R&D Budget and Policy Program
http://www.aaas.org//spp/rd/index.shtml
R&D Budget and Policy ProgramAppropriations Progress Chart
House Passes USDA Appropriations BillThe House passed the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (H.R.2112) on June 16. The bill includes $14.66 billion in discretionary spending for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) which is $4.6 bllion (24.0%) less than the President's request, and $2.9 billion (16.5%) less than FY 2011. The projected R&D investment from the bill is $1.7 billion, $350 million (17.3%) less than the request, and a $334 million (16.6%) decrease from last year. The Agricultural Research Service, the USDA's intramural funding program, is funded at $988 million, a $145 million (12.8%) cut in total budget from FY 2011 while the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the USDA's extramural funding program, received $1.01 billion in the bill, a $203 million (16.7%) cut from last year. The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), NIFA's competitive funding program which has seen gains in recent years and was slated for an increase in the President's request, suffered a setback in the bill with a $37 million (13.9%) decrease to $228 million. Included in the amendments added to the bill during floor debate was a 0.78 percent across the board cut and a prohibition on funding the implementation of the June 3rd USDA departmental regulation on climate change adaptation.
House Passes Veterans Affairs Appropriations BillThe House passed the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (H.R.2055) on June 14. The bill provides $531 million for the Medical and Prosthetic Research program at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This funding level is $22 million (4.3%) more than the President's request and $49 million (8.4%) less than in FY 2011. Including research support from other VA programs, the total R&D investment is estimated at $1.06 billion, $44 million (4.3%) more than the President's request and $98 million (8.4%) less than FY 2011. VA also performs R&D for other federal agencies and non-federal organizations. Including this non-VA funded R&D brings the total for VA-performed R&D to $1.77 billion, $44 million (2.5%) more than the President's request and $97 million (5.2%) less than FY 2011.
Homeland Security Appropriations Bill Passed by Full HouseThe House of Representatives passed the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2012 (H.R.2017) on June 2. The bill provides $48.9 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), $2.9 billion (5.5%) less than the President's request, and a $479 million (1.0%) cut from FY 2011. The estimated R&D investment in the bill is $416 million, a $638 million (60.5%) cut from the request, and $296 million (41.5%) less than last year. The hardest hit account is the Innovation subaccount under the Science and Technology Directorate which suffers a $553 million (83.9%) cut from $660 million in the President's request to $107 million in the House-passed bill.
R&D in the FY 2011 Year-long Continuing ResolutionTotal R&D investment in the FY 2011 full-year continuing resolution is estimated at $144.4 billion, a 3.5 percent ($5.2 billion) cut from FY 2010. However, $4.7 billion of that cut comes from the Department of Defense appropriations bill that was included in the year-long continuing resolution. Non-defense R&D received cuts of just 0.9 percent with increases at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (+$605 million to $9.9 billion) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (+$507 million to $543 million) balancing out the largest decreases at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (-$501 million to $2.1 billion), the Department of Energy's energy programs (-$357 million to $2.1 billion), the National Institutes of Health (-$329 million to $30.2 billion), and the Department of Homeland Security (-$175 million to $712 million).
AAAS Report XXXVI: Research and Development FY 2012
R&D in the FY 2011 CompromiseCongress released their year-long continuing resolution for FY 2011 this morning which contains a total of around $38.5 billion in cuts, the largest collection of spending cuts in history. R&D intensive programs and agencies were spared the worst of the cuts. Basic research programs faired the best, while applied research programs, especially at the Department of Energy did less well, accurately reflecting the current policy debates taking place. Basic research generally has broad, bi-partisan support, but there is discussion as to how much the federal government should be involved in applied research and the role of industry in funding the applied research stage of the innovation pipeline. The National Institutes of Health are funded at $30.7 billion in the continuing resolution, a 0.8 percent ($260 million) cut from current FY 2010 spending levels. The National Science Foundation is funded at $6.8 billion, a 1.0 percent ($67 million) cut from current levels. The Department of Energy's Office of Science will receive $4.9 billion, a 0.4 percent ($20 million) cut from current levels while the applied reseach-oriented Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) program would receive $1.8 billion, a 18.4 percent ($408 million) cut from current levels. By comparison, the EERE program had been slated for a budget of $1.5 billion in the original H.R. 1, a 35.0 percent ($775 million) cut. ARPA-E received $180 million in the continuing resolution. These funding levels to not include the 0.2 percent across the board cut for non-defense agencies. More details and analysis will be posted as it is available.
R&D in the FY 2011 and FY 2012 BudgetsThe Senate Appropriations Committee released their Full-Year CR proposal on Friday. The total amount of discretionary spending in the bill, $1.079 trillion, splits the difference between the President's FY 2011 request ($51 billion lower) and the House year-long CR proposal, H.R.1 ($51 billion higher). See the table below for more details.
President's FY 2012 Budget Compared to House CR (H.R.1)The President's FY 2012 budget request, released today, contains $147.9 billion in R&D investment, a $772 million (0.5%) increase from FY 2010. While the overall R&D budget is essentually flat, the President funds priority areas such as clean energy R&D, education, infrastructure, and innovation, and keeps the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy's Office of Science, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology on their multi-year doubling path. The FY 2012 Budget Request, however, differs greatly from the recently introduced continuing resolution (CR), H.R.1, which represents the House Republican leadership's plan for $100 billion in discretionary spending cuts. Overall, the FY 2012 request totals $7.4 billion more (12.5%) non-defense R&D investment than the CR. Some of the bigger discrepancies are in funding for energy R&D, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation. See the table below for more details.
