Friday, 13 November 1987 Washington, DC
1.
THE APPETITE OF CONGRESS FOR PORK
does not seem to have been
affected by the current budget crisis. Indeed, deadlines seem to
induce a feeding frenzy as members of the appropriations
subcommittees earmark funds for their pet projects in the
last-minute confusion. Increasingly, the pork comes in barrels
marked "university science." Most of the earmarking has been for
research facilities, but critics have warned that the practice
would inevitably spread to the funding of individual university
research projects. It has. The report of the Senate Agriculture
Appropriations Subcommittee contains earmarks for dozens of
research projects, ranging from $60K to study Belgian endive at
the University of Massachusetts, to $600K to the University of
North Dakota to study the impact of the Chernobyl disaster. The
Council of The American Physical Society adopted a statement two
years ago warning that, "The consequences of these ill-considered
actions go far beyond the diversion of scarce resources from
projects of higher priority. Institutions are increasingly
persuaded that political maneuvering is more important than
scientific justification in securing federal funds."
2
. PROPOSED SCIENTIFIC EXCHANGE AGREEMENTS
with "proscribed"
countries would have to be submitted to an Interagency Group for
Scientific Information Transfer under an amendment to the Foreign
Aid Authorization Act (H.R. 3100), introduced by Rep. Solomon
(R-NY). Solomon first introduced his measure as a separate bill
(WN 4 Sep 87).
Since it had little chance on its own, he is
trying to add it to the Foreign Aid bill.
3. LUIS ALVAREZ AND GERALD TAPE ARE THE FERMI AWARD RECIPIENTS
for 1987. The award of $100K to each is the highest scientific
award of the Department of Energy. Alvarez, who received the
Nobel Prize in 1968 for the hydrogen bubble chamber, is being
honored for contributions to everything from accelerators to
paleontology. Tape, who has been an important advisor to several
administrations, is being honored for his contributions to
nuclear power and to nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.
4. THE CONGRESSIONAL SCIENCE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
is seeking
candidates to serve for one year as members of the staff of a
Congressman or Congressional committee, working on issues of
science and public policy. This is the 15th year for the APS,
which was one of the founders of this program together with the
AAAS. This year, for the first time, the AIP is also seeking a
science fellow.
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