research. Moreover, as the Science Policy Study stated, "[s]cience often takes unexpected turns and researchers must be able to follow these unanticipated bends in the road to follow new, potentially more rewarding paths."2 As the COSEPUP study and the National Science Policy Study noted, scientists must be involved in the Results Act process in order to follow a roadmap to successfully implement the Results Act for science programs. SUBCOMMITTEE ON BASIC RESEARCH It is the Committee's view that supporting basic research, including math, science, and engineering education, is a proper role of government. In particular, the Committee has supported large funding increases for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and will support further increases consistent with fiscal realities. The Committee also will continue to support education programs at NSF and will work with the agency to promote a sound education research agenda that will provide the foundation for improved student performance in science and math. In particular, the Committee will abide by the broad recommendations in the National Science Policy Study to improve United States performance in K-12 science and math. The Committee's education agenda will work to ensure education reforms have a solid intellectual footing. The Committee further notes the importance of basic research to agency missions. To that end, the Committee will continue to support science programs that help protect life and property. The Science Committee has many programs and agencies under its jurisdiction that support such missions, including two under the Basic Research Subcommittee: the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. With proper funding and management, these and other programs can have a tangible, beneficial impact on the lives of the Nation's citizens. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) NSF funds about 19,000 projects in research, engineering, and education, mostly through competitive, peerreviewed grants and cooperative agreements, to more than 2,000 universities, colleges, K-12 schools, businesses, and other research institutions throughout the United States. Although its budget level falls well below the National Institutes of Health and other agencies that support science, the role of NSF in promoting basic research is extremely important to the U.S. scientific enterprise. For example, about 25 percent of the federal dollars earmarked for basic research in academia is provided through NSF, as well as nearly 50 percent of the funding for non-medical university research. The Foundation also participates in international science projects. For FY2001, the Administration has requested $4.60 billion for NSF, which includes approximately $31.0 million from the H-1B immigration fees. This represents a 17.1 percent increase over the FY2000 appropriation of $3.93 billion. Included in this proposal are initiatives for information technology research (up 160 percent to $327 million), nanotechnology (up 123 percent to $217 million), biocomplexity in the environment (up 173 percent to $136 million), and the 21" century workforce (up 113 percent to $157 million. As the current authorization for NSF (P.L. 105-207) expires at the end of FY2000, the Committee will be taking up a reauthorization bill in the coming months. The Committee supports the increased funding requested for NSF and is pleased the Administration recognizes the importance of funding basic research. However, it is concerned that the increase for FY2001 may amount to a one-time funding bump, as the outyear estimates provided by the Administration suggest. The Committee believes that science funding should not move in fits and starts, and it hopes that future Administrations can improve on the out-year projections provided in the current budget proposal. FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY - UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATION (USFA) Programs under the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), which includes the National Fire Academy, support public education activities in fire safety, prevention, and control; data collection, analysis, and distribution, fire suppression research and development; arson prevention; and firefighter health and safety. The agency also supports a memorial for fallen firefighters. Over the years, USFA has been credited with helping to reduce loss of life of both firefighters and civilians. In the First Session, the Committee passed H.R. 1550, the Fire Administration Authorization Act of 1999, through the House. H.R. 1550 authorizes $49.5 million for FY2001 for USFA activities. The President's FY2001 request for base programs at USFA is $44.8 million, up 4.1 percent from the FY2000 appropriated level, but 9.6 percent below the $49.5 million authorized for FY2001 in H.R. 1550. In addition, the Administration is proposing a $25 million pilot grant program to provide health and safety firefighter equipment in needy communities. There are a number of questions that need to be answered about this program, including whether or not USFA is the appropriate agency to administer it, particularly in light of recent concerns about how the agency is managed. The Committee recognizes the valuable contribution first responders make to their communities, and it will continue to work to ensure the effectiveness of the USFA programs on which volunteer and professional firefighters rely for training. research, public education, and other services. NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION PROGRAM (NEHRP) NEHRP's research and mitigation activities have the potential to reduce greatly the earthquake hazard risk in many parts of the country. Four agencies participate in NEHRP: the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which directs earthquake planning and mitigation programs; NSF, which supports fundamental geological and engineering research; United States Geological Survey (USGS), which conducts research on earthquake hazards potential, earthquake effects, and post-earthquake phenomena; and National Institute of Standards of Technology (NIST), which is involved in developing building standards. H.R. 1184, the Earthquakes Hazards Reduction Authorization Act of 1999, which passed the House during the First Session, authorizes $174.8 million for the program, including an authorization of $44 million for the Advanced National Seismic Research and Monitoring System at USGS and $28.2 million for the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) at NSF. For FY2000, the Administration has requested $127.4 million for NEHRP, an increase of 24.2 percent from the FY2000 appropriation of $102.6 million. Much of this increase is attributed to the NSF request for NEES, which would rise from $7.7 million in FY2000 to $28.2 million in FY2001, in keeping with the funding profile laid out in H.R. 1184. The Committee would have preferred to see additional money being made available for the Advanced Seismic System at USGS in the Administration's budget, but recognizes the $2.6 million in added funding for this project is a step in the right direction. SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) The Committee on Science has jurisdiction over DOE's civilian energy research, development, demonstration and commercial application of energy technology activities. DOE's FY2001 budget request proposes to fund these activities through six appropriations accounts: Science, Energy Supply, Non-Defense Environmental Management, Fossil Energy R&D, Energy Conservation R&D, and Clean Coal Technology. DOE's FY2001 budget authorization request for programs under the Committee's jurisdiction is $5,156.5 million. This is an increase of $463.4 million—or 9.9 percent-above the FY2000 appropriation of $4,693.1 million and an increase of $82.9 million—or 1.6 percent-above the comparable FY 2001 level of $5,073.6 million authorized by P.L. 104-271 (Hydrogen Future Act of 1996), Section 10 of P.L. 105-388 (Energy |