House Republicans Propose CR for Remainder of Fiscal YearHouse Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) has announced that House Republicans plan to bring to the floor the week of February 14 a continuing resolution (CR) that would cover government funding through the end of FY 2011 (that is, through September 30, 2011). No specific budget figures have been released, but it is expected that the proposed CR would reduce spending to FY 2008 levels as passed in last week’s House resolution (H.Res.38). Additionally, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-KY) said during debate on that resolution that the CR would "make the largest series of spending cuts in history." These actions would coincide with the anticipated release of President Obama’s FY 2012 budget proposal.
Biennial Budget Appropriations Acts IntroducedSens. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) have introduced the Biennial Budget Appropriations Act (S.211), which would switch the annual federal budget process to a two-year cycle, with the first year dedicated to appropriations and the second year dedicated to oversight of federal programs. Reps. David Dreier (R-CA) and Ed Whitfield (R-KY) are sponsoring a similar bill, the Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act (H.R.114) in the House. Nineteen states have biennial budget cycles. These proposals respond in part to the increased difficulty of completing the federal budget on time. Congress has done that only twice since 1980.
R&D Tax Credit Tied to Domestic Production ProposedSenator Herb Kohl (D-WI) announced plans last week to introduce a bill, the Domestic Jobs Innovation Bonus Act, that would increase the existing R&D tax credit for companies that produce goods domestically. The increase would range from 2% for companies with 50-60% of sales from domestically-produced goods, up to a 10% increase for companies with 90%-100% of sales from domestically-produced goods. President Obama released his plan, which was not tied to domestic production, for an increased and permanent R&D tax credit in September of last year.
Detailed Proposals on How to Cut the Discretionary Budget EmergeOn January 7, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) introduced The CUTS Act of 2011 (H.R.235) which includes $154 billion in discretionary budget cuts. The list of programs borrows heavily from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform's list of illustrative savings released in November of last year, but also includes terminations suggested by the Obama and the previous Bush administrations. R&D programs listed in The CUTS Act include the same four programs named in the fiscal commission's list:
Taxpayers for Common Sense, a non-partisan budget watchdog organization, released their own set of recommended cuts for the 112th Congress on January 11. Their cuts tally $148 billion over the next five years with just six of their recommended cuts totaling over $100 billion in savings. The list focuses on tax breaks and individual projects, many of them infrastructure-related. Two R&D programs are included in their list:
The Republican Study Committee (RSC) released details of The Spending Reduction Act of 2010 on January 20. The Act calls for holding FY 2011 non-security discretionary spending at FY 2008 levels and holding FY 2012 - FY 2021 non-defense discretionary spending at FY 2006 levels, with no allowance for inflation. The Act details $330 billion in program cuts and eliminations over the next ten years as part of the overall spending reductions. Three R&D related programs are included in this list of eliminations and reductions:
Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) introduced the Commitment to American Prosperity Act, the CAP Act, on February 1 which would enact a 10-year plan starting in FY 2013 to decrease mandatory and discretionary spending from the current level of 24.7% of gross domestic product (GDP) to 20.6% of GDP, the 40-year historical average. The bill includes authorization for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to make evenly distributed cuts throughout the budget each year to bring the budget down to the prescribed level. It would take a two-thirds vote in both chambers to override the spending cap. The bill contains no specific guidance on individual programs.
Secretary Gates Announces $178 Billion in Cuts and ReinvestmentDefense Secretary Robert Gates announced $178 billion in program cuts over the next five years in a speech on January 6 as part of the Defense Efficiences Initiative started in May 2010. Of the $178 billion, $100 billion will be reinvested in higher-priority programs and $78 billion will go towards deficit reduction. Most of the cuts deal with personnel, operations and procurement and appear to have limited effect on Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) programs, especially those operating in the Basic Research (6.1) through Advanced Technology Development (6.3) budget classifications. However, of the programs receiving new or increased spending named in the speech, a number appear to have RDT&E components including new electronic jammers, modernization of F-15 radars, new sea-borne unmanned strike and surveillance aircraft, and a new long-range nuclear-capable penetrating bomber, making this announcement look favorable for R&D investment at the Department of Defense.
House Sets New Budget RulesThe House adopted their new rules (H.Res.5) for the Republican majority on January 5 after electing Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) to be the Speaker of the House for the 112th Congress. Some of the newly adopted rules have directly affect the budget process. First, the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rule as established by the 110th Congress was replaced with a cut-as-you-go rule which requires new mandatory spending to be offset with cuts to existing programs and does not allow new spending to be offset with increased revenues as in the previous PAYGO rules. Since the new rule only pertains to spending, tax cuts or other revenue decreases are not covered by cut-as-you-go and do not need to be offset. Extension of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, the repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and other Republican priorities are explicitly exempted from the cut-as-you-go rule. Second, the chair of the House Budget Committee, Paul Ryan (R-WI), is given expanded power under the new rules to establish overall budget spending limits for FY 2011 - 2015 without a committee vote. Previously, these limits, known as the 302(a) allocations, were approved by the Budget Committee and voted on by the full House as part of the yearly budget resolution.
FY 2012 Budget Request DelayedThe National Journal has reported that the Administration's FY 2012 budget request is likely to be postponed until February 14 rather than being released on the traditional first Monday in February. The reason for the delay is the recent appointment of the new OMB director Jacob Lew, whose Senate confirmation was delayed due to a hold by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA). The Administration has not yet made any official announcement about a release date for the budget request.
