For the past 50 years, if U.S. scientists dreamed it, government usually found the money to make it a reality. That generous research funding climate sparked an explosion in scientific research and, ultimately, a rise in new technology that took the nation to the moon and back. But with current government budget-cutting and projections for even tighter budgets, it remains to be seen who will foot the bill for science and engineering research in the 21st century. The National Science Board, which governs the National Science Foundation, will convene March 28-29 at UC Davis to explore new principles and relationships that will help direct the nation's investment in research and education. "We're wrestling with how we can make the case for public investment in research in the post-Cold War era," says Charles E. Hess, director of international programs at UC Davis and an NSB executive committee member.