The Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) – a broad-based group of professionalorganizations, universities, and scientific societies that advocate for sustained, robust federal support for science – today issued the following statement on the Fiscal Year 2019
appropriation process.

“CNSF is calling on President Trump and the Members of the 115th Congress to pass and enact the Fiscal Year 2019 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill before the end of the year with at least $8.175 billion in funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF). A government shutdown would have serious consequences for many non-defense discretionary programs, including the programs and scientific research funded by NSF.

As a pillar of America’s scientific research enterprise, NSF-funded research is vital to the nation’s economy, national security, global competitiveness, and the preparation of the next generation STEM workforce. A robust, reliable funding stream is imperative for the U.S. to remain a global leader in science, technology, and innovation. The serious disruption that shortterm measures create undermines critical research needed to address our country’s most pressing issues and result in waste and inefficiency. A government shutdown that includes the NSF has the potential to delay important research, slow the development of training the next generation of scientists and engineers, and erode our ability to be the world’s leader in scientific discovery and innovation. Thus, it is important for the administration and Congress to work together to complete the Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations process before the Continuing Resolution expires.”