AAU sent a letter to Congress urging passage of final FY22 appropriations and Build Back Better Act provisions important to our nation’s health, economic competitiveness, security, and the crucial government-university research partnership.
The letter states that Congress has made significant progress in setting FY22 funding levels and now it is time to approve a final funding package that includes proposed increases for the Pell Grant maximum award and other student aid programs as well as increases for critical research agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
The letter also states that the Build Back Better Act presents an opportunity to make long-term investments in our workforce, national security, and economic competitiveness. The letter expresses AAU’s support for House-passed provisions that raise the Pell Grant maximum award as a step toward doubling Pell; invest in critical research infrastructure, including at HBCUs, HSIs, and other MSIs; and bolster scientific research consistent with pending bipartisan competitiveness legislation (the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, the NSF for the Future Act, and the DOE Science for the Future Act) that authorize a new use-inspired directorate at NSF and critical funding increases for the scientific research and innovation programs at NSF and other agencies.