Washington

Physical sciences in the United States could be set for their largest funding boost for years, as Congress adds money to the 2004 budget numbers proposed by President George W. Bush back in February.

Appropriations subcommittees in the House of Representatives have voted to give two major research agencies — the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Office of Science at the Department of Energy (DOE) — increases of about 6.5% next year, taking their budgets to $5.6 billion and $3.5 billion, respectively. On 18 July, the full House endorsed the DOE increase.

Bush had proposed a rise of 3.2% for the NSF, which funds most non-biomedical university grants in the United States, and 1.4% for the DOE's science office, which supports most physics research.

The increases are good news for fields that have lately been eclipsed by a doubling of funding at the National Institutes of Health, the main life-science agency. “I think there is a recognition that the future of the country depends on the physical sciences,” says Michael Lubell, director of public affairs at the American Physical Society.

It remains to be seen whether the proposed increases will be agreed by the Senate this summer, or be in the final budget bills that both bodies are due to agree by 1 October. “We love the increases,” says Senator Pete Domenici (Republican, New Mexico), who chairs the Senate subcommittee responsible for the DOE. But he notes that the House bill gave money to research by cutting water management projects, which have considerable support on his committee.

And not every major agency supporting the physical sciences is faring so well in the current budget round. The House appropriators have offered NASA an increase of only 1.1%, to $15.5 billion. Meanwhile the House has approved a 1% increase, and the Senate a 4.7% cut, in basic and applied research at the Department of Defense.