APS Deeply Troubled by President Trump's FY18 Budget

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 16, 2017 - The American Physical Society is deeply concerned with President Trump’s fiscal year 2018 budget outline and urges Congress to reject the proposed cuts to the federal science agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Institutes of Health, and Environmental Protection Agency. Although the president’s outline provides limited information on the major funding programs for physics, the cuts to DOE research programs — including a dramatic cut for the Office of Science — and to other research programs across agencies greatly trouble the Society.

"We are concerned about the budget impact on physics, but we are also part of the larger ecosystem of science," said Laura Greene, APS president and chief scientist at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. "The proposed cuts would cripple fields of research that are essential to America’s scientific enterprise, economic growth and national security."

Physics research often occurs in concert with — and is enhanced by — other scientific disciplines. To address many of today’s most pressing questions and complex scientific investigations, research at the interface of disparate fields is required. Therefore, it is essential that we maintain a broad-based federal research investment portfolio to maximize U.S. scientific discovery and innovation.

APS stands ready to work with Congress and the administration to make changes to this budget proposal that are necessary to strengthen our global competitiveness and ensure our national security.

Contact: Tawanda W. Johnson, APS, tjohnson@aps.org, (202) 662-8702