Congressional Record, Volume 144 Issue 59 (Tuesday, May 12, 1998)

[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 59 (Tuesday, May 12, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4659-S4662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1997

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will now be 10
minutes of debate equally divided on S. 1046, which the clerk will
report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

A bill (S. 1046) to authorize appropriations for fiscal
years 1998 and 1999 for the National Science Foundation, and
for other purposes.

The Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. JEFFORDS addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.

Amendment No. 2386

(Purpose: To authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1998, 1999, and
2000 for the National Science Foundation, and for other purposes)

Mr. JEFFORDS. I understand there is a substitute amendment at the
desk. I ask for its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Vermont (Mr. Jeffords), for Mr. McCain,
Mr. Hollings, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Frist, Mr.
Rockefeller, and Ms. Collins, proposes an amendment numbered
2386.

Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of
the amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
(The text of the amendment is printed in today's Record under
``Amendments Submitted.'')
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I rise to offer an amendment to the
S.1046, the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1998. This
amendment authorizes the National Science Foundation for a period of
three fiscal years, 1998, 1999 and 2000.
I am very pleased to see that this amendment represents a bi-partisan
effort by both the Commerce and the Labor Committees. These two
Committees share jurisdiction of the National Science Foundation. I
would also like to thank the co-sponsors of this amendment, Senators
Jeffords, Hollings, Kennedy, Frist and Rockefeller, for their support
of this amendment.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) plays a critical role in the
development of much of this country's science and technology
infrastructure. Its efforts cover a variety of issues

[[Page S4660]]

