ASM issued a statement on 2 February applauding the Obama administration's proposed budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which included a 3.2% increase for Fiscal Year 2011.  The ASM also expressed support for the proposed increase of 8% for the National Science Foundation (NSF), a 4.6% increase for the Department of Energy Office of Science, and the proposed budget of $429 million for competitive, peer-reviewed research grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. "The ASM applauds the proposed budget increases for the federal agencies that support scientific research. The President's proposal represents an important step in assuring that scientific progress in this country continues so that we are better able to address the global challenges we face today," says ASM President Roberto Kolter. ASM stated its commitment to working with the President and Congress to maintain the momentum of research progress generated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide sustained funding for real growth in the NIH and other agency budgets in FY 2011. To read the ASM statement, go to
http://www.asm.org/index.php?option_com_content&view_article&id_91324