SCIENCE. RESEARCH \\!> TECHNOLOGY, 1970-79 545 



deeper probe had to wait for May 1979 when the subcommittee 

 started its overall review of the NSF charter the first such general 

 review in a decade. 



GROWTH IN RESEARCH FUNDI \i, 



When he presented the results of the subcommittee's deliberations 

 to the full committee for markup on March 14, Brown noted that the 

 subcommittee suggested a net increase of $6.5 million in a grand total 

 of $1,006 billion. Increases were recommended in earthquake hazards 

 reduction, appropriate technology, materials research, science educa- 

 tion and scientific, technological and international affairs. Small reduc- 

 tions were made in basic research and several other areas. Wydler and 

 Walker both challenged the assumption that the NSF budget had to 

 be increased as fast every year, at a time of fiscal difficulties. Brown 

 argued, as did the administration, that a good rule of thumb was to 

 increase the expenditure about 2 to 3 percent bevond the inflation rate, 

 to produce some real growth in research. 



Flippo successfully offered an amendment to increase the NSF 

 funding of handicapped programs from $1.8 to $2.8 million, and 

 these additional funds were also directed toward research in prob- 

 lems of the mentally handicapped. Then Flippo recalled the many 

 efforts made by his fellow-Alabaman, Flowers, to achieve better geo- 

 graphical distribution of NSF funds. Although the NSF act of 1968 

 admonished NSF "to avoid undue concentration of * * * research 

 and education", neither the NSF nor the Congress, the committee 

 report pointed out, had ever defined the word "undue". In response to 

 proddings by individual Congressmen, the NSF established a very 

 modest program C$1 million divided among seven NSF-starved States 

 "to develop improvement plans", possibly to help them get a better 

 geographical break.) In 1979, with much fanfare, this program was 

 "more than doubled" to $2.7 million. In its report, the committee 

 stated: 



The committee reminds the Foundation of its obligation to avoid undue concen- 

 tration of its funding 



The sop was thrown to the underfunded States to give each a 

 very small pittance so they could theoretically pull themselves up by 

 their bootstraps to achieve greater equality in the old game of grants- 

 manship. Nobodv honestly expected any earth-shaking results from 

 this noble gesture. The NSF called it their "experimental program to 

 stimulate competitive research," but nobody held his breath to await 

 dramatic results. 



