Friday, 17 April 1992 Washington, DC
1. SHOULD U.S. CITIZENS BE GIVEN PREFERENCE FOR
ASSISTANTSHIPS?
A bill has been introduced by Rep. Paul
Henry (R-MI) that would discourage the use of federal research
funds to support foreign graduate students. Institutions using
federal research funds to hire nonimmigrant alien students would
have to certify that no qualified U.S. citizens or permanent
residents were available. Hearings on the "American Math and
Science Student Support Act" are scheduled for 29 April. The
measure has no chance of passage on its own, but could show up as
an amendment to something else.
2. SHOULD F.S.U. SCIENTISTS BE GIVEN PREFERENCE FOR
IMMIGRATION?
Legislation to relax immigration requirements
for scientists from the former Soviet Union is moving its way
through the Senate. The number of scientists that would be
eligible for special treatment was capped at 750 by a provision
added by Sen. Kennedy (D-MA). Since physicists would be expected
to make up a large fraction of the F.S.U. immigrants, the
legislation would have a major impact on the job market for new
PhD physicists--already the worst in 20 years. The U.S. produces
about 1000 PhD physicists per year.
3. WITHERELL SUBPANEL MAKES TOUGH CHOICES IN HIGH ENERGY
PHYSICS.
The big scores in high energy physics are: finding
the top quark, exploring CP violation and discovering the Higgs
boson or what-ever. In other words, high energy physicists need
the injector upgrade at Fermilab, a B-factory and the
Supercollider. Oh sure! A High Energy Physics Advisory Panel
subgroup tried to figure out how to do that under three budget
scenarios: (1) 2.5% per year above inflation, (2) level and (3)
no adjustment for inflation (about -3.5%/yr). The subpanel made
the SSC the highest priority. Under the middle scenario,
construction of a B-factory at SLAC would be delayed to 1996,
there would be cutbacks at Fermilab and Brookhaven and no new
starts. Under the low budget scenario, SLAC and Brookhaven would
cease accelerator operations by 1995. In an interview with the
Chronicle of Higher Education, George Brown (D-CA), chair of the
House Science Committee, reiterated what he said at the Physics
Today roundtable (PT Feb 92): support for the SSC was conditioned
on the assumption that it would not have a destructive effect on
other DOE programs. "If it does," Brown said, "we'll be more
than willing to change our position and oppose the SSC. It could
happen as early as this year."
4. MASSEY PICKS WILLIAM HARRIS FOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
POSITION.
Harris, who is currently Assistant to the
Director, becomes the new Assistant Director for Mathematical and
Physical Sciences, replacing DAVID SANCHEZ who is returning to
Lehigh. A chemist, Harris has been at NSF since 1977; prior to
that he was on the chemistry faculty at Furman. In other changes
at NSF, ROBERT A. EISENSTEIN of the University of Illinois, a
Fellow of the APS has been offered the position of Director of
the Physics Division, replacing MARCEL BARDON, who takes over
International Programs.
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