Letter to Senators Christopher Bond and Barbara Mikulski

June 7, 2004

The Honorable Christopher Bond, Chairman
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, HUD and Independent Agencies
130 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Barbara Mikulski, Ranking Member Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Veterans
Affairs, HUD and Independent Agencies
128 Dirksen Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Bond and Ranking Member Mikulski:

Knowing that you share our commitment to increasing the number of science and technology graduates that U.S. colleges and universities produce, we urge you to continue your strong support for the National Science Foundation's Technology Talent program. Specifically, we respectfully request that $35 million be appropriated for the program as authorized under the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002.

As you know, late in 2002, Congress responded to a projected dearth in science and technology graduates by establishing a Tech Talent program within the National Science Foundation. This program provides competitive grants to colleges and universities to implement innovative ways of increasing the number of graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Institutions that are granted awards develop their own criteria for increasing STEM bachelor-level degrees and pledge to meet STEM graduation goals that were established in their proposals.

The program has been very popular since its inception. During the first two years a total of 373 proposals were received and 31 awards worth $25.6 million were granted. This year is the third year of the program and 173 proposals are still being reviewed for $24.85 million in available funding. Examples of activities found in successful proposals include increasing the recruitment and retention of underrepresented populations in STEM fields, making more effective linkages between community college courses and those at the four-year institutions to which community college students transfer, and increasing a students' exposure to academic or industrial research during the first two years of college.

Although the number of jobs requiring scientific and technical skills is projected to grow over the next decade, the last ten years have witnessed a significant decline in the number of relevant baccalaureate degrees. This change at the undergraduate level has significant downstream ramifications. Today, only half of all engineering doctoral degrees in the U.S. are awarded to American students, and foreign workers fill a disproportionate number of U.S. high-technology jobs. Both industry leaders and policymakers agree that reliance on foreign workers does not provide a sustainable foundation for maintaining our economic and intellectual leadership. For these reasons we feel it is of critical importance to fully fund the Tech Talent program because it not only helps to ensure that U.S. workers have the skills necessary to fill high-tech jobs but it also spurs innovation to buttress overall economic growth.

We appreciate all the support you have given this program in the past and we are thankful for your careful consideration of this present request. Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Joseph I. Lieberman
United States Senator

Richard G. Lugar
United States Senator

Mary Landrieu
United States Senator

Pete V. Domenici
United States Senator

John W. Warner
United States Senator

Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

Jeff Bingaman
United States Senator