President Obama Signs America COMPETES Reauthorization ActAs part of a flurry of Congressional activity at the end of the lame-duck session, Congress passed the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (H.R.5116). President Obama then signed the bill into law on January 4, 2011. The scope of the final bill was scaled down from the original House bill passed at the end of May to ease its passage in the lame-duck session, but it still contains a significant amount of policy guidance relating to innovation, workforce development, and education. The bill also reaffirms the 10-year budget doubling track of the Department of Energy's Office of Science, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Science Foundation.
President Signs FY 2011 Defense AuthorizationCongress passed the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 (H.R.6523) in the final days of the lame-duck session and President Obama signed the bill on January 7, 2011. The bill is similar to the Defense authorization bill that passed the House (H.R.5136) back in May with some controversial provisions removed to expedite its passage. The bill authorizes $10.1 billion for Army Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E), $17.9 billion for Navy RDT&E, $27.3 billion for Air Force RDT&E, and $21.3 billion for Defense-wide RDT&E for a total of $76.6 billion, just short of the $76.8 billion in the President's FY 2011 budget request.
R&D Tax Credit Extended Through End of 2011The research and experimentation tax credit was extended to December 31, 2011 as part of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (H.R.4853). The President has proposed a permanent and increased tax credit, but that will have to wait until the next Congress.
Fourth Short-term CR of FY 2011 PassedCongress passed the Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extensions Act, 2011 (H.R.3082) on December 21, just hours before the third continuing resolution (CR) of the FY 2011 appropriations cycle expired. The FY 2011 appropriations cycle has been particularly dynamic with the House passing an over 150 page year-long CR earlier in December only to have it replaced by a nearly 2000-page omnibus bill in the Senate which was pulled from consideration during floor debate when Republican support for the bill evaporated after an intense lobbying effort by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to his Republican colleagues. A short-term extension of federal funding at FY 2010 levels sets up a face-off in the new Congress between the newly elected House Republican majority which is pushing for $50-60 billion in discretionary cuts and the Democrat-led Senate early in 2011.
Appropriations Update: Omnibus Pulled From Senate Floor After Support EvaporatesWhile passage of the omnibus seemed likely as it was brought to the Senate floor for debate last night, the required Republican support evaporated and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) pulled the bill from consideration without a vote. The House has passed a year-long continuing resolution (CR), but instead of taking up that bill, Sen. Reid has indicated that he will bring a short-term CR introduced by Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to the floor to fund the government through February 18. The House will then have to quickly pass that short-term CR and send it to the President to avoid a government shutdown at midnight on Saturday.
Update on Federal R&D Funding Outlook:
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Posted December 9, 2010 |
House Passes Year-Long CR With Over 150 Pages of Adjustments
The House passed a year-long continuing resolution (CR) last night by just 6 votes, sending the bill to the Senate. The bill, H.R.3082, also includes the Surface Transportation Extension bill, the Airport and Airway Extension bill and the Food Safety bill. The CR extends federal funding through the end of FY 2011, September 30, 2011, at FY 2010 levels, but includes over 150 pages of "anomalies", or funding adjustments. A summary and bill text can be found at the House Appropriations Committee website. The majority of R&D programs look to be funded at FY 2010 levels, but some adjustments include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to appropriate funding consistent with the newly passed NASA reauthorization bill and the Department of Energy (DOE) is allowed to transfer up to $300 million to ARPA-E from Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) or the Office of Science. More details will follow.
H.R.3082 - Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (Thomas)
2011 Full Year Funding Resolution (House Appropriations Website)
Posted December 8, 2010 |
Recommendations to Reduce the National Debt:
What Do They Mean For R&D Funding?
The President's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform failed to get the required 14 votes to force a Senate vote on its fiscal plan, but 11 of the 18 commission members, a majority, did express their support for the final report, far more than many anticipated. The 66-page report titled, The Moment of Truth, recommends a combination of tax restructuring, discretionary spending cuts, and adjustments to mandatory programs to save nearly $4 trillion through 2020 and reduce the yearly federal deficit to 2.3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2015, exceeding the President's goal of 3% of GDP.
While the President's debt commission report may be the most widely publicized set of recommendations to reduce the national debt, a number of other fiscal plans to curb the federal deficit have been released previously and many of these plans contain similar recommendations. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a bipartisan, non-profit organization has compiled a comparison table highlighting many of the recommendations contained within the various reports, but what do all these recommendations mean for the federal R&D enterprise?
Below is a non-exhaustive list of some of recommendations made in at least one of the reports that would affect federal R&D:
Invest in high-value research. [NCFRR, p.12] [Obama, 23:00]
One of the President's debt commission's guiding principles was to "cut and invest to promote economic growth and keep America competitive", and investment in "education, infrastructure, and high-value research and development" was recommended. While investment with the hope of future returns can be especially difficult during tight budgets, there is broad evidence of the important role of scientific and technological advancement in the overall economic growth. Robert M. Solow was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Studies in 1987 for his work on the exogenous growth model, also known as the Solow-Swan growth model. Solow's seminal 1957 paper showed that productivity growth through technological change accounted for over 80% of U.S. economic growth in the first half of the 20th century. Studies since then have shown that technological change has played a similar role since WWII in the U.S. and other developed economies. Not only is technological growth important to the overall economy, but a 1991 study by Edwin Mansfield showed that investment in academic scientific research yields a 28 percent return on investment (ROI) over time. The National Research Council report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm (p.48-49), provides a thorough overview of other studies that show generous ROI on research and development in both the private and public sectors. The importance of R&D investment to drive economic growth and the high ROI on R&D investment warrants making R&D investment a priority, even during tight budgets.
