piner@pur-phy.UUCP (Richard Piner) (01/18/86)
Posted: Fri Jan 17, 1986 4:24 PM EST Msg: JGIG-2159-7657
From: RPARK
To: WHATSNEW
Subj: What's New, 17 January 1986 Washington, DC
1. MERIT REVIEW IN THE AWARD OF RESEARCH FUNDING received an
heroic endorsement from the President of Cornell University,
Frank Rhodes. An amendment, introduced by Senator Hatfield
(R-Ore.) to the continuing resolution for the Department of
Defense, provided $10 million for supercomputer development.
These funds were identified in the conference report with
Cornell University, but in a respectful but firm message to
members of Congress, Rhodes declared that "Cornell University
will not accept funding awards which bypass normal review
procedures." Cornell had already submitted a proposal for
such a computer through normal channels, but is unwilling to
accept the supercomputer if a circumvention of normal agency
review procedures is involved. This stand on principal is in
marked contrast to numerous other universities that have been
all too willing to jeopardize the merit review process by
direct appeals to Congress. (See for example other reports
in W.N. 3 Jan 86, 13 Dec 85, 26 Jul 85, 12 Jul 85, 24 May 85,
25 Jan 85.)
2. THE LONG-AWAITED PACKARD-BROMLEY REPORT on the health of
U.S. universities and colleges was presented at an open
meeting of the White House Science Council this morning in
draft form. Although Edward Teller, a member of the Council,
emphasized that there has been little opportunity for the
Council to study the report or to have input to the
Packard-Bromley panel, indications from council chairman
Solomon Buchsbaum and Acting White House Science Advisor,
John McTague, were that the report would be accepted with
only minor changes. The report concludes that "Our
universities today simply cannot respond to society's
expectations for them, or discharge their national
responsibilities in research and education, without
substantially increased support." Many of the specific
recommendations contained in the report, such as changes in
indirect cost reimbursement and the establishment of
university-based research and technology centers, are
essentially identical to recommendations that have been
coming out of OSTP and NSF in recent months. (See for
example W.N. 27 Dec 85, 29 Nov 85.) Indeed, one of the most
intriguing questions is why the draft report was released
now--just days before the President announces his
sequestration order for FY 86 funds and his Gramm-Rudman
constrained budget for FY 87, and only a month after the
departure of Keyworth. The release of the report has been
expected for many months, but it is unusual for a draft
version to be presented in an open meeting.
Robert L. Park (202) 429-1946
American Physical Society THAT'S ALL 1/17/86