Senate Appropriations Bill Cuts NSF Funding

A Senate appropriations bill that cleared a subcommittee vote Tuesday would cut funding for the National Science Foundation by $151 million below fiscal year 2017 funding levels.

The total $7.31 billion provided for the agency includes $5.92 billion for research and research facilities and $862 million for education and training programs. Both areas would be cut by about 2 percent in the proposed spending package. That would mean 456 fewer research grants awarded next year, committee Democrats said.

The House appropriations committee approved a spending package including NSF that funded the agency at $7.3 billion.