such as education--from the kindergarten to the post-doctorate levels--
research and development, and Internet development.
Given that half of the new economic growth in the economy is due to
technological advancements, the role of the National Science Foundation
in basic research is an important one. Many companies in the private
sector have indicated that they cannot afford to conduct the long term
basic research required for many of these technological advances. They
have come to rely upon the basic research of the National Science
Foundation and other government agencies as the basis for many of their
commercial products. For it is through the commercialization process of
these research results that the government and the American public
benefits. From this process, new industries are started, jobs are
created, and many new products are generated to improve our quality of
life of all people.
Because of the research at the National Science Foundation, we have
the Internet today. The growth of the Internet and the role it is
playing in electronic commerce today is far beyond anyone's
expectations when the project was started. We look forward to the
National Science Foundation's involvement in the Next Generation
Internet project.
In a time when we are hearing of the terrible performance of
America's students in math and science education, it is important that
we do our jobs as members of the Senate and authorize agencies' such as
the National Science Foundation to ensure that the federal government
is doing its share to improve upon the lives of all Americans through
education and other related research activities.
I urge the other members of the Senate to support this amendment and
the final passage of the bill. Again, I would like to thank the co-
sponsors of this amendment for their support and hard work.
Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I know of no objection to the amendment.
I urge its adoption.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the amendment is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 2386) was agreed to.
Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, it is a great pleasure to come before
you today to seek Senate approval of S. 1046, the National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 1998. I introduced this legislation,
along with my colleagues Senators Kennedy, Frist, and Collins, on July
22, 1997. The bill was reported unanimously by the Senate Committee on
Labor and Human Resources on October 15, 1997. This bipartisan proposal
will be further enhanced by the manager's package I am bringing to the
floor on behalf of my colleagues Senators McCain, Hollings, Kennedy,
Frist, Rockefeller, and Collins. This package reflects similar
bipartisan cooperation, builds upon the foundation contained within S.
1046 and contains improvements proposed by both Committees. This
legislation will make an important investment in our nation's
scientific and technological future.
S. 1046, as amended, will authorize more than $9 billion for research
and development activities, and $2 billion for math and science
education activities over the next 3 years. The bill will support more
than 19,000 projects at 2,000 colleges, universities, primary,
elementary, and secondary schools across the Nation.
This authorization bill also recognizes that the future of science in
this country will be determined by our basic educational policy. Two
billion dollars is authorized over the next 3 years for K through 12
math and science systematic reform, undergraduate science education
activities, graduate education, and efforts to advance the public
understanding of science. These efforts will continue to contribute to
improvements in the education we offer to our children and maintain a
strong cadre of scientific leaders needed to remain competitive well
into the next century.
S. 1046 provides a strong bipartisan response to the research and
science education challenges facing the Nation.
The strong bipartisan support which NSF enjoys is a reflection of its
historic contribution to both our national security and our economic
competitiveness. The prominent role of science in the American war
effort during World War II left us with a new appreciation of the
importance of research in establishing and preserving economic and
military security. Federally funded research led to the development of
radar, sonar, blood plasma, sulfanilamide, penicillin and the atomic
bomb. In 1944, President Roosevelt charged Vannevar Bush, his chief
science adviser, with evaluating the most effective way to harness this
technological infrastructure in peacetime. The Bush report--Science--
The Endless Frontier--established a strategy and rationale for Federal
