Arctic folks:
There is a lot of good news in the FY 1999 NSF budget request that was
delivered in the President's budget request to Congress.
The NSF budget request includes a 10% increase for the total NSF
budget and an 11.8% increase for Research & Related Activities (the
budget category covering research grants).
The FY 1999 NSF budget request for Arctic science contains some very
good news indeed. First of all, both the Introduction in the NSF
budget document and the budget briefing given by NSF Director Neal
Lane emphasized an ARCSS project, Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic
Ocean (SHEBA), as an example of an innovative activity that has
occurred with current funding. Only four such activities were listed.
You may read all of the above on the NSF Home Page:
Dr. Lane's briefing: http:/www.nsf.gov/OD/lpa/forum/lane/nl980202.htm
NSF Budget Intro: http:/www.nsf.gov/BFA/bud/fy1999/start.htm
The budget detail for Arctic sciences reveals more good news.
The Foundation-wide budget request for Arctic funding increases
from an estimated $54,000,000 in FY 1998 to $81,000,000 in FY 1999.
The largest item in the FY 1999 increase is $21,000,000 from the Major
Research Equipment account for the GEO/ATM Polar Cap Observatory.
The next largest increase is for Arctic Research in the Office of
Polar Programs. The request is for an increase of 26.3% from
$32.6M in FY 1998 (a $2M increase from FY 1997) to $41.16M in FY
1999. That translates into a 34% increase over two years.
The 26.3% Arctic Research increase in OPP in FY 1999 includes an
increase of $3,560,000 for research projects and $5,000,000 for
increased arctic logistics.
Mike Ledbetter
Director, ARCSS