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Researchers, university administrators, and policy works converged in Washington last week to discuss federal support for R&D and argue about future funding for science and technology programs. Yet amid the fiscal uncertainty, participants at two events--the annual policy colloquium held by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, which publishes Science) and the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)--did come up with a consensus of sorts on two points: R&D spending is almost certain to decline in the next few years, and science advocates must make their cause more visible if they hope to protect their programs.
The problem is that unless the government is willing to clamp down on entitlement programs, the effort to eliminate the deficit will take a big bite out of domestic discretionary programs, which includes all civilian science. "That
domestic
pie is shrinking dramatically," says Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM), who chairs the Senate Budget Committee. "So even if we wanted to do more major science projects, we...