On 30 July 2007, the House approved fiscal year (FY) 2008 funding legislation for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) and related agencies (H.R. 3093). The legislation funds various federal science agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and within the Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The legislation, now awaiting Senate action, would provide $6.509 billion for NSF; $80 million over the FY 2008 request and just over $590 million more than the FY 2007 enacted level. Of the $6.509 billion, Research and Related Activities (R&RA) would receive roughly $5.14 billion and the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) account would be provided $244.7 million.

The House’s CJS appropriations legislation would provide $17.62 billion for NASA, $162 million more than the current Senate plan. Roughly $4 billion would be provided in discretionary appropriations for NOAA; $140.9 million over the request and $56.9 million over FY 2007 enacted appropriations. Of the $4 billion, $2.85 billion of direct appropriations would be provided to Operations, Research, and Facilities, $448.9 million for the National Oceanic Service, $811.5 million for the National Weather Service, and $702.4 million for the National Marine Fisheries Service.

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has named Dr. Nina V. Federoff to be her new Science and Technology Adviser. Federoff, a plant molecular biologist, is the Willaman Professor of Life Sciences and Evan Pugh Professor in the Department of Biology and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Pennsylvania State University.

Established in 2000, the Secretary’s Science and Technology Adviser serves as the State Department’s chief scientist and principal liaison to the national and international scientific communities. Federoff is the third person to hold the post.

Among the chief responsibilities of the S&T Adviser are: enhancing the scientific literacy at the Department of State; increasing the number of scientists working for the Department of State, both domestically and overseas; building bridges to the scientific community; and, providing timely information on emerging S&T issues with implications for foreign policy. Federoff’s research has centered on the molecular biology of plant genes and transposons, as well as plant adaptations to stressful environments.

Two subcommittees of the House Science and Technology Committee continue to investigate the Department of Energy’s (DOE) decision to eliminate funding for the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) in Aiken, SC. Witnesses at a recent joint hearing of the Investigations and Oversight subcommittee and the Energy and Environment subcommittee included various senior Department of Energy officials.

Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Brad Miller (D-NC) opened the hearing stating: “the Savannah River Ecology Lab served the Department of Energy, the communities affected by the site and the Nation for more than 50 years. It was, by any financial measure, a very inexpensive lab to operate. It would be hard to find a better return on investment anywhere in the Federal science complex.” Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Nick Lampson (D-TX) said, “there is simply no reason for DOE to discontinue funding for SREL. There are funds available. There is work to be done. SREL has the personnel and the experience to do the work.”

Contrary to testimony offered by scientists during a prior hearing about the closure of SREL, Deputy Secretary of Energy Clay Sell said that it was “a mistake to suggest that SREL is unique…” from other universities with research laboratories, although he was not aware if any of the surrounding universities had actually competed against SREL for grants. He also stated that, “I do not want to suggest that we have been perfect. I do not want to suggest that we couldn’t have done things better. But I do firmly believe that we have acted in good faith.”

Controversy erupted during the hearing over whether or not Dr. Bertsch, former director of SREL, had been notified of the funding cut in May 2005. Dr. Bertsch has maintained that he was not advised of the complete zeroing out of SREL’s budget. He stated that he was given no details of how much funding would actually be provided beyond fiscal year (FY) 2006.