Romney, Durbin Lead Call for Robust Research Funding in Final Competition Bill

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) with U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (D-IL) and Ken Calvert (R-CA) led a bipartisan letter to Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) and House-passed America COMPETES Act conferees urging the lawmakers to oppose provisions in USICA that would allocate a high, fixed percentage of future research funding at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DOE) based on the Established Program to Stimulate Competition Research (EPSCoR). EPSCoR is a federal-state partnership program designed to enhance the research capabilities of states that receive less than 0.75 percent of NSF funding every five years.

USICA will authorize more than $100 billion over five years to support breakthrough scientific discovery and technological innovation in 10 key areas that are vital to building an innovation economy and winning the good-jobs race for the 21st century. The bill increases funding for National Science Foundation activities.

“As you know, provisions in the Senate passed USICA would set aside 20 percent of the total NSF budget for EPSCoR states as well as 20 percent of funds authorized for DOE and the NSF Directorate for Technology and Innovation. We strongly oppose such provisions, which would leave behind emerging research institutions in non-EPSCoR states. Arbitrarily walling off a sizable percentage of a science agency’s budget from a sizable majority of the country’s research institutions would fundamentally reduce the entire nation’s scientific capacity and damage the research profiles of existing institutions – contrary to the goals of both USICA and the COMPETES Act,” wrote the lawmakers.

“For the United States to maintain and expand its innovation leadership, developing the total pool of research enterprises is essential. We must prioritize fostering scientific talent and developing new technologies. If large portions of science agency budgets are off limits to these institutions, innovative research in our states would be compromised. We urge you to ensure that the final bill broadens participation in our world-class research ecosystem and to support policies that elevate research in EPSCoR and non-EPSCoR states alike,” they concluded.

A copy of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Chair Cantwell, Chair Johnson, Ranking Member Wicker, and Ranking Member Lucas:

As the Conference Committee convenes to reconcile the America COMPETES Act (H.R. 4521) and the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) (S. 1260), we write in opposition to provisions which would hamstring future research funding at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Energy (DOE) with a high, fixed allocation through Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) activities.

As you know, provisions in the Senate passed USICA would set aside 20 percent of the total NSF budget for EPSCoR states as well as 20 percent of funds authorized for DOE and the NSF Directorate for Technology and Innovation. We strongly oppose such provisions, which would leave behind emerging research institutions in non-EPSCoR states. Arbitrarily walling off a sizable percentage of a science agency’s budget from a sizable majority of the country’s research institutions would fundamentally reduce the entire nation’s scientific capacity and damage the research profiles of existing institutions – contrary to the goals of both USICA and the COMPETES Act.

For the United States to maintain and expand its innovation leadership, developing the total pool of research enterprises is essential. We must prioritize fostering scientific talent and developing new technologies. If large portions of science agency budgets are off limits to these institutions, innovative research in our states would be compromised.

We urge you to ensure that the final bill broadens participation in our world-class research ecosystem and to support policies that elevate research in EPSCoR and non-EPSCoR states alike.