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Discretionary Budget Cuts / Freezes. [APTA, p.19] [BPC, p.86] [CRFB, p.8] [NCFRR, p.20] [OMB1]
Almost all of the fiscal plans recommend some level of discretionary funding decreases or funding freezes. Over 95% of federal R&D funding is discretionary, therefore cuts in discretionary funding potentially have a large effect on R&D funding. Additionally, the overall level of R&D spending is historically highly correlated with overall discretionary spending, with R&D spending consistently making up an average of 12.0% (+/- 1.9%) of the total discretionary budget since 1969 when the large investment in the Apollo program wound down (see chart).
- Roll Back Discretionary Funding to a Previous Fiscal Year. [APTA, p.21] [NCFRR, p.20]
Discretionary funding cuts can have increased negative impact on the R&D enterprise when using an historical year as the reference baseline for funding. Many R&D priorities are funded through relatively short-term initiatives, typically in a ramp-up / ramp-down paradigm that increases funding during a startup phase, sustains funding through a number of years, and then decreases funding while the project comes to an end. Large infrastructure projects such as the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) at the National Science Foundation (NSF), interagency projects such as the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), and targeted R&D initiatives such as smart grid investments at the Department of Energy are examples of these types of R&D initiatives. Resetting budgets to previous years interrupts this funding cycle, and because R&D priorities shift between agency departments and divisions, simply falling back to previous agency department or division funding levels can stifle funding for important national priorities. Instead, discretionary cuts should be based on a percentage of funding in the current fiscal year so that priorities can be better managed during tight budgets and the effect on high-priority initiatives can be minimized.
- Targeted Cutbacks. [BPC, p.132] [CRFB, p.8] [NCFRR, Addendum] [OMB2]
A number of the debt commission reports included a list of suggested or recommended cutbacks to current programs. While cutbacks in R&D programs jeopardize future growth due to the importance of technological advancement in economic growth as mentioned previously, it is acknowledged that all government programs should be subject to regular review for effectiveness and their contribution to national priorities. Targeted program cuts, when properly reviewed, are an effective way to enforce fiscal discipline while supporting national priorities and preventing budget cuts from impacting high-performing programs.
Switch to biennial budgeting. [BPC, p.122] [NCFRR, Co-chair Proposal]
Biennial budgeting, where Congress enacts a two-year budget every other year, would provide more stable guidance to agencies when planning future investments. The current one-year fiscal cycle makes it difficult for agencies to plan future investment due to the volatile nature of Congressional Action on the yearly appropriation bills. In addition, with many budgets getting delayed well into the fiscal year, agencies are challenged to enact new priorities in the shortened fiscal year. Future investment planning is further hindered by budget request deadlines that occur before the current budget is even approved. R&D investment is especially susceptible to funding instability since, as mentioned before, many R&D initiatives are multi-year and function best in a ramp-up / ramp-down funding paradigm. The co-chairs of the President's debt commission originally included biennial budgeting as a recommendation, but it was removed in the final report. The Bipartisan Policy Center's Debt Reduction Task Force also recommended a move to biennial budgeting.
[APTA] A Pledge to America, The 2010 Republican Agenda
[BPC] Restoring America's Future, Bipartisan Policy Center
[CRFB] The Future is Now: A Plan to Stabilize Public Debt and Promote Economic Growth, The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
[NCFRR] The Moment of Truth, National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
[Obama] President Obama's November 3rd Press Conference
[OMB1] OMB Memo: Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Guidance
[OMB2] OMB Memo: Identifying Low-Priority Agency Programs
Fiscal Commission Co-Chairs Release Preliminary Proposal
On November 10, the co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, Alan Simpson, former Senator from Wyoming, and Erskine Bowles, former Chief of Staff to President Clinton, released a proposal to reduce the deficit below the 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2015 goal set by President Obama. The proposal includes a number of spending cuts to both discretionary and mandatory programs along with 3 options for major tax reform, all of which would increase the tax burden by $80 billion a year by 2015. The proposal included a list of $200 billion in illustrative savings which included a number of R&D-related programs. Some of the R&D-related cuts are reducing the Department of Defense's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) program budget by 10% ($7 billion in FY 2015), eliminating the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, eliminating all earmarks, cutting fossil fuel research, eliminating private sector funding for spaceflight, and reducing Smithsonian and National Park Service funding.
National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform Co-Chair Proposal
AIP FYI #113: Proposal by Co-Chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform...
- posted November 12, 2010
Post-Election Outlook on Federal R&D Funding
While reining in the deficit is a priority for both Democrats and Republicans, both parties have different plans on how to do so. However, both parties agree that reduced government spending will be part of that plan, and with that reduced government spending, federal support for R&D will likely be subject to some of the cost-cutting measures.
As reported previously, the Obama administration, through Office of Management and Budget memos, directed non-security agencies to submit FY 2012 budget proposals that (1) totaled 5% less than FY 2012 budget estimates in their FY 2011 budget submissions and that (2) included a list of low-impact programs totaling an additional 5% of the agency's discretionary budget. It's possible that some portion of low-impact program budget cuts will be reinvested elsewhere within the agency, so for non-security agencies, we can expect discretionary budget cuts of between 5 - 10 percent from previous FY 2012 estimates. It is important to note that because the cuts are based on previous FY 2012 estimates, some agencies, such as those authorized in the America COMPETES Act, could still see increases for FY 2012 although those increases would be reduced by 5% from previous estimates. However, while overall budget cuts are imminent, President Obama, in a November 3rd press conference (23:00), said "I don't think we should be cutting back on research and development," so it's likely that his budget request will spare R&D from the same 5 - 10 percent budget cuts to which the overall discretionary budget will be subjected.
