Science funding bill passes US Senate

In a flurry of last minute legislating, the US Senate has passed a version of a bill that would reauthorize the America COMPETES Act.

The bill would keep on track a series of budget increases for key science funding agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the US Department of Energy Office of Science. The bill has its origins in the landmark 2005 report “Rising Above the Gathering Storm”, recently revised, which raises concerns that US competitiveness is on the decline in a rapidly globalizing marketplace. The report calls for substantial reinvestments in basic research and science education.