Washington

Smithsonian Institution researchers breathed a collective sigh of relief last week, although their troubles may be far from over. Two reports released on 31 October state that the institution provides world-class science, and should continue to receive federal funding. But the future structure and funding of the Smithsonian depend on the outcome of a third report, expected in January.

The institution's research centres have been under a cloud for two years. Critics, including the White House Office of Management and Budget, suggested that Smithsonian scientists should compete for their funding rather than get it directly from government. Two of the centres were also threatened with closure, and a major reorganization seemed likely.

But last week's reports from the National Research Council, which is part of the National Academies, and the independent National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), will help to lift the gloom. The studies, which were commissioned by the Office of Management and Budget, say that removing direct funding could harm or even end top-notch research programmes.

“It's a great thing to have outside organizations recognize the contributions we make,” says Paula DePriest, associate botany curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. “We're going to see an increase in the morale of scientists here.”

According to the reports, the federal funding — $111 million in 2002 — supports core functions such as researcher salaries and facility maintenance. Competitive grants and contracts already support the main thrust of research projects, and totalled $98 million in 2001, according to the NAPA study.

The Smithsonian's researchers are hopeful that the reports will bolster their cause, but they still face an anxious wait. The institution's own Science Commission, which it set up to advise it on setting research priorities for the future, will deliver its final report in early January.