WASHINGTON – The Science Coalition (TSC) released the following statement after Congress approved an omnibus appropriations package for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, which includes funding for key research agencies.
“We are pleased to see Congress pass a long-overdue appropriations package and provide our federal research agencies and their university counterparts with predictable funding after months of uncertainty,” said TSC President Peter DeYoe. “Annual appropriations are a key component of a healthy research enterprise. We appreciate Congress has recognized the importance of investing in research and has provided increases for several key agencies, as well as stability through the rest of the fiscal year. But the long-term consequences of six months of stopgap funding created challenges for the U.S. research enterprise at a time when our scientific preeminence is paramount. Going forward, sustained and predictable increases for science and innovation are imperative to keep the U.S. at the forefront of discovery.
“At the same time, there is bipartisan, bicameral enthusiasm for significant investment in federal research agencies like the Department of Energy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Science Foundation through U.S. Innovation and Competition Act and the America COMPETES Act. If legislators want to accelerate American innovation, predictable and consistent appropriations are essential to fuel cutting-edge work across all research agencies. As we enter the second half of FY22, we urge House and Senate lawmakers to prioritize on-time appropriations for FY23 and make the investments necessary to maintain the U.S. as the global research leader.”
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About the Science Coalition
Established in 1994, The Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of more than 50 of the nation’s leading public and private research universities. It is dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic scientific research as a means to stimulate the economy, spur innovation, and drive the United States’ global competitiveness.