The US Senate and House of Representatives have approved a 14 percent funding increase for the National Science Foundation (NSF) for 2009. A Senate appropriations subcommittee approved the measure yesterday (Jun 18), and a House subcommittee passed the bill last week.

The bill will now move to the Senate floor for a vote, which has not yet been scheduled.

The spending bill would net NSF, which is the second largest federal funder of academic research after the National Institutes of Health (NIH), $6.9 billion for FY 2009. More than 80 percent, or $5.6 billion, of this total budget would go towards research grants.

Science advocates are awaiting the passage of a bill to increase NIH funding by 12 percent that is making its way through the House, and is scheduled for a vote in the House Appropriations Committee today.

Hat tip to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Update (June 19, 2008 - 12:30 PM EDT): The House Appropriations Committee has just passed the spending bill that would increase FY 2009 NIH funding by 12 percent.

Correction (June 20): Due to an editorial error, the original subhead on this story incorrectly stated the figure for the NIH funding boost to be $1.9 billion. The actual figure is $1.2 billion. The Scientist regrets the error.