SENATE THREATENS NSF HPCC FUNDS

[David Farber <farber@central.cis.upenn.edu>]

fom CRA ELECTRONIC BULLETIN--Sept. 10, 1993




SENATE THREATENS NSF HPCC FUNDS
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The Senate Appropriations Committee is threatening to cut $50 million from the
National Science Foundation's 1994 budget for High Performance Computing and
Communications, unless the agency can better articulate its objectives.


A Senate committee report released Sept. 9 recommends giving NSF $1,940
million for 1994 research activities, which is $264 million below the 1994
budget request and $105 million below the House appropriation.


More specifically, the report recommends that $50 million be cut from HPCC
funds.


"The Committee has taken this reduction out of concern over the Foundation's
inability to articulate specific, quantifiable, and measurable goals for its
activities in high-performance computing," the report states.


The report further says that the none of the $50 million should come from the
NSFNET or "those program elements closely related to industry."


The committee is seemingly trying to provoke the NSF into action by targeting
cuts at basic research and by leaving the NSF an opening: "Should the
Foundation articulate more specific milestones prior to conference with the
House, the Committee will revisit its recommendation. Any such milestones
should include specific links to the national information infrastructure
initiative."


NSF must respond within the next two or three weeks before the appropriations
bill goes to conference.