PRESIDENT'S BUDGET REQUEST PROPOSES ROBUST FUNDING FOR MOST R&D AGENCIES FOR FY2010: President Obama sent his FY 2010 budget request to Congress on May 7 and as anticipated in our last issue, he made it clear that "…science and engineering research and education are vital to the nation's future." This issue focuses on the three key agencies included in the SPIE-supported America COMPETES Act of 2007 which didn't received commensurate appropriations from Congress - until last minute changes were made in several Supplemental budget bills during 2008, the FY 2009 Budget impasse was resolved in early spring, and the Stimulus Bill a.k.a. the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) passed in early March of this year.
A COMMITMENT TO "DOUBLE" SCIENCE BUDGETS HAS BEEN MADE - OVER A TEN-YEAR PERIOD: OSTP issued a ten-page document titled "A Renewed Commitment to Science and Technology - Federal R&D, Technology, and STEM Education in the 2010 Budget" as well as four supplemental documents. It is important to note the highlights of the 2010 Presidential Budget Request since it will be used as a new "baseline" for future R&D funding.
KEY ELEMENTS OF THE "DOUBLING" COMMITMENT: According to the Office of Management & Budget, "The President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 budget proposes $147.6 billion for the federal investment in research and development. That is $555 million or 0.4% more than the 2009 enacted level. In 2009, enacted appropriations and preliminary allocations of Recovery Act funding increase the Federal R&D investment to a record $165.4 billion; ARRA ("Stimulus") Act funds will be spent in 2009 and 2010. The 2009 enacted level and 2010 Budget are among the two largest R&D investments in history. These investments reflect the Administration's recognition that science, technology, and innovation are critical tools for the national goals of a prosperous economy, a clean energy future, a healthy American people, and a strong and secure America.
The document continues: "The President's Plan for Science and Innovation and the America COMPETES Act have identified NSF, DOE SC, and NIST as key to our nation's prosperity and to preserving America's place as the world leader in science and technology. In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act signed by President Obama finally put these agencies back on a doubling trajectory. The 2010 Budget builds on these early Administration accomplishments with a requested $12.6 billion total for NSF, DOE SC, and the NIST labs, an increase of $731 million or 6.1% above the 2009 enacted total (excluding Recovery Act funds of $5.2 billion for the three agencies)."The OSTP identifies key R&D priorities for near-term science funding as: "Investing in the Sciences for a Prosperous America," "A Clean Energy Future," "Healthy Lives for All Americans," and "A Safe and Secure America."
NEW SPIE BUDGET CHART DEMONSTRATES PROBLEMATIC SITUATION: SPIE has created a Budget Comparison Chart that shows how the appropriations for America COMPETES Act agencies over the past three fiscal years have fluctuated wildly. The infusion of significant new spending into the three science agencies targeted by the America COMPETES can be seen in the dramatic increase in spending currently underway. The problem is that such spending will collapse during FY 2011, unless additional monies are appropriated by Congress and the Administration. While the present is certainly not a time to be hypercritical of this potential problem, many within the scientific and engineering communities are concerned about "fits and starts" funding.
NSF SPIKES TO MORE THAN $7 BILLION FOR FY 2010: Under the President's Budget Proposal, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is requesting $7.045 billion, an increase of 8.5% over FY 2009. "That puts NSF on track to double its budget over the next decade" National Science Foundation Director Arden Bement, who outlined the NSF's FY 2010 request in early May. Bement recalled that the FY 2009 NSF appropriation was $6,490.4 million. In addition, NSF received about $3 billion in ARRA funding ("Stimulus" bill) earlier this year, and the agency is geared up to begin awarding grants as soon as possible. Because the ARRA monies are one-time events, the figures cited below do not include them. For the White House description of the NSF budget, see http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/National_Science_Foundation1.pdf
DOE's OFFICE OF SCIENCE GETS SIGNIFICANT FUNDING INCREASES UNDER FY 2010 PRESIDENT'S BUDGET REQUEST: The Office of Science requests $4,942 billion for its various programs, a 3.5% increase over the $4.773 billion appropriated by Congress in late March. This does not include an additional $1.6 billion in ARRA funding which is one-time. According to the Administration, the significant increases at DOE will help launch "innovative energy technologies including renewable energy projects, transmission projects, and carbon sequestration projects that avoid, reduce, or sequester air pollutants and greenhouse gases while simultaneously creating green jobs and contributing to long-term economic growth and international competitiveness. For more information about the science budgets at DOE, see http://www.sc.doe.gov/
NIST BENEFITS FROM INCREASES AS WELL: Under the President's Budget Request, the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) will receive $240 million for its scientific research activities and lab equipment and $180 million for facilities construction. The SPIE-supported Technology Innovation Program (TIP) will receive $70 million. TIP invests in high-impact research that for the near-term future will focus on critical national needs, including infrastructure and cyber-security. The Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP), threatened with extinction only last year, is scheduled to receive about $125 million to "enhance the competitiveness of the nation's manufacturers by facilitating the adoption of more efficient manufacturing processes." Overlooked by many analysts, a whopping $4.7 billion has been added for Commerce's National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIS), which will attempt to expand broadband deployment, adoption, and data collection." For more information about the DOC Budget request, see http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fy2010_department_commerce
MULTIAGENCY RESEARCH INITIATIVES CONTINUE: The OSTP document also gives summary information on three key multi-agency research initiatives. For Networking and Information Technology R&D he Administration requests an increase of 1.1% or $44 million to $3.9 billion; for the Nanotechnology R&D effort, the Administration requests a reduction of 1% or $17million to $1.6 billion, citing "the proposed elimination of 2009 Department of Defense congressional projects in 2010." Congressional "projects" means "earmarks. For the Climate Change R&D effort, the Administration requested an increase of 2.3% or $46 million to $2 billion.
ARPA-E PLANS DESCRIBED BY HOUSE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN GORDON: More than $400 million has be designated by Congress for a new agency, the Advanced Research Projects for Energy, or ARPA-E Program within the Department of Energy. For those interested in an overview of the new Agency's mandate and possible areas of research, check out House Science & Technology Committee Chairman Rep. Bart Gordon's http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/file/ARPA%20E%20handout.pdf
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