November 10, 2004

The Honorable [Senator/Representative Whomever]
[Office Address]
[United States Senate/House of Representatives]
Washington, DC 20515

Dear [Senator/Representative Whomever]:

["As Chairman of the Computer Science Department at [your university]," or other language as appropriate], I have serious concerns about funding levels approved by the House Appropriations Committee for the National Science Foundation in FY 2005. The approved level of  $5.47 billion is two percent less than the current FY 2004 NSF budget, five percent less than the President's FY 2005 budget request, and far less than the 15 percent increase authorized in P.L. 107-368, the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002. Reduction in the NSF budget will curtail many current research efforts and inhibit new program starts, putting at risk this country's leadership in many scientific fields. As you and your colleagues continue to work towards the passage of the FY 2005 VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations bill, I urge that you include $5.75 billion, including $4.40 billion for NSF's Research and Related Activities account, for NSF - the same level included in the Senate bill and the President's Request.

As you know, NSF is also the lead agency in the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Initiative (NITRD), the multi-agency effort that comprises the federal role in supporting long-term, basic IT research, including research underway at [my university]. The importance of this research in enabling the new economy is well documented. The resulting advances in information technology have led to significant improvements in product design, development and distribution for American industry, provided instant communications for people worldwide, and enabled new scientific disciplines like bioinformatics and nanotechnology that show great promise in improving a whole range of health, security, and communications technologies. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan has said that the growing use of information technology has been the distinguishing feature of this "pivotal period in American economic history." The President's FY 2004 budget request notes that "about two-thirds of the 80 percent gain in economic productivity since 1995 can be attributed to information technology."

Information technology supported by NSF has also changed the conduct of research. Innovations in computing and networking technologies are enabling scientific discovery across every scientific discipline - from mapping the human brain to modeling climatic change. Researchers, faced with research problems that are ever more complex and interdisciplinary in nature, are using IT to collaborate across the globe, visualize large and complex datasets, and collect and manage massive amounts of data.

Information technology research and NSF have enjoyed broad, bipartisan support in Congress and from the Administration. If there is anything that I can do to help you or your staff continue that support, please let me know.

Sincerely, 


[Your Name and Affiliation]