House Slashes Research Funds

Harvard could lose nearly $7 million in research funding if a bill approved Wednesday night by the House of Representatives survives a Senate vote.

The Division of Applied Sciences would be especially hurt by the cuts according to members of the department. If the bill goes through, applied sciences could lose up to 20 percent of its research budget.

"It would be a disaster for the division," said Van Vleck Professor of Pure and Applied Physics Paul C. Martin, who is dean of the division.

On the recommendation of its Appropriations Committee, the House approved a 60 percent cut--a total of between $800 and $900 million--in university research sponsored by the Department of Defense as a part of widescale cuts in defense spending.

The bill still has to be approved by the Senate before the cuts take effect. And University officials plan to fight to restore some of the funding, in hopes that Congress' ultimate compromise arrangement will be less painful.

The bill still has to be approved by the Senate before the cuts take effect And University officials plan to fight to restore some of the funding, in hopes that Congress' ultimate compromise arrangement will be less painful.

According to Kevin Casey, director of federal and state relations for the University, Massachusetts universities stand to lose $100 million in research funding. Of that, Harvard presently receives $11.8 million, so a 60 percent cut would mean the loss of $6.8 million.

Casey said the largest impact would be on Applied Sciences, which could lose up to $5 million, although Martin said the figure would be closer to $3 million.

Either way, the loss would be felt--the division's entire research budget is just $21 million.

Martin said numerous useful projects would have to be given the as if a cut that size took effect.

He listed specific programs in oceanography, robotics, high performance composite materials research and computer science for which the division might not have funds.

"We'd just have to stop because this bill has been passed," Martin said. "I hope that cooler heads prevail along the way."

He also lamented the fact that the programs have value not just for defense, but for the economy, the scientific community and the environment as well.

"It's just terribly unfortunate that actions are taken this way with what seems to be little recognition of their impact," Martin said.

The dean declined to speculate on how many jobs would be lost.

Still, most Harvard officials seem somewhat optimistic that the final cuts won't be as dramatic.

A cut in the range of 50 percent is an "incredibly unusual occurrence. I've never seen that level of funds-cutting ever in an appropriations committee," Casey said.

Officials said the fight in the Senate should be more fruitful.

Universities in dozens of states are banding together to fight the cuts, banding together to fight the cuts, Casey said,including the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology, the University of California andseveral Ivy League schools.

The universities also expect Sen. Edward M.Kennedy '54-'56 (D-Mass), a member of the ArmedServices Committee, to help restore the funding.

Kennedy's office did not return two phone callsyesterday.

"I think that would be a very large cut for theSenate to go for," Casey said. "I hope that's notprobable."

But he did say that "it is an extremelydifficult budget climate.

The universities also expect Sen. Edward M.Kennedy '54-'56 (D-Mass), a member of the ArmedServices Committee, to help restore the funding.

Kennedy's office did not return two phone callsyesterday.

"I think that would be a very large cut for theSenate to go for," Casey said. "I hope that's notprobable."

But he did say that "it is an extremelydifficult budget climate.