News
Aug 14 2006
Senator asks UR: Retrace funding
Oklahoma's Coburn seeking to account for federal R&D spending
A U.S. senator is demanding that University of Rochester and dozens of other top research universities across the country explain where federal funds earmarked for research went.
Tom Coburn, R-Okla., has been a vociferous critic of the growing practice in Congress to include money for specific research projects at colleges in the budgets of federal agencies, instead of the money coming through a competitive process.
"He views earmarks as the gateway drug to overspending in Congress," said Coburn spokesman John Hart. "Most of the earmarks are worthwhile. His concern is more with the process than the end product. (Members of Congress) are not exactly the best bodies to do peer review of research requests. And the earmark process has exploded in recent years."
For fiscal year 2006, Congress earmarked $2.3 billion for various research and development projects, including ones at universities, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. That's up roughly $900 million from fiscal years 2002 and 2003, according to the association.
UR, in a statement, said, "We are consulting with our legal counsel and our delegation in Washington about our response."
Coburn's letter went to a variety of schools that receive sizable amounts of federal funding, either through earmarks or through peer-reviewed grants.
In his letter, dated July 27, Coburn asks the schools to list all appropriations received since 2000, how they go about assessing the quality of earmarked projects, and whether they have considered hiring lobbyists to help obtain more federal funds for research.
The federal government has been good to research efforts at area colleges.
In June, Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, announced that Rochester Institute of Technology would receive $3 million in federal funds for fuel cell development. And on Wednesday, Slaughter and UR announced that the 2007 House Defense Appropriations Bill includes $5 million for the Wilmot Cancer Center at Strong Memorial Hospital. The money is to be used for Wilmot's research into cancer diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
According to UR, since 2003 the Wilmot Cancer Center has received $4.5 million in various appropriations bills due to Slaughter; Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-Clarence, Erie County; and Rep. James Walsh, R-Onondaga, Onondaga County.
Tom Coburn, R-Okla., has been a vociferous critic of the growing practice in Congress to include money for specific research projects at colleges in the budgets of federal agencies, instead of the money coming through a competitive process.
"He views earmarks as the gateway drug to overspending in Congress," said Coburn spokesman John Hart. "Most of the earmarks are worthwhile. His concern is more with the process than the end product. (Members of Congress) are not exactly the best bodies to do peer review of research requests. And the earmark process has exploded in recent years."
For fiscal year 2006, Congress earmarked $2.3 billion for various research and development projects, including ones at universities, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. That's up roughly $900 million from fiscal years 2002 and 2003, according to the association.
UR, in a statement, said, "We are consulting with our legal counsel and our delegation in Washington about our response."
Coburn's letter went to a variety of schools that receive sizable amounts of federal funding, either through earmarks or through peer-reviewed grants.
In his letter, dated July 27, Coburn asks the schools to list all appropriations received since 2000, how they go about assessing the quality of earmarked projects, and whether they have considered hiring lobbyists to help obtain more federal funds for research.
The federal government has been good to research efforts at area colleges.
In June, Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, announced that Rochester Institute of Technology would receive $3 million in federal funds for fuel cell development. And on Wednesday, Slaughter and UR announced that the 2007 House Defense Appropriations Bill includes $5 million for the Wilmot Cancer Center at Strong Memorial Hospital. The money is to be used for Wilmot's research into cancer diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
According to UR, since 2003 the Wilmot Cancer Center has received $4.5 million in various appropriations bills due to Slaughter; Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-Clarence, Erie County; and Rep. James Walsh, R-Onondaga, Onondaga County.
