Lieberman: Double the NSF budget

• By Joab Jackson
• Jun 02, 2003

Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., is placing technological innovation front and center in his bid for the 2004 presidential campaign. If elected, Lieberman promises significant increases in government-sponsored research and development, including a doubling of the National Science Foundation's budget.

During a May 28 speech at the University of California San Diego, said he sees increased innovation as a way to beat the current economic slump. He said he predicts that vigorous innovation can increase yearly productivity by 3 percent each year, a 50 percent improvement over the current 10-year average. He also said that spending in government research and development, as a percentage of gross domestic product, has declined from 1.25 percent in 1985 to 0.7 percent in 2000.

To goose U.S. research and development, Lieberman has proposed a number of actions, including:

A doubling of the National Science Foundation budget

An increase of agency funding for fundamental research

An update of research equipment for American educational institutions

Investment tax credits for using information technology to increase company productivity

Eliminating foreign tariffs on information technology

Providing competitive grants to colleges and universities for training more students in science and engineering

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