» The Science Bill With the Bit That’s Very Bad for Science

Roger Pielke, Jr. quoted in Wired article on science and politics.

Wired
April 23, 2015

At a federal level, scientific research dollars tend to flow with the political tides. For example, when Congress is dominated by Democrats, money pours into climate change research, and just as quickly sloshes over to fossil fuel research when the Republicans ¹ take over. But the influence of politics on science extends beyond the motion of money. Bills funding scientific research can include sneaky rules that undermine science as an institution.

Which is exactly what happened April 22 in the House of Representatives’ Committee for Science, Space, and Technology, which spent the day proposing (Democrats) and shooting down (Republicans) amendments to a bill that will play a major role in determining which science gets done over the next year or more (because, money). Not because it’s been passed—the bill still needs to survive voting by the complete 435 member House, then the Senate, and then President Obama before it becomes law—but because it’s an important curtain-raiser for some twisted strategies for dealing with science.

The bill in question is the America COMPETES Act (or, if you’re a fan of tortured acronyms: the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act), which doles out research dollars to several science-based federal agencies. Originally penned in 2007 in an effort to revitalize America’s international standing in STEM fields, the act continues to direct a huge amount of money to the research branches of the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

This reauthorization, penned by the new committee chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), shifts money to the expected places, away from the social sciences and non-fossil fuel-related geosciences, and into things like engineering, nuclear energy, computer science, and fossil fuel development. If you’d like a play by play of how much money went where, check out this analysis by ScienceInsider. But if you’re interested in the way science will be viewed, treated, and controlled by the committee’s newly elected majority, stick around as we explore two items that could undermine scientists’ ability to govern their own research goals. Read more …