Abstract
A steady increase would stabilize the grants process and enable researchers to stop panicking about their funding prospects, so they can get back to doing research instead of writing grant proposals nonstop. The president's plan is a reasonable response to the concerns and opportunities highlighted in the recent National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report, "Rising Above the Gathering Storm," which emphasized the need to strengthen funding of physical sciences, math, and engineering to maintain and enhance US competitiveness.