Research in the social, behavioral and economic sciences could suffer a 22 percent cut in federal funding if recently proposed legislation is voted into law.

Earlier this month, a House of Representatives committee advanced legislation that if passed will keep the National Science Foundation funding approximately the same but cut deeply into the pool of funding for humanities- and-social-science research. The current $256 million funding level would be reduced to $200 million.

Tom Birkland, associate dean for research and engagement in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, said the proposed legislation would be a savage cut, and that CHASS researchers would only receive about 60 percent of the funding they received in 2000.

It really beats it up, Birkland said.

Currently, social, behavioral and economic research funding composes a small 3.5 percent of the NSFs $7.28 billion budget, and Birkland said the proposed changes would save the agency very little money.

The problem is that sometimes, Congress doesnt see the point in social-science research, Birkland said.

Last year, the NSF awarded a group of researchers to study how Native American communities used legal strategies to effect policy change, Birkland said.

Congress looks at that and thinks, What is the value? Birkland said. They think, Do we want to encourage that?

But some things are worth knowing simply for the sake of knowing them, Birkland said.

Astronomy has little practical benefit, Birkland said. Congress rejects certain research on the grounds of fiscal responsibility, or other ideological grounds. Thats a legitimate conversation to have in a democracy, but why cant we pursue the science of sociology as well as biology and astronomy?

Continue reading here:
U.S. House bill threatens social- science funding