SCIENCE. RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, 1970-79 51 1 



to note that it took a good deal more prodding, however, before NSF 

 fully entered into the spirit of the free exchange of information. For 

 example, NSF's second quarterly report in January 1974 was entirely 

 devoted to historical events of the past and made no mention of cur- 

 rently pending and future policy issues to be resolved. NSF even balked 

 at coughing up details of its budget request to OMB, protesting that 

 "as a result of the continuing negotiations between OMB and NSF, 

 there is more than one budget." This burning issue was resolved by 

 advising NSF that all the committee wanted was the first budget 

 request. It was like pulling teeth. 



TALKING WITH THE OMB 



After several years of mutual sniping between Congress and the 

 Office of Management and Budget, the committee joyfully welcomed 

 the chance in late October 1973 to accept OMB's invitation for an 

 informal meeting on Capitol Hill to exchange information on budget 

 priorities. Teague rounded up his subcommittee chairmen and ranking 

 minority members in the Speaker's dining room in the Capitol. Pend- 

 ing the arrival of OMB Director Roy Ash, who was 20 minutes late, 

 John C. Sawhill, Frederick Malek, and Hal Eberle of OMB presented 

 their future plans. They stated that inflation would only be controlled 

 by a balanced budget, and where did the committee propose to cut its 

 own programs and wdiich were more important? The meeting, which 

 started out with the beautiful anticipation of young love on the note 

 that "I'll tell you my secret if you'll tell me yours" soon sunk into 

 meaningless generalities. For example, the committee expressed deep 

 concern over the prospective decrease in the NSF budget, and the 

 importance of maintaining strong educational programs in science and 

 an active basic research effort. OMB wanted to know which was more 

 important, NSF or certain NASA projects desired by the committee? 

 The committee declined to get drawn into this kind of argument, and 

 the meeting broke up with little hard information or meeting of the 

 minds on any substantive issue. 



THE NSF IN 1974 



In 1974, the NSF budget shot up over $100 million to $788 

 million an increase from $646 million to $788 million. The lion's 

 share of this increased budget went to RANN — virtually doubling 

 from $75 million to $149 million, largely as the result of expanded 

 energy projects. During the hearings, various subcommittee members 

 expressed an old concern that in the interests of being "fashion- 

 able," NSF was placing too small an emphasis on education and basic 