The 2010 Republican Agenda, A Pledge to America, contains a pair of policy positions which could have a significant impact on federal R&D investment. First, cutting government spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels for the FY 2011 budget would cut the federal R&D investment by $8.1 billion (5.5%) from FY 2010 and $8.5 billion (5.7%) from the President's FY 2011 request assuming FY 2008 R&D funding levels. The hardest hit agencies would be those that were authorized in America COMPETES Act and have seen strong increases since the Act was passed in 2007. These agencies include the National Science Foundation (-11.1% in R&D from FY 2010), the Department of Energy's Office of Science (-14.8% in R&D from FY 2010), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (-14.1% in R&D from FY 2010). For the National Science Foundation, this equates to over 1,400 less new awards than in FY 2010. Additionally, the multi-agency US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) has seen an increase in funding from $1.8 billion in FY 2008 to $2.6 billion in the President's FY 2011 request, a 39.8 percent increase. Budget rollbacks would make it difficult for agencies to sustain their current level of commitment to multi-agency initiatives such as the USGCRP. Second, a hard cap on future growth of the discretionary budget would make it more difficult for Congress to implement R&D growth initiatives such as the President's Plan for Science and Innovation and the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, currently under consideration in Congress. While A Pledge to America does not address R&D investment, Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), the likely chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee in the 112th Congress, gave some indication as to his priorities in the next Congress in a November 3rd statement. In the statement, he mentioned checking runaway spending, strong oversight, and the use of science policy to drive innovation as some of his priorities for the future.
Its clear that both parties intend to reduce overall federal spending, but there is disagreement as to when those cuts will occur and to what extent. The administration wants to wait until the FY 2012 fiscal year to implement the budget cuts so as to not interrupt the current economic recovery, the House Republicans would like to see those budget cutbacks in the FY 2011 budget and to a greater degree than the administration, and Senate Republicans have announced they are working with their Democratic colleagues on a FY 2011 omnibus appropriations bill for consideration in the lame duck session with a much smaller spending cut ($28 billion less than the President's request) than suggested by their House counterparts. It will be up to the legislative process to determine what exactly will happen, but with Senate Republican support and a Democratic majority in the House for the lame duck session, an omnibus spending bill during the lame duck session looks most likely at this point.
Outdated... See Nov. 30 update above - Table: Estimated R&D in A Pledge to America
Coverage in the New York Times: Money for Scientific Research May Be Scarce With a Republican-Led House
OMB Memo: Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Guidance
OMB Memo: Identifying Low-Priority Agency Programs
Presidential Press Conference - November 3, 2010 (R&D discussed at 23:00)
The 2010 Republican Agenda, A Pledge to America
Hall Statement on Election Results and the 112th Congress
- updated November 9, 2010
- posted November 4, 2010
EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard Released
The 2010 edition of the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard was released by the European Commission last week. The scoreboard shows that R&D investment by top EU companies fell by only 2.6% in 2009, while sales and profits posted double digit percentage declines of 10.1% and 21.0% respectively. R&D investment by top US companies fell by almost twice as much, 5.1%. Worldwide, flat or growing R&D investment by Asian countries resulted in a worldwide R&D investment reduction of only 1.9%.
EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard
- posted November 12, 2010
NASA Authorization Clears Congress
The House passed the Senate version of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (S.3729) the evening of September 29, sending the bill to the President for his signature. The passage of the Senate version was somewhat of a surprise after the House Science and Technology Committee released compromise language last week. However, concern for the compromise language passing the Senate in a timely manner led the House to vote on the Senate version of the bill. The bill as passed authorizes NASA funding for three years ($19.0 billion in FY 2011 to $19.96 billion in FY 2013); extends the life of the International Space Station by five years to 2020; lays out a transition to commercial cargo and crew services for near-earth orbit; funds an additional Shuttle mission; and invests in a heavy-lift vehicle program that will make use of expertise from the Constellation and Shuttle programs. The bill contains many of the initiatives included in the controversial NASA budget request, but, in general, implements them at a more cautious pace.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (S.3729)
National Space Policy
AIP FYI #101: New NASA Authorization Bill Awaiting President’s Signature
AIP FYI #102: NASA Reauthorization Act: Overview, Earth Science, and Space Science
- posted October 8, 2010
Continuing Resolution Extends Government Operations to December 3
The President signed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (H.R.3081) on the last day of the fiscal year, September 30, to extend government operations until December 3, 2010. This extension gives Congress two weeks (Congress is not in session the week of Thanksgiving) after they return from the November elections to enact the FY 2011 budget. However, with an already full legislative calendar and only two of the twelve appropriation bills through the House and no appropriation bills passed by the Senate, another extension will probably be necessary to extend government funding. The outcome of the elections will likely affect the timing of action on the budget. If the Democrats retain control of both chambers, there is a better chance for the budget to be finished by the end of the calendar year. However, if the Republicans take control of one or both chambers, they will likely delay action on the budget until the new year when they can exercise their new majority.
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (H.R.3081)
- posted October 5, 2010
SBIR/STTR Programs Extended Through January 31, 2011
The President signed S.3839 on September 30 to extend the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through January 31, 2011. These programs require agencies with a significant extramural R&D portfolio to award a percentage of those funds (currently 2.5% for SBIR and 0.3% for STTR) to small business projects.
