Direct federal funding of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and five other science research centers operated by the Smithsonian Institution should continue, according to reports from the National Research Council and the National Academy of Public Administration. The reports resulted from a request that the Office of Management and Budget included in the Bush administration’s fiscal year 2003 budget proposal.
OMB officials were concerned that direct funding of the Smithsonian centers circumvented the competitive funding processes most scientists must go through and suggested that research funds going to the Smithsonian should be transferred to NSF. Research appropriations to the Smithsonian in FY 2002 totaled about $111 million.
The NRC committee on Smithsonian scientific research, chaired by Cornelius Pings, president emeritus of the Association of American Universities, made specific findings for each of the centers, but in general found that “the research programs at the Smithsonian Institution provide essential support to...
