EARMARK (OR PORK-BARREL) FUNDINGWhat is earmarking?
Funds directly awarded by the Congress for specific projects not included in agency budget requests.Trends in Academic Earmarkings:Earmarks can appear either as a law or a technical advisory. For all practical purposes, however, agencies usually follow the instructions from Congress.
Earmarking is done at the Appropriation level
(R&D Earmarks in FY 2002 Appropriations)
(R&D Earmarks in FY 2003 Appropriations)
(R&D Earmarks in FY 2004 Appropriations)
In 2003 earmarks up by 10% ( trends in Academic earmarks )Examples of Earmarked Projects:
In 2004 earmarks up by 32% ( More Trends )
NASA FY 2001 Budget: Congressional Earmarks(So far, no earmarking for NSF science)
Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission ($105 million in FY 2003)
Europa Orbiter mission ($40 million in FY 2003)Large Millimeter Telescope (FCAD/UMass) ($25 million since '94)
Some fun Earmarks:University of Idaho; $700,000 to study historic jazz
University of Alaska, at Fairbanks, $645,000 to develop a machine to debone wild salmon
Kirkwood (Iowa) Community College, $400,000 for "the establishment of National Mass fatalities training center"
University of Utah, $590,000 for support to the winter olympics (to predict weather during the Salt lake games)
St. Petersburg College (2-year College), $2.6 million for National Terrorism Preparedness Institute
* 8 of the 10 states that received the most earmarked funds had lawmakers who led appropriations committees or subcommittees last year.* In contrast, only one state among the 10 that received the least earmarked funds, Vermont, had such representation.
* (1999) 25 states with the largest shares of federal dollars also received 74% of earmark funding to college and universities
* (1999) 13 of 25 institutions receiving the most earmarks also the members of the top 100 for total federal funds.
* (2002) 18,898 requests for academic funds with a total price tag of $279 billion.