HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT $90,210,000

The FY 2003 Budget Request for the Human Resource Development (HRD) Subactivity is $90.21 million, a decrease of $7.21 million, or 7.4 percent, below the FY 2002 Current Plan of $97.42 million.

(Millions of Dollars)

The Human Resource Development Subactivity aims to increase the participation and advancement of underrepresented groups and institutions at every level of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education through the promotion of racial and ethnic diversity, gender equity, and access for persons with disabilities. Programs focus on success factors such as increasing interest and academic performance, degree attainment, and workforce participation. These efforts engage the full range of academic institutions and - through the development, assessment and documentation of model efforts to improve teaching, learning, and research participation - serve to benefit all students.

Within this Subactivity, programs address three priorities: (1) increasing substantially the diversity of the STEM professoriate; (2) strengthening the synergy among key minority-focused programs, and the interactions among grantees within these programs and with other NSF programs in research and education; and (3) expanding upon a strong educational research base to develop and foster broad implementation of innovative strategies for increasing participation and achievement of girls, women, and persons with disabilities in STEM education and research activities.

Undergraduate/Graduate Student Support ($50.77 million) includes:

• Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) strengthen and encourage STEM baccalaureate degree production of students from underrepresented populations by utilizing the knowledge, resources, and capabilities of a broad range of organizations from the academic, federal, and commercial sectors. Since the inception of the program in 1990, over 174,000 students from underrepresented groups have earned baccalaureate degrees in the STEM disciplines at LSAMP institutions, with almost 22,000 bachelor's degrees granted to these LSAMP students in FY 2001 alone. Funding is reduced by $1.47 million to a level of $26.53 million based on the need to redirect resources to other priorities in the FY 2003 Request.
  
  
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) provides awards to enhance the quality of undergraduate STEM programs through curricular reform and enhancement, faculty development, research experiences for undergraduates, upgrading of scientific instrumentation, and improvement of research infrastructure. Funding is reduced by $3.03 million to $13.97 million to redirect funds to other priorities in the FY 2003 Request. As with the LSAMP program, HBCU-UP reductions are somewhat offset by increases in the Centers for Learning and Teaching program, which includes a focus on increasing math and science teachers from underrepresented groups.
  
  
• Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) provides awards to these institutions to enhance the quality of STEM instructional and community outreach programs through curricular reform and enhancement, faculty development, research and other out-of-classroom educational experiences for students, upgrading of scientific instrumentation, and improvement of research infrastructure. In FY 2003, support is raised slightly to $9.98 million.
  
  
• Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM), administered by NSF on behalf of the White House, identify outstanding mentoring efforts/programs designed to enhance the participation of groups underrepresented in science, mathematics, and engineering. Funding is maintained at $290,000.

Research and Education Infrastructure ($23.20 million) includes:

• Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) continue implementing strategies for increasing STEM Ph.D. attainment among students drawn from underrepresented minority populations and encouraging those students to enter the professoriate. AGEP activities are projected to double their STEM doctoral degree production within a five-year period. In FY 2003, program support increases to $11.80 million.
  
  
• Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) serve as hubs for conducting competitive research at minority institutions, including those that produce well-trained doctoral students in STEM fields. A goal of the program is to assist Center faculty to participate more fully in other NSF research programs. Currently, HRD supports ten Centers. CREST funding is increased to $8.88 million in FY 2003.
  
  
• Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE) support minority institutions with a strong track record for graduating underrepresented minority students at the baccalaureate level, and encouraging those students to pursue graduate degrees. Jointly funded with the Research and Related Activities Appropriation, EHR funding for this program is sustained at $2.52 million for total NSF support of $9.81 million.
  
  
• The Doctoral HBCU Research Capacity Building activity received $2.60 million in FY 2002 for development of research capacity and production of doctoral students at minority institutions. Funding is not requested in FY 2003 because of the need to redirect funds to other priorities.

Opportunities for Women and Persons with Disabilities ($16.24 million) includes:

• Program for Gender Equity (PGE) supports education and research activities that foster the increased participation of women and girls in STEM. PGE funding is $10.51 million, and PGE expects to fund $450,000 for institutional awards within the NSF ADVANCE program to promote professional opportunities for women, resulting in total support for women's programs of $10.96 million in FY 2003.
  
  
• Program for Persons with Disabilities (PPD) supports efforts to increase the participation and achievement of individuals with disabilities in STEM education and research. Emphasis is placed on building and strengthening alliances among higher education, K-12 educational systems, and business and industry. Funding is increased slightly to $5.28 million.