Return-Path: list-relay@UCSD.EDU From: Melissa R Herman Subject: FWD: NSF Social Sci Research Cuts To: socgrad@UCSD.EDU (socgrad network) Date: Wed, 1 May 1996 12:59:31 -0700 (PDT) From: gary.chapman@mail.utexas.edu (Gary Chapman) Subject: NSF Social Science Funding Yesterday, on April 24th, the Republicans on the House Science Committee voted to eliminate the Social, Behaviorial, and Economic Research Division of the National Science Foundation. While this program has never been large within NSF -- the agency asked for $93 million for SBER in FY 1997 -- it has always played an important role in the funding of social science research. SBER supports research in anthropology, psychology, geography, cognitive science, linguistics, the philosophy of science, economics, political science, and science and technology studies. The Division is home to several major programs that have no analog in other government agencies, such as the Ethics and Values Studies Program, the Human Capital Initiative, and a public policy program which helps young scientists and engineers become contributors to science and technology policy. The National Science Board, the body that oversees NSF (and whose vice chair is UT Vice President Marye Anne Fox) issued a strong defense of NSF funding for social science last year. However, House Science Committee Chairman Robert Walker convinced his Republican colleagues on the committee that social science research is "not real science," as he put it in a speech a year ago, and thus the vote for the elimination of SBER. It may be appropriate for social scientists to consider writing members of Congress or the President to express their opinions about this action on the part of the Science Committee. Gary Chapman Director The 21st Century Project LBJ School of Public Affairs Drawer Y, University Station University of Texas Austin, TX 78713 (512) 471-8326 Electronic mail: gary.chapman@mail.utexas.edu http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/21cp/