German Research Budget: Less Money, But Much Needed Reform

doi:10.1126/science.273.5273.305a

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Patricia Kahn

Heidelberg--J�rgen R�ttgers, Germany's minister for science and education, had good and bad news for the country's scientists last week. After weeks of speculation, while the federal government hammered out massive budget cuts for 1997, his ministry emerged with $10 billion--2.5% less than last year, the second straight year of cuts. The most conspicuous victim appears to be the German Space Agency, DARA, which will be disbanded and some of its functions taken over by the Aerospace Research Establishment. But R�ttgers added a positive spin with a set of proposals to bring much-needed reform to many of Germany's nonuniversity research centers: more autonomy, less red tape, and more competition in funding.