A 73-page report released today accuses the National Science Foundation, or NSF, of mismanaging federal funds. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), the author of the report, said he identified more than $3 billion in mismanagement at NSF, calling for cuts.

The report alleges that taxpayer money has gone to fund such programs as Jell-O wrestling in Antarctica and observing shrimps' ability to exercise on a treadmill.

In the case of the shrimp the National Science Foundation spent $500,000 on the research—although the purpose remains unclear.

Other NSF mismanagement, according to the report, includes excessive operating costs and duplication of operations performed by other agencies.

Here’s an excerpt from the report:

"The good news for taxpayers is there is no question NSF has contributed significantly to scientific discovery.

The bad news is a significant percentage of your money is going to what most Americans will consider fraud, waste and abuse, and there are many areas where NSF could contribute far more with better management and smarter targeting of resources.

This report identifies over $3 billion in mismanagement at NSF. This includes tens of millions of dollars spent on questionable studies, excessive amounts of expired funds that have not been returned to the Treasury, inadequate contracting practices that unnecessarily increase costs, and a lack of metrics to demonstrate results."

Read Coburn's report here.

In a statement, NSF officials responded to Coburn’s study and defended the agency's work.

“While no agency is without flaws, NSF has been diligent about addressing concerns from members of Congress about workforce and grant management issues, and NSF's excellent record of tracking down waste and prosecuting wrongdoing is apparent from Sen. Coburn's report. We believe that no other funding agency in the world comes close to NSF for giving taxpayers the best return on their investment.”

Scientists whose research was targeted in Coburn's report have also accused the senator of misrepresenting their work.

Some questionable behavior outlined in the report was investigated by the NSF’s inspector general. One example includes a senior executive who viewed pornography on his computer for “at least 331 days” on a government computer. According to Coburn’s report, “porn viewing was so pervasive that the cases overwhelmed the agency's IG and undermined the watchdog’s ability to investigate other misspent funds or fraudulent activities.” In 2008, seven of 10 misconduct cases involved viewing online pornography. 

NSF projects have led to significant scientific and engineering innovation. However, Coburn’s report outlines some serious waste and repeated patterns of mismanagement.

What do you think? Will it be helpful or hurtful to cut and streamline NSF funding?