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  • Washington Highlights

    AAMC Joins CNSF in Letters on Funding, Policy Priorities for the National Science Foundation

    Contacts

    Christa Wagner, Manager, Government Relations

    The AAMC joined the nearly 140 other members of the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) in letters to Congress and the Biden administration recommending funding and policy priorities for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in fiscal years (FYs) 2022 and 2023.

    In a Nov. 2 letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders, the coalition urged swift passage of at least $9.6 billion for the NSF in FY 2022, as approved by the House Appropriations Committee on July 15. The federal government is currently funded at FY 2021 levels under a continuing resolution through Dec. 3 [refer to Washington Highlights, Oct. 1].

    “We are in a critical time, with myriad challenges that include the ongoing pandemic, climate change, supply chain disruptions, and an increased focus by competing nations on emerging technologies. NSF is a central part of the solution,” the coalition stated. “Congress has significant interest in ensuring that NSF funds priority areas, including technologies that will be key to our national competitiveness. NSF needs enough funding to meet the massive scale of global challenges we face and fulfill Congress’s vision for U.S. leadership in science and technology,” it added.

    In a separate Nov. 5 letter to Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Shalanda Young and Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Eric Lander, PhD, CNSF members responded to the Biden administration’s FY 2023 multiagency research and development priorities by outlining policy recommendations for NSF funding in that fiscal year. The letter highlighted needed investments in pandemic readiness and prevention; climate change and energy innovation; critical and emerging technologies; STEM education, engagement, and innovation for equity; and national security and economic resilience.

    The letter to administration leaders stated that “CNSF supports the goal of increasing the national investment in NSF’s research and educational programs in response to the scientific, technological, and economic challenges facing the United States. NSF plays a critical role in advancing our nation’s competitiveness and addressing research and education challenges related to many Biden Administration priorities.

    “We hope that you will use the FY 2023 budget request to propose growth to NSF that enables progress on these priorities, as well as steady expansion to the agency’s core activities that form the backbone of the U.S. science and technology innovation ecosystem,” the coalition concluded.