support of basic research. The report argued, and argued correctly,
that ``a nation which depends upon others for its new basic scientific
knowledge will be slow in its industrial progress and weak in its
competitive position in world trade regardless of its mechanical
skill.'' This report provided the blueprint for creation of the
National Science Foundation.
NSF was established in 1950 to ``develop and encourage the pursuit of
a national policy for the promotion of basic research and education in
the sciences.'' Following the 1957 Soviet launch of the Sputnik
satellite, this mission was expanded to provide greater support for
science education and literacy. Over the next three decades, NSF became
the primary Federal sponsor of basic research in mathematics, physical
sciences, computer science, engineering and environmental science at
colleges and universities. Equally important to the future of our
Nation, NSF became a catalyst for the reform of math and science
education.
The manager's amendment which we are bringing to the floor authorizes
more than $11 billion for research and development activities at NSF
over the next three years--$3.5 billion in fiscal year 1998, $3.7
billion in fiscal year 1999, and nearly $3.9 billion in fiscal year
2000. This Federal funding will be very well invested. Although the
National Science Foundation's budget accounts for only 4 percent of
Federal research and development funding, NSF provides 25 percent of
Federal support to academic institutions for research. NSF grants
support more than 19,000 research and education projects at 2,000
colleges, universities, primary, elementary, and secondary schools,
businesses, and other research institutions. Competition for these
grants is fierce. NSF funds only about one-third of the 30,000
proposals it reviews annually and the grants that survive this review
process represent the finest proposals that the research community can
put forward.
The importance of this investment in basic research cannot be
exaggerated. Over the past decade, private sector investment in
research and development has eclipsed Federal investment in public
science. However, the Federal investment in basic science is a major
contributor to industrial innovation in the United States. A recent
review of American industrial patent applications revealed that the
Government or nonprofit foundations supported 75 percent of the main
papers cited as the foundation for new industrial innovation.
A few of NSF's contributions illustrate the importance of our
investment in basic research and development:
The Internet--Over the past decade, NSF has transformed the Internet
from a tool used by a handful of researchers at the Department of
Defense to the backbone of this Nation's university research
infrastructure. Today the Internet is on the verge of becoming the
Nation's commercial marketplace.
Nanotechnology and ``Thin Film''--50 years ago scientists developed
the transistor and ushered in the information revolution. Today 3
million transistors can fit on a chip no larger than the first
fingernail-sized individual transistor. NSF's investments in
nanotechnology and ``thin films'' are expected to generate a further
1,000-fold reduction in size for semiconductor devices with eventual
cost-savings of a similar magnitude.
Genetics--A great deal of attention is paid to the effort conducted
by the NIH to map the Human Genome. What is often overlooked; however,
is the critical role played by NSF in supporting the basic research
that leads to the breakthroughs for which NIH justly receives so much
credit. Research supported by NSF was key to the development of the
polymerase chain reaction

[[Page S4661]]

and a great deal of the technology used for sequencing.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging--MRI technology is widely utilized to
diagnose a wide array of illnesses. The development of this technology
was made possible by combining information gained through the study of
the spin characteristics of basic matter, research in mathematics, and
high flux magnets. The Next Generation Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Imager, currently under construction, will allow for the identification
of the 3-dimensional structures of the 100,000 proteins whose genes are
being sequenced by the HGP.
Buckeyballs--One of the most exciting recent discoveries in the world
of material science was the discovery of carbon-60. Although this
occurs in nature, its discovery (which won the researchers a Nobel
prize) was the product of work by astronomers. This in turn led to the
discovery of the nanotube which has been found to be 100 times stronger
than steel and a fraction of the weight. Nanotubes may produce cars
that weigh no more than 100 pounds.

