Statement Announcing an Increase in the Expenditure Ceiling of the National Science Foundation

THE COLLEGES and universities of this Nation provide a critical resource which needs to be fostered and strengthened. Our higher educational system provides the advanced training needed for tomorrow's leaders in science and technology, industry and government, and also conducts the basic research which uncovers the new knowledge so essential to the future welfare of the country. It is essential that these programs of education and research be sustained at a level of high excellence.

In recent years the Federal Government has become the mainstay in the support of university graduate study and research, to the great benefit of the Nation. However, in more recent years the support levels have stabilized or have even declined in spite of rising costs. But university activities cannot be turned on and off like a faucet, as I have previously stated, and hence substantial damage has been done to important programs and to many colleges and universities. In particular I believe that the previous administration made a serious error in limiting so severely the expenditure ceiling of the National Science Foundation, which plays a very important role in the support of educational and research activities. Because of the unique nature of the National Science Foundation's operations, the imposition of this ceiling by the Revenue and Expenditure Control Act of 1968 created undue hardship. While the Government as a whole must continue to operate within the severe restraints of this act, it seems evident that this unique situation in regard to the National Science Foundation requires special attention.

Therefore, I have instructed the Director of the Budget and the Director of the National Science Foundation to increase immediately the expenditure ceiling for the National Science Foundation by $10 million, in order to deal with the many serious disruptions which have occurred in academic programs of education and research. Furthermore, I have instructed the Director of the Budget, in consultation with my Science Adviser, to examine other research and development programs to ascertain where offsetting savings can be obtained. I also call upon the university community to cooperate with the Government's program of fiscal restraint in view of our serious concern about current inflationary trends in our Nation. This action is taken in recognition of what I believe to be unique circumstances of compelling urgency and in no way indicates a relaxation of this administration's intentions to reduce Government expenditures wherever possible.