Following is a statement by Association of American Universities President Mary Sue Coleman.
We applaud the House and Senate leadership for coming together and forging a sensible compromise on FY17 funding. The package provides much-needed funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other critical science, innovation, and student aid programs. We’re particularly pleased to see year-round funding of the Pell Grant program, as well as the modest increases to the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. We also appreciate the continued commitment to NASA’s science missions and the Space Grant Fellowship program, and to vital research at the Department of Energy’s Office of Science and Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy.
While we would have preferred to see the budget and appropriations move through regular order, this compromise measure avoids flat funding many important programs and supports our efforts to spur job growth, improve our national health, and reinforce our national security.
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Founded in 1900, the Association of American Universities comprises 62 distinguished institutions that continually advance society through education, research, and discovery. Our universities earn the majority of competitively awarded federal funding for academic research, are improving human life and wellbeing through research, and are educating tomorrow’s visionary leaders and global citizens. AAU members collectively help shape policy for higher education, science, and innovation; promote best practices in undergraduate and graduate education; and strengthen the contributions of research universities to society.