SBIR/STTR Extention (S.3839)
CRS Report: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program
- posted October 5, 2010
Defense Appropriations Bill Approved by Full Senate Committee
The full Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3800) on September 17, 2010. The $670 billion bill provides $79.3 billion in R&D investment for FY 2011, $812 million (1.0%) more than the request, but $4.2 billion (5.1%) less than FY 2010. Department of Defense Science and Technology (S&T) investment received a significant increase in the Senate bill over the President's request, $1.6 billion (13.1%) to bring the total S&T investment to $14.0 billion. This however, is still $808 million (5.5%) less than FY 2010. The House draft bill was approved by the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee on July 27, 2010 and totals $671 billion with just $16 million more in R&D investment than the committee approved Senate bill.
Department of Defense R&D Funding Table by 6.x Classification
Department of Defense R&D Funding Table by Military Department
Department of Defense Basic Research Funding Table
Department of Defense S&T Funding Table
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3800)
House Defense Subcommittee
AIP FYI #98: Senate FY 2011 Department of Defense Funding Bill: Science and Technology Programs
- updated October 5, 2010
- posted September 22, 2010
NIH Stem Cell Research Funding Levels
Funding for human non embryonic stem cell research has historically been at least 3 times the funding for human embryonic stem cell research. The same ratio holds true when funding on non-human embryos is included. Additionally, the majority of research funds spent on both embryonic and non embryonic stem cells is for non-human research.
Chart: Stem Cell Research at NIH
- posted September 16, 2010
President Obama Proposes Permanent and Expanded R&D Tax Credit
In a speech at Cuyahoga Community College's West Campus outside Cleveland, Ohio, President Obama announced his proposal for "a more generous, permanent extension of the tax credit that goes to companies for all the research and innovation they do." The President's proposal would raise the base amount of credit from 14 to 17 percent for those companies who choose to calculate their tax credit using the "simpler" formula.
Expanded, Simplified and Permanent Research and Experimentation Tax Credit
- posted September 16, 2010
House Democrats Continue "Make it in America" Agenda
Democrats announced their "Make it in America" Agenda on July 22, legislation designed to strengthen U.S. manufacturing, promote innovation in manufacturing, and create jobs. The agenda currently consists of 12 different bills designed to increase innovation, improve trade and strengthen and expand the Buy America Act.
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.5874) Provides $129 million for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office &mdash Enacted on August 10
- U.S. Manufacturing Enhancement Act of 2010 (H.R.4380) Reduces and suspends duties on raw materials for manufacturing — Enacted on August 11
- Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (SECTORS) Act of 2010 (H.R.1855) Establishes workforce training grant program &mdash Passed House on July 19
- To establish the Emergency Trade Deficit Commission (H.R.1875) The Commission will recommend strategies to address the trade deficit &mdash Passed House on July 28
- National Manufacturing Strategy Act of 2010 (H.R.4692) Directs President to develop and regularly update a national manufacturing strategy with input from industry and labor — Passed House on July 28
- Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010 (H.R.5156) Information and assistance for clean energy technology firms &mdash Passed House on July 28
- Congressional Made in America Promise Act of 2009 (H.R.2039) Clarifies mandate in Buy American Act for articles, materials, and supplies acquired for the use of any office in the legislative branch &mdash Passed House on Sept 15
- Berry Amendment Extension Act (H.R.3116) Prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from procuring national security related products not grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the United States &mdash Passed House on Sept 15
- Rural Energy Savings Program Act (H.R.4785) Directs USDA to make interest-free loans to qualified consumers to implement energy efficiency measures &mdash Passed House on Sept 16
- Small Business Lending Act (H.R.5297) Creates $30 billion Small Business Lending Fund &mdash Passed Senate on Sept 16
- Investing in American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 (H.R.5893) Extends jobs programs and changes foreign tax credit law &mdash Postponed in House on July 29
- All-American Flag Act (H.R.2853) Requires that all flags of the United States acquired for use by the federal government to be entirely manufactured in the United States, from articles, materials, or supplies entirely grown, produced, or manufactured in the United States &mdash Reported out of committee on Sept 14
- updated September 21, 2010
- posted August 18, 2010
Defense Science Board to Form Task Force on Basic Research
Ashton Carter, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, has requested that the Defense Science Board form a Task Force on Basic Research to assess the planning and management of the defense basic research program. Some of the points he wishes the task force to address include:
- the appropriateness of broad scientific goals as a basic research program,
- the manner in which components assess the quality of their basic research investments,
- basic research portfolio management, and
- potential gaps in the current Department-wide basic research program.
Memo on Defense Science Board (DSB) Task Force on Basic Research
AIP FYI #94: Defense Science Board to Review Basic Research
- posted September 16, 2010
Pentagon Shifts Over $1 Billion From WMD Programs to Vaccine Development
The Department of Defense has decided to shift $1.07 billion from its nuclear, biological, and chemical defense programs to fund vaccine development as part of the Obama Administration's focus on improving the nation's vaccine response. Critics of the funding shift contend that the cut in WMD defence programs will erode the industrial base and leave military forces unprepared for a WMD attack.
Global Security Newswire Article
- posted September 16, 2010
Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill Approved by House Committee
The House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee approved its Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill on July 22. The bill provides $12.1 billion in discretionary spending for the Department of the Interior (includes Energy and Water Development appropriation) which is $22 million (0.2%) more than the President's request, but $18 million (0.1%) less than FY 2010. R&D investment in the bill is estimated at $784 million, $11 million (1.5%) more than the request and $28 million (3.7%) more than last year. Most of the increase is due to increased funding for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was set at $10.0 billion in discretionary funds, $2 million (0.0%) less than the request and $271 million (2.6%) less than last year. This funding includes $611 million in R&D investment, a $6 million (0.9%) increase from the request and $17 million (2.8%) more than last year. The Senate has not yet acted on its Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.
