In what president Neil L. Rudenstine calls "the most critical moment in federal funding of higher education since the Second World War." the University is preparing for painful cuts in science funding initiated by the newly-elected Republican Congress.

"Our clarion call is to downsize the government," says Tom Weimer, chief of staff for the House Science Committee. "In the future, we are looking at a substantially smaller federal investment in science. The House id dead serious about cuts to balance the budget by 2002."

Current budget-cutting proposals indicate spending on civilian basic research will be reduced from the current $73 billion to less than $60 billion a year by 2002.

"We have a mandate from the American people to cut spending and get our fiscal house in order; we intend to carry out the mandate," Rep. Robert S. Walker (R-Pa.). chair of the House Science Committee, said in a speech last month at an aeronautics conference. "Contrary to what the Administration is saying, we are not hell-bent on destroying the science and technology base of this country."

According to one leading Republican senator, the massive spending cuts may come as a surprise to citizens.

"Many may be stunned by our decision to cut back so drastically over the next five years," says Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S-D). chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. "The benefits of smaller projects over mega-projects are clear."

But these cutbacks are of little surprise to the University, which has been keeping close tabs on the Republican agenda sweeping through Congress.

Although Rudenstine said the pressured Pressler "fairly hard" regarding reductions in research funding, Rudenstine has no doubt about what will happen to the University's federal science funding.

"There will be a cut in the first year, I'm sure," Rudenstine says, "If looking for dollars, research looks easier to cut than anything else."

The Math

Programs supported by "discretionary funds," which make up one-third of the federal budget, are the easiest to cut, according to Weimer. The discretionary part of the budget does not include interest on the national debt or entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, social security and welfare--all areas Republicans are reluctant to cut.

Last year, $73 billion, 13 percent of the total $550 billion discretionary budget, was allocated for spending on science and technology. In recent years, that level has remained stagnant, with only minimal increases to adjust for inflation.

Last year, $270 billion of the discretionary budget was used for defense, Which Republicans traditionally bolster rather than cut, leaving only about $280 billion, including science and technology spending, available forbudget-cutting.

"1996 may be a grim year for science andtechnology," says Rusty Matthews, the Democraticstaff person for the Veterans' Affairs, Housingand Urban Development and Independent AgenciesSubcommittee of the Senate AppropriationsCommittee, the committee which decides science andtechnology funding.

"Science funding has been flat in real dollarsover the past couple of years," says Weimer. "Weare looking at a reduction of three percent peryear without an adjustment for inflation over thenext seven years. This will mean a more than 20percent decrease in spending."

Sen. Peter Dominic (R-N.M.), chair of theSenate Budget Committee, has released his fiscalyear 1996 budget draft, which was recently passedby the Senate and called for one trillion dollarsworth of cuts over the next seven years.