CD Players--CD players rely on data compression algorithms that were
developed using an NSF grant. These algorithms were first used in the
transmission of satellite data and now provide the foundation for new
developments in data storage.
Jet Printers--The mathematical equations that describe the behavior
of fluid under pressure provided the foundation for developing the ink
jet printer.
Plant Genome--Research into the genome of a flower plant with no
previous commercial value, led to the discovery of ways to increase
crop yields, the production of plants with seeds having lower
polyunsaturated fats and to the development of crops that produce a
biodegradable plastic.
Artificial Retina--Researchers at North Carolina State University
have designed a computer chip that may pave the way for creation of an
artificial retina. Problems with bio-compatibility have been solved by
researchers at Stanford who developed a synthetic cell membrane that
adheres to both living cells and silicon chips.
Cam Corders--Virtually all camcorders and electronic devices using
electronic imaging sensors are based on charge-coupled devices. These
devices, sensitive to a single photon of light, were developed and
transformed by astronomers interested in maximizing their capacity for
light gathering.
I could go on at length about the many technological advances that we
enjoy today that are attributable to basic research supported by NSF.
These advances would not be possible, however, if we as a nation did
not continue to train and support a cadre of the world's most talented
researchers. S. 1046 recognizes the importance of maintaining an
investment in human resources and authorizes more than $2 billion for
the education and human resources directorate over the next three
years. This directorate has primary responsibility for NSF's education
and training activities. In contrast with the programs of the
Department of Education, NSF science and math education programs are
experiments which link learning and discovery. Proposals are selected
by outside peer review panels on the basis of their potential to
provide long-lasting and broad impact. NSF has made notable
contributions in the areas of curriculum and instructional material
development, professional development, and improved the participation
in science research and science education of women, minorities, and
individuals with disabilities. The legislation before you strengthens
and enhances these efforts.
The Education and Human Resources Directorate also provides funding
for the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. As
noted in the Committee report, this program plays an important role in
ensuring that small states, like Vermont, build the capacity to more
fully participate in NSF's research programs. The program has been
particularly successful in developing infrastructure in those states
where a limited research base has made the attraction and retention of
young faculty, equipment purchases, network connections, human resource
development, research project development, and technology transfer
difficult. Such infrastructure building remains a crucial part of
guaranteeing that the participating states are competitive and must be
continued.
The Foundation has initiated a new co-funding effort which is
designed to integrate the research community in the EPSCoR states more
completely into the larger research community. As research funding for
NSF increases in general, I expect that the matching requirements for
cofunding will not result in the displacement of non-EPSCoR NSF funding
which institutions would otherwise receive. I look forward to working
closely with the Foundation to ensure continued growth in the co-
funding initiative without reducing the amount available for standard
grants.
And finally, I want to proudly note the partnership that has been
forged between the National Science Foundation and the State of
Vermont. NSF currently supports over 74 projects in the Green Mountain
State. Grants have been provided to the Barre Town Elementary School,
Middlebury College, Mountshire Museum of Science, Woodbury College,
Cabot School, Charlestown Elementary School, St. Michael's College,
Johnson State College, Trinity College, and the University of Vermont.
In 1992, the Vermont Institute for Science, Math and Technology
received a five-year award of $7.9 million to establish a collaborative
statewide education reform effort linking business, higher education,
government, and community sectors. This year, as a result of the
success of this collaboration, NSF has elected to extend the award for
an additional five years. In addition, Trinity College was this year
awarded $1.2 million to improve the instruction of math and science in
our primary, secondary, and elementary schools.
This legislation builds upon partnerships like that forged with the
State of Vermont. It provides a strong bipartisan response to the
research and science education challenges facing our Nation. I also
want to note that it reflects the hard work of staff for both
Committees. I particularly want to express my appreciation for the work
of Scott Giles of my staff, Danielle Ripich, Marianna Pierce and
Jonathan Halpern of Senator Kennedy's staff, Floyd DesChamps of Senator
McCain's staff and Lila Helms of Senator Hollings' staff and I urge all
my colleagues to support this package.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this package.
Mr. KENNEDY addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I strongly support passage of the
National Science Foundation Authorization Act. It is a privilege to
join Senator Jeffords, Senator McCain, and Senator Hollings in
sponsoring this bipartisan legislation, which looks to the future by
strengthening our national commitment to research and development. It
also ensures the continued success of the teacher training and
professional development programs of the NSF. In addition, it will
improve science and math education from kindergarten to graduate
school, and help maintain America's competitive edge into the 21st
century.
Few federal agencies deliver as much ``bang for the buck'' as the
National Science Foundation. It is now funding 20,000 peer-reviewed
science and education projects at more than 2,000 colleges,
universities, schools, businesses and research facilities in all parts
of the United States.
Last year, these projects involved 27,000 senior scientists, 21,000
graduate students, 28,000 undergraduates, 110,000 precollege teachers,
and 14,000 students from kindergarten through the twelfth grade. Almost
15 million people are affected by NSF activities through museums,
television programs, videos, journals, and outreach activities.
NSF accounts for 4 percent of total federal research and development
funding. But it provides 25 percent of basic research support at
academic institutions. It provides as much as half of all federal
funding for research in fields such as mathematics, computer science,
environmental science, and the social sciences.
NSF also plays an important role in training teachers and developing
math and science curricula to prepare students for tomorrow's
challenges. It promotes innovative education programs in partnerships
with colleges, universities, elementary and secondary

