Washington, DC – Congressman Randy Neugebauer succeeded Thursday in restoring some fiscal responsibility in Congress by ending the funding of federal grants to study dorm room wall decorations and “what makes a meaningful day.”

   Neugebauer introduced an amendment to the FY 2005 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill to prohibit the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) from funding two specific grants.  The amendment, which does not take away funding for the NIMH, but calls for the agency to focus its research funding on serious mental health issues, was approved by voice vote.

   “It is imperative that Congress be more responsible with taxpayer money,” Neugebauer said.  “We should support research to find cures to serious mental health diseases like Alzheimer’s and depression instead of wasting valuable dollars researching interior decorating for college dorm rooms.”

   Neugebauer introduced his amendment after reading the grant proposals for two research projects.  The first study is titled “Expressions of Identity in Virtual and Physical Spaces.” This study gave college students $100 to decorate their dorm room walls and design web pages.  Researchers then attempted to discern how students express themselves through these decorations.  Three $1000 prizes were also given away in a lottery to participants in the study.

   The second study, entitled “Goals, Identity, and Meaning in Life,” attempted to find out “what makes a meaningful day” for today’s college students.  Since 1995, NIMH has provided more than $1 million to conduct this study.  The application for this study stated that “attending college may be a source of meaning itself-as a stepping stone to future life goals or as a means of occupying a meaningful social role.”  The study also asked participants to keep a diary in which they documented meaningful events. 

   “The federal government has no business paying someone more than a million dollars to figure out that college can be a meaningful experience,” Neugebauer said.  

   Several groups have expressed their support for Neugebauer’s amendments, including Concerned Women for America, Eagle Forum, and the Family Research Council.

   Neugebauer is a member of the Washington Waste Watchers, a group of House members working to bring fiscal responsibility back to the federal government through eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money.
  

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