奧巴馬公布美國2010財年科學預算提案 來源：科學網
5月7日，美國總統奧巴馬公布2010財年預算提案，該財年將從10月開始。美國國會將就提案細節進行商討，並就最終數目進行表決。對許多科研機構來說，雖然將獲得的資助大致額度在3月已經得知，此次則公布了更多的細節。
國立衛生研究院（NIH），預算將在2009財年基礎上增加1.4%，增加到310億美元。這並不包括其獲得的104億美元經濟刺激資金在內。此外，NIH的癌症研究預算將獲得5%的增加，達到60億美元，以期在8年時間內將研究翻番。
物理科學研究人員同樣應該感到高興。奧巴馬提議將能源部科學辦公室的預算從48億美元提高到49億美元，同樣，這也沒有將其二月份獲得的16億美元經濟刺激資金計算在內。能源部總預算中還包括一份2.8億美元資金，用來建立8個所謂的能源創新中心。這8個中心每年將收到2500萬美元資助，每個中心聚焦于一個特定的領域，包括太陽能燃料和核能等。
美國國家科學基金會（NSF）尤其值得慶賀，奧巴馬爲NSF請求70.7億美元，這比其 2009財年收到的65億美元足足增加了8.5%。這使得其10年內預算翻番的許諾有望如期實現。NSF的6個研究理事會預算將增加10%，達到57.3 億美元。它的教育項目將增加1.5%，達到8.58億美元。
美國國家海洋與大氣管理局的總預算將增加1億美元，達到45億美元。對于美國環保局和地質勘測局，奧巴馬請求的預算分別增加了6.6%和5.2%。
The 2010 Science Budget
By Eli Kintisch, Jeff Mervis, Jocelyn Kaiser, Erik Stokstad, and Dan Charles
ScienceNOW Daily News
7 May 2009
Fans of U.S. scientific research will have a lot to be happy about in the 2010 budget proposal released today by President Barack Obama. But with legislators concerned about the budget's impact on a trillion-dollar deficit, the $21 billion in stimulus cash awarded to science agencies in February is sure coming in handy. Compared with the spending plan passed by Congress for this year, the levels in the proposal Obama released today are flat or provide only slight increases for most science agencies. But any suggestion of a drooping science budget next year is "illusory," said White House science adviser John Holdren at a midday briefing, noting that the federal commitment to science stands at a record level thanks to the boost from the stimulus package and regular appropriations.
The National Institutes of Health, for example, is slated for a 1.4% increase over fiscal year 2009, growing its budget to $31.0 billion. But that excludes the $10.4 billion in stimulus funds that NIH got. Cancer research across NIH, however, would receive a 5% bump to $6 billion as part of an effort to double research on this disease over 8 years.
Those in the physical sciences should be as pleased as their biomedical colleagues are because Obama proposed to increase the Department of Energy's Office of Science from $4.8 billion to $4.9 billion, again, not taking into account the gaudy $1.6 billion awarded in February, which must be spent by next year. The Department of Energy's total includes $280 million for setting up eight so-called Energy Innovation Hubs, to be funded at $25 million per year, which would each focus on one specific area, including solar fuels and nuclear energy.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) did particularly well, with a request of $7.04 billion, an 8.5% jump over the $6.5 billion it received in 2009. That increase would keep it on course to achieve a promised budget doubling within a decade. The foundation's six research directorates would receive a 10% boost, to $5.73 billion, and its education programs would inch up by 1.5%, to $858 million. NSF officials don't plan to release details until next week's meeting of the National Science Board, which oversees it.
The overall budget of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would rise by $100 million, to $4.5 billion under Obama's proposal. Its research budget of $568 million includes a $12 million rise in competitive climate research, to $144 million. At the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey, Obama has proposed science increases of 6.6% and 5.2%, respectively.
奧巴馬說，“我現在想談談我的班子在未來百日的宏圖大計。”他說：“在第二個百日內，我們將設計、修建一座專門用來紀念入主白宮100天的圖書館。”
奧巴馬補充說，“我相信，我的第二個百日也會異常出色，以至我在72天內就可完事。因此，從第73天起，我就可以退休了。”
這位民主黨總統還拿共和黨開涮，稱共和黨“還不夠救助的資格”；而常常捍衛保守理念的電台脫口秀主持人拉什・林博"根本算不上一個麻煩資産"。
不久前，美國總統座機和一架護航戰機在紐約市曼哈頓區低飛拍照引起市民恐慌，白宮一名高級幕僚因此引咎辭職。奧巴馬開玩笑，把飛機低飛歸咎于他的兩個女兒調皮搗蛋。
奧巴馬說，“沙沙和瑪麗亞今晚沒有來”，因爲作爲懲罰，“她們已經被"停飛"了”。他還說，“我不管她們是誰的女兒，誰都不能把"空軍一號"當成"飙車"遊戲來玩。”
奧巴馬似乎意猶未盡，又說起了當晚並不在晚宴現場的前副總統切尼。他說，切尼現在每天忙得不可開交，忙著寫他的回憶錄呢。而這本書的名子大概就叫做：如何槍擊朋友和審問他人。
美國前總統切尼曾在一次打獵中開槍誤傷朋友，他當時以爲打中一只鹌鹑。在副總統任內，切尼還提倡在審問恐怖嫌疑人時對犯人用刑。這些後來都成爲人們取笑的對象。