[[Page S4662]]

schools, science museums, and state and local governments. These
programs encourage the discovery of new knowledge and its application
to real-world problems.
NSF support for basic research and science education has also had an
important role in encouraging economic growth over the last fifty
years. According to a recent study, each dollar that the federal
government spends on basic research contributes 50 cents or more to the
national output each year. In other words, investing in NSF pays for
itself in two years. These benefits are spread throughout the economy,
enhancing the productivity of the nation's workforce and improving the
quality of life for all Americans.

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, NSF funds
have enabled scientists to explore the commercial applications of their
research. Technology developed at MIT had a role in the launching of 13
companies in 1995. They manufacture products ranging from computer
chips to communication networks. These enterprises have bolstered the
state and local economies, and provided jobs and opportunities for many
citizens. In fact, a 1997 report by BankBoston found that research and
development at MIT has created 125,000 jobs in Massachusetts.
In our state, NSF is funding a wide range of other projects on the
cutting edge of research. NSF grants have been instrumental in building
the state's biotechnology industry, mapping the oceans at the Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institute, developing new superconductors at the
Material Research Science and Education Center at Harvard, and creating
cooperative partnerships with schools, parents, businesses, and
community organizations to strengthen math and science education.
Nationwide, NSF grants cover a broad range of projects from providing
health care to fighting crime to protecting the environment. Specific
grants are improving the treatment of arrhythmia, facilitating more
accurate identification of crime suspects, developing new biotechnology
techniques to cleanup hazardous waste sites, enhancing the speed of
semiconductors in processing information, and even analyzing the
Antarctic meteorite to determine whether life existed on Mars.
NSF funds benefit the humanities as well. The Next Generation
Internet Project will give researchers access to information from the
world's libraries and museums at rates that are 100 to 1,000 times
faster than today's Internet.
This authorization Act will put research and development on a more
secure footing over the next two years. It will increase NSF funding by
10 percent in FY1999 and 3 percent in FY2000, which are consistent with
the levels recommended in President Clinton's FY1999 budget. The
increased funding will provide larger award amounts, so that scientists
can undertake longer-range projects.
The legislation also strengthens efforts to improve science,
mathematics, engineering, and technology training for teachers and
students. In addition, it authorizes the Office of Science and
Technology Policy in the White House to prepare a report analyzing
indirect costs, which play a vital but little understood role in
federal R&D spending.
The National Science Foundation is doing an outstanding job in
fulfilling its missions. Passage of this bill will strengthen America's
leadership in science and technology, and I urge all of my colleagues
to support this important legislation.
I congratulate our chairman for bringing us to this point in the
legislative process.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I would like to engage Senator Lott,
Senate Majority Leader, and Senator Jeffords, Chairman of the Labor and
Human Resources Committee, in a colloquy on certain programs within the
National Science Foundation.
Mr. LOTT. I would be pleased to join Senator McCain and Senator
Jeffords in a colloquy on this subject.
Mr. McCAIN. As Chairman of the Commerce Committee, I have noted with
great pleasure the success and impact on the NSF's program to establish
outstanding research and education centers at colleges and universities
in partnership with industry. These centers are making great
contributions to research, science, and technology education, and the
economic development and global competitiveness of our nation.
Mr. JEFFORDS. As Chairman of the Labor Committee, I too have been a
strong supporter of the NSF's efforts to strengthen research and
education efforts at colleges and universities across the nation. NSF
provides support to over 2000 colleges and universities and nearly
17,000 researchers nation-wide.
Mr. LOTT. A particular success is the Engineering Research Centers
Program which has stimulated focused university-industry partnerships
in research and education, and has served as a catalyst for economic
development within the United States. Much success can be attributed to
the Foundation's leadership in ensuring each center establishes a clear
vision and conducts careful strategic planning involving their industry
partners. Among the impacts of this program are: Next generation
engineering systems developed from new knowledge discoveries and new
technological developments; Technology transferred to hundreds of
companies and governmental agencies; Technical assistance and training
provided for industry and government; Thousands of undergraduate and
graduate students involved in the research of the centers and exposed
to next generation systems research and development; and Outreach to K-
12 and to underrepresented groups.
NSF Science Technology Centers and other NSF university centers have
likewise cultivated strong university-industry affiliations with
centers focused on specific research areas related to industry needs.
For example, the modern Internet browser was developed at the NSF
National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of
Illinois; a turbomachinery computational model developed at the
Engineering Research Center for Computational Field Simulation at
Mississippi State University is now used by all jet engine
manufacturers; the Center for Molecular Biotechnology at the University
of Washington is developing tools for industry use to analyze and
interpret the information content of biological molecules such as DA
and proteins, to analyze and interpret the information content to
biological molecules; and the Center for High Pressure Research at the
State University of New York at Stony Brook works with several
companies to develop new ways that industry can use high-pressure
technology to produce exotic materials, such as industrial-grade
diamonds. Hundreds of similar contributions can be cited from these and
other NSF-funded university centers.
I believe this program should be greatly expanded and that the NSF
should become even more active in ensuring the development of long-term
vision and strategic planning of each center. Further, NSF should build
on successful centers and seek ways to sustain the investment with
continual support when appropriate. Areas that show great potential for
the future include: computation engineering, biotechnology and
bioengineering, manufacturing, and industrial systems, electronics and
communications systems, materials processing including polymers and
composite materials, manufacturing systems, remote sensing systems and
technologies, and optical systems as well as ship building,
telecommunications and super-computing supercomputer technology for
university research centers.
Mr. McCAIN. I thank the distinguished Majority Leader and the Labor
Committee Chairman, for their insights into these matters and how
important research and education is to the overall National economy.
Mr. JEFFORDS. The distinguished Majority Leader should be commended
for his strong support for basic scientific and engineering research
and I look forward to working with him to strengthen the engineering
research centers program.
Mr. LOTT. I also would like to thank Senator McCain and Senator
Jeffords for their leadership in these areas of science and technology.

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