WHAT'S NEW, Friday, 17 February 1989 Washington, DC

1. THE NSF'S "ACADEMIC RESEARCH FACILITIES MODERNIZATION PROGRAM"
will be discussed in a series of regional forums. Input from these public meetings will guide the NSF in the development of a plan for apportioning the $80M authorized by Congress. The plan must be submitted to Congress by 15 June 89. The first of the six meetings will be held on 23 Feb 89 at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Cassidy and Associates, the Washington public relations firm which first discovered that the academic pork barrel is lined with gold, is said to be urging its university clients to attend. The perception that political connections are more important than merit in securing Federal research facilities funding has attracted many second-rate research institutions to Cassidy. Among the executives recently hired by C&A to handle all the new business is Shiela Tate, who was Nancy Reagan's press secretary. To complicate matters, Congress laid down a number of guidelines and restrictions in the legislation. These include a 10% set-aside for minority institutions and a requirement to "assist those academic institutions that historically have received relatively little Federal research and development funds." Congress authorized $80M for the program last June, but no money has been appropriated for that purpose, raising the specter that the funds might have to be taken out of research.

2 . HOW WILL SDI FARE IN THE BUSH BUDGET?
In his message to Congress, Bush did not name a specific figure--but then, he wasn't specific about much of anything. The written supplement, "Building a Better America," contains a single reference to SDI: "Technical leadership must be maintained by supporting research necessary to the development of future systems. This includes the active pursuit of the Strategic Defense Initiative."

3. THE X-RAY LASER CASE AT LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY
refuses to go away. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has begun an investigation into possible harrassment of Roy Woodruff, the whistleblower who objected to misrepresentation of the x-ray laser by Edward Teller. At the time Teller made his claims, Woodruff was in charge of the x-ray laser program. According to one Hill source, Energy Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-MI), who has been leading a separate probe into scientific fraud and misconduct at NIH, "smells blood on this one." The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee is said to feel that the GAO bungled its investigation of the matter last summer (WN 22 Jul 88).

4. THE REVOLVING DOOR: RICHARD PERLE,
who Carl Sagan called "the Prince of Darkness," left the Pentagon two years ago, ostensibly to write a novel. He has now branched out, forming a company to lobby for increased military aid to Turkey. During his Pentagon years, Perle urged increased military assistance to Turkey, which is currently third behind Israel and Egypt in such aid. No word on his novel, but it seems unlikely that it will blaspheme Islam.



Bob Park can be reached via email at whatsnew@bobpark.org
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the University, but they should be.