72 



The part that we are eliminating is the other $50 million that 

 was supporting the modernization of laboratories — the replacement 

 of air handling equipment, the moving of walls, the refurbishment, 

 the bricks and mortar, to put it simply. It is not that that is not 

 important or that the universities do not need it. It is simply that 

 in setting priorities in constrained budgets, our feeling was that, 

 given the magnitude of that problem across the nation and the rel- 

 atively small impact of the NSF's part of that, that our funds 

 would be best spent in these other areas. 



Mr. Cramer. All right. 



Mr. Chairman, in spite of the fact that I believe I have additional 

 time, that is all the questions I have. I will yield back. 



Thank you, Dr. Lane. 



Mr. Schiff. I thank the gentleman. 



Now I have to be in the situation of saying do as we say and not 

 as we do, because both I and our Ranking Member took over five 

 minutes, but just because we have several Members here now, 

 which I am very pleased to see and I am glad there is interest, I 

 am going to ask Members to try to stay within five minutes. 



If Dr. Lane and Dr. Petersen can stay, I will offer a second 

 round. I will not take a second round to make up for the extra 

 time. 



With that, Mr. Gordon, you are recognized for five minutes — oh, 

 I am sorry, Mr. Luther, you are recognized for five minutes. 



Mr. Luther. No questions. 



Mr. Schiff. Mr. Luther has no questions. 



Mr. Boehlert, I believe you are next. You are recognized for five 

 minutes. 



Mr. Boehlert. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 



Welcome, Dr. Lane and Dr. Petersen. I admit at the outset that 

 I am captain of the cheerleading squad for NSF, so maybe this is 

 going to be some of your easier questions. 



A couple of things come to mind. 



First of all, let me compliment whoever wrote this document, be- 

 cause on page 6 I read something that really sort of warms my 

 heart. It says: 



"Educating today's students in a discovery-rich environment will 

 better prepare them to meet tomorrow's challenges. Likewise, his- 

 tory has shown that research in an education-rich environment 

 yields an exceptionally dynamic and diverse enterprise." 



At long last we are beginning to realize there is a linkage be- 

 tween research and education, and I compliment you for beginning 

 to focus on this and for that initiative in the integration of research 

 and education. 



Too often I have found from my experience — and this is my four- 

 teenth year on this Committee — that the research universities real- 

 ly do magnificent work and I applaud their outstanding work, and 

 sometimes forget about the educational component of their mission. 



So let me just compliment you and encourage you. I know Dr. 

 Ehlers probably will share that view, too. 



Now as I look at the long-range projections, I am not particularly 

 happy with either side. Because what we are looking at, it seems 

 to me, throughout the beginning of the next century is sort of level 

 funding for NSF when we factor in inflation. 



