National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said at a recent House Science, Space and Technology subcommittee hearing that ensuring funding for his organization’s work on critical and emerging technologies is a matter of national security, MeriTalk reported Thursday.
Panchanathan also expressed concern that the U.S. is falling behind its competitors in terms of global technological leadership because the amount being invested by the government in key technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence is not sufficient.
“The more we cut, the more the ideas that are being proposed to NSF in quantum, in AI will not be funded,” Panchanathan warned the lawmakers.
Also present at the hearing was National Science Board Chair Daniel Reed, who shared Panchanathan’s concerns.
“While other countries invest heavily in the future, our real Federal R&D funding is flat,” Reed said, adding, “So, I’m here today not merely to ask you to fund NSF with the FY25 request level … I’m here to ask for more. I’m asking us to dream better dreams.”
President Joe Biden is proposing a budget of about $10.2 billion for the NSF in fiscal year 2025.