U.S. lawmakers unveil bold $100B plan to remake NSF

sciencemag.org

15 points·Ankaios··9 comments

Amazing step forward it seems, but not without it's issues.

I'm cautiously optimistic, but we need to see a finalized version of this bill before we get excited or disappointed.

As someone who was often distracted from grad school research to work on grant applications this is great news. I would caution against making the NSF more like DARPA though. DARPA definitely breathes down your neck asking for monthly updates that hinders research/ideas that take longer to develop.

Federal research funding should be directed towards developing big, long-term ideas rather than short-term research tech companies can and do focus on.

I'm not optimistic about an anti-science administration remaking the NSF

This is a proposed bill by 2 US senators. I'll worry about that if it passes Congress and the president has to decide whether to veto it (his 2020 budget proposal cut NSF's budget by 6-7%).

Many academic leaders are praising the legislation, which was spearheaded by the Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer (NY), and co-sponsored by Senator Todd Young (R–IN) [...]

The real news, I'd say.

The entire point of the Congress is compromise.

Whenever I see joint legislation like this it gives me hope that despite our hyper partisan climate, there is at least some collaboration still happening.

Me too, though I'm still stinging a bit from Bayh-Dole. Sometimes reaching across the aisle is a great way to produce something awful.

Senators are basically always more competent / practical than Presidents. It's basically why the Senate exists.

I honestly like the sound of a technology directorate. I'd love to see some basic research into new computing technology, based on topological insulators or optics.

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