Current Charge: to improve the understanding and appreciation of the role of science and the needs of scientists among those who are in a position to influence and establish public policy.

Historical: This Committee was authorized in the late summer of 1992 with the goal of increasing Federal instrumentation funding to a level more reflective of the needs of MSA’s scientists. In order not to appear self-serving, and to increase our credibility, we have not focused on microscopy alone, but rather on scientific instrumentation, generally in the $100,000 - $2 million range. We emphasize that instrumentation is part of a balanced science policy and should not have to compete with individual investigator grant funding.