This week, Congress introduced legislation (H.R. 4186) that would significantly cut NSF's Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate.
Also known as the Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science and Technology Act of 2014 (FIRST Act), the bill serves as reauthorization legislation for the National Science Foundation (NSF), and includes a proposal to cut NSF’s Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) sciences directorate by more than $50 million—over 22 percent. The bill would also place a greater burden on NSF regarding its already-gold standard merit review process and require additional, potentially duplicative public disclosure of research grants. Further, the bill seeks to micromanage the grant application process and limit the number of awards that can be made to principal investigators, undermining the merit review process that successfully determines the very best science worth taxpayer support.
The bill passed the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology on March 13 and will move on to consideration by the full Committee. Write to your House member now and ask that they oppose the FIRST Act through the Consortium of Social Science Associations webpage: click here.
Also known as the Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science and Technology Act of 2014 (FIRST Act), the bill serves as reauthorization legislation for the National Science Foundation (NSF), and includes a proposal to cut NSF’s Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) sciences directorate by more than $50 million—over 22 percent. The bill would also place a greater burden on NSF regarding its already-gold standard merit review process and require additional, potentially duplicative public disclosure of research grants. Further, the bill seeks to micromanage the grant application process and limit the number of awards that can be made to principal investigators, undermining the merit review process that successfully determines the very best science worth taxpayer support.
The bill passed the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology on March 13 and will move on to consideration by the full Committee. Write to your House member now and ask that they oppose the FIRST Act through the Consortium of Social Science Associations webpage: click here.