UCLA researchers concerned about potential federal funding decreases

Federal grants for UCLA research in social sciences and energy are expected to decrease following the reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act, which the House of Representatives Committee on Rules discussed Monday in a hearing.

In the past five years, about 60 percent of funding for UCLA research has come from federal grants. In 2014, federal funds contributed about $570 million out of a total more than $970 million to UCLA research projects.

The House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology introduced a new bill mid April that aims to cut funding for social sciences, geosciences and energy research in order to increase funding for engineering, biology and physical sciences.

The act proposes a $253 million increase in the allocation of the National Science Foundation’s budget. The bill proposes an approximately 45 percent cut to the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences and an 8 percent cut to the Geosciences Directorate.

“This is a very shortsighted, myopic policy and absolutely foolish in the long term,” said Peter Whybrow, director of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.

He said he thinks many people assume biology and technology research is more pressing than social science research, but he thinks studying the causes of social and individual behavior is equally important.

Whybrow said the funding cuts would force the Semel Institute to be more thoughtful and efficient with spending, but it would not be a considerable change from how it operates now.

The policy requires the National Science Foundation officials to explain why each research project is worth funding.

The bill also proposes significant cuts in United States Department of Energy programs, including a 50 percent cut for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, roughly a 30 percent cut for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and a 7 percent cut for the Biological and Environmental Research program in the Office of Science.

Mark Gold, acting director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, said the increase in funding for some research should not come at the expense of others. He added there is an urgent need for research that will result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions, environmental impacts and energy costs.

The bill’s sponsors suggest that the Department of Energy program managers prioritize biology research over climate research, according to the Science Insider. The bill would prohibit the Biological and Environmental Research program from starting climate science research projects similar to others that are currently funded by other federal agencies.

Rajit Gadh, founder and director of the UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center, said he thinks the new bill would deter the progress of the U.S. in energy innovation, while other countries further develop sustainable solutions.

“We’re just starting to touch the surface of these technologies, and we still need a couple more decades of research and development,” Gadh said. “These funding cuts will definitely slow our momentum.”

Chris Harrington, associate director of the University of California Federal Governmental Relations office, said the University is working closely with California House of Representatives members, the House science committee and other Congressional leaders to address their issues with the new bill.

“Principally, we are concerned that the legislation does not authorize long-range, federal investments for vital research agencies across all disciplines,” Harrington said in an email statement.

When asked about the likelihood that the bill will pass, UCLA research administrators said they did not know enough about the inner dynamics of House politics to comment.

If the bill passes through the House, it will go to the California State Senate and must then be approved by the president before becoming law.