Department of the Interior Funding Table
Environmental Protection Agency Funding Table
House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee
- posted August 26, 2010
Homeland Security Appropriations Bill Approved by Senate Committee
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3607) on July 15. The bill provides $49.3 billion in funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a $155 million (0.3%) increase from the President's request, and $911 million (1.9%) more than FY 2010. The estimated R&D investment in the bill is $1.05 billion, a $5 million (0.5%) increase from the request, and $99 million (8.6%) less than last year. The most significant difference is a 36.3% ($8 million) increase in Coast Guard R&D for the development of a ship-based unmanned aircraft system. Funding levels for the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) are close to the President's request and the transfer of the Radiological and Nuclear research program from DNDO to S&T was supported by the committee. The House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee approved their version of the bill on June 24. The House version provides $49.4 billion for DHS, $258 million (0.5) more than the request, and $1.0 billion (2.1%) more than last year. R&D in the House bill is estimated at $1.07 billion, $23 million (2.2%) more than the request and $81 million (7.0%) less than FY 2010, not including the Coast Guard contribution. This strong increase over the request is due to a $53 million (5.2%) increase in the overall S&T budget which is about 85% R&D.
Department of Homeland Security Funding Table
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3607)
House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee
- posted August 24, 2010
Report Released on the Recovery Act's Impact on Innovation
Vice President Joe Biden announced the release of a report titled "The Recovery Act: Transforming the American Economy through Innovation" on August 24. The report highlights the impact of the $100 billion investment in innovation in the Recovery Act. The report specifically addresses four innovation breakthroughs:
- Cutting the cost of solar power in half by 2015,
- Cutting the cost of batteries for electric vehicles by 70 percent between 2009 and 2015,
- Doubling U.S. renewable energy grid generation capacity and U.S. renewable manufacturing capacity by 2012, and
- Reducing the cost of a personal human genome map to under $1,000 in five years.
Press Release
Full Report: "The Recovery Act: Transforming the American Economy through Innovation"
- posted August 24, 2010
USDA Appropriations Bill Approved by Senate Committee
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 on July 15. The bill includes $20.4 billion in discretionary spending for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) which is $151 million (0.7%) more than the President's request, but $465 million (2.2%) less than FY 2010. The projected R&D investment from the bill is $2.2 billion, $83 million (3.9%) more than the request, but a $47 million (2.1%) decrease from last year. The biggest change from the request is a much reduced rescission from the Agricultural Research Service's (ARS) Buildings and Facilities account which typically consists solely of congressionally directed spending. The rescission was reduced from $76 million to $10 million and $44 million in new earmarks were added. Additionally, while the overall budget for Research and Education Activities within the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is set to decrease by $37 million from the request, NIFA's peer-reviewed, external funding program, the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), would receive $310 million, a $119 million (27.7%) decrease from the request, but $48 million (18.1%) more than FY 2010. The House Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Subcommittee approved its version of the bill on June 30. It contains similar funding levels as the Senate bill with $20.2 billion in discretionary spending for USDA, $34 million (0.2%) more than the request and $583 million (2.8%) less than FY 2010, and $2.2 billion in R&D investment, $91 million (4.4%) more than the request, but $39 million (1.7%) less than last year. The House bill also decreases the ARS Building and Facilities rescission and adds $30 million in new directed spending and increases the budget for AFRI to $312 million, $117 million (17.2%) less than the request but $50 million (18.9%) more than FY 2010.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Funding Table
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011
House Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Subcommittee
- updated September 21, 2010
- posted August 23, 2010
Earmark Database Legislation Approved by Senate Committee
The Earmark Transparency Act (S.3335) was approved by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on July 28. The bill would require Congress to establish a unified, searchable database of congressional earmarks accessible on a free public website. The bill lists 24 different pieces of information required for each earmark request including the bill section in which the earmark is located, the name or the requestor or requestors, and the name of any beneficiary designated to receive appropriations. A similar bill was introduced in the House, the Earmark Transparency Act of 2010 (H.R.5258), but that bill has not seen any action since it was referred to the House Committee on Rules and the House Committee on the Budget in May 2010.
Earmark Transparency Act (S.3335)
Earmark Transparency Act of 2010 (H.R.5258)
- posted August 18, 2010
Additional Supplemental Appropriations Bills - Update
The United States Patent and Trademark Office Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.5874), which provides $129 million for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to continue efforts to eliminate delays and increase efficiency in processing patent applications was signed by the President on August 10. The emergency supplemental appropriations for border security bill (H.R.6080), which provides $600 million to strengthen border security and enforcement along the Southwest Border was signed by the President on August 13. The Department of Homeland Security receives $394 million, the Justice Department receives $196 million, and the Judiciary receives $10 million for these efforts. The border security funding was originally part of the House amendment to the larger emergency supplemental appropriations bill (H.R.4899) which ultimately failed to pass the Senate. The USPTO funding was not included in the House amendment to the emergency supplemental appropriations bill.
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.4899)
United States Patent and Trademark Office Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.5874)
Making emergency supplemental appropriations for border security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other purposes (H.R.6080)
- updated September 21, 2010
President Signs Supplemental Appropriations for Teacher Salaries, Medicaid, and Border Security
The President signed the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act (H.R.1586) on August 10, 2010, which provides $26.1 billion in supplemental appropriations for aid to states. H.R.1586 was originally the FAA reauthorization bill, but to pass the state aid before recess, the FAA portion of the bill was removed. $10 billion of the funding will go to teacher salaries to prevent layoffs while the remaining $16.1 billion is for Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) reimbursements. The bill was delayed after the Congressional Budget Office showed that the offsets originally included did not cover the entire cost of the amendment. The same day, the Senate also passed a slightly amended Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.5875) which provides $600 million for Southwest Border security. The original House bill, which was tabled on July 28, provided $701 million. The funding for teacher salaries and border security were originally part of a larger emergency supplemental bill (H.R.4899) passed by the House, but the Senate did not concur with the additional spending included by the House and the spending was ultimately removed from the final bill.
Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act (H.R.1586)
Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.5875)
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.4899)
- updated September 21, 2010
NASA Authorization Passed by Senate
The Senate passed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Reauthorization Bill (S.3729) bill August 5, 2010 just before leaving for August recess. The bill authorizes $19.0 billion, $19.45 billion, and $19.96 billion for NASA for fiscal years 2011 – 2013 respectively. The bill supports many of the President’s requested changes which prompted considerable debate, but at a more conservative pace. Instead of an complete cancellation of the Constellation program as requested, elements of the Ares I and Orion projects will be used for exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit and eventually deep-space destinations with international collaboration. This includes the development of a heavy-lift launch vehicle and crew vehicle capable of exploration beyond low-Earth orbit by 2016. Commercial crew and cargo development will continue under an expanded Commercial Crew Development Program with procurement beginning in FY 2012 pending appropriate study and review. The International Space Station was extended until 2020 and a shuttle mission was added to resupply the space station in FY 2011. The House NASA reauthorization bill (H.R.5781), was approved by the House Committee on Science and Technology on July 28. While the House bill and accompanying report contain much more detail and address different specific items, the overall layout and spirit of the bills are similar. The major policy issues listed above for the Senate bill are also very similar between the two bills. The major differences in the bills are funding levels for programs including the new Space Technology and Research program and efforts to transition to commercial near-earth cargo and crew.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Reauthorization Bill (S.3729)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (H.R.5781)
- updated September 21, 2010
- posted August 9, 2010
SBIR and STTR Programs Extended to September 30, 2010
H.R.5849, which extends the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs until September 30, 2010, passed both the House and the Senate on July 27, 2010 and was signed into law on July 30, 2010. These two programs promote small business involvement in the federal government's research and development efforts through competitive grants.
- posted August 6, 2010
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Passes House
The House passed the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (H.R.5850) on July 29. The bill provides $79.4 billion for the Department of Transportation, $1.7 billion (2.1%) more than the President's request and $3.7 billion (4.8%) more than FY 2010 and includes an estimated $1.0 billion in R&D, $6 million (0.6%) less than the request and $15 million (1.4%) less than FY 2010. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is the biggest reason for the decrease over the request with the House recommending against a proposed reorganization until an authorization bill is enacted. R&D at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was greatly in the bill from the request, including an successful amendment from Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) that forbids the funding of doctoral dissertation research grants on housing and urban development issues. Due to reductions in the Policy Development and Research and Transformation Initiative budgets, HUD R&D is estimated at $112 million, $109 million (49.5%) less than the request, but still $4 million (1.6%) above FY 2010. The corresponding Senate bill, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3644) was approved by the full Senate Appropriations Committee on July 22. The Senate bill provides $75.8 billion for the Department of Transportation, $1.9 billion (2.5%) less than the request and $67 million (0.1%) more than FY 2010. The Senate bill is estimated to contain slightly less R&D for the Department of Transportation than the House bill, $996 million, $18 million (1.8%) less than the request and $27 million (2.6%) more than FY 2010. Like the House bill, the Senate bill also recommends against the FTA reorganization. The Senate bill mark is further reduced with an $18 million cut in Federal Aviation Administration R&D Facilities and Equipment, mostly due to decreased funding for NextGen System Development. HUD R&D is also reduced from the request in the Senate bill, but only to $126 million, $95 million (42.7%) less than the request.
Department of Transportation R&D Funding Table
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (H.R.5850)
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3644)
- posted August 6, 2010
- updated August 19, 2010
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriation Bill Approved by Senate Committee
The full Senate Appropriations committee approved the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3686) on July 29, 2010. The bill provides $77.6 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), $92 million (0.1%) less than the request. The National Institutes of Health would receive $32.0 billion, the President's request and $1.0 billion (3.2%) more than FY 2010. This funding level results in an estimated $31.4 billion in R&D investment at NIH. Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) offered an amendment during the markup to increase the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget by an additional $1 billion, but the amendment failed. The House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved their version of the bill on July 15, 2010. The House version provides $77.5 billion in discretionary funds for the HHS, $189 million (0.2%) less than the request. NIH would receive the same as in the Senate bill, $32.0 billion.
Department of Health and Human Services Funding Table
National Institutes of Health Funding Table
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3686)
House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee
- posted August 6, 2010
Energy and Water Appropriations Bill Approved by Full Senate Committee
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3635) on July 22. The bill includes $28.3 billion for the Department of Energy, $1.3 billion (4.3%) less than the President's request, but $1.2 billion (4.6%) more than FY 2010. The Office of Science is funded at $5.0 billion, $109 million (2.1%) less than the request, and ARPA-E funding was cut 33.3% ($100 million) from the request to $200 million. The bill continues to fund the three current Energy Innovation Hubs and approves the funding of a fourth hub on Batteries and Energy Storage in the Office of Science's Basic Energy Sciences program. The committee report does not recommend funding for the proposed RE-ENERGYSE education program, but it does fund the solar decathlon at $5.0 million which was part of the proposed RE-ENERGYSE program. Fossil Energy R&D received a significant boost over the request of 23.8% ($139 million) to $726 million and the committee urged the department to develop a plan for a Clean Coal Power Initiative Round IV. Finally, the committee expressed concern about ITER and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), two large international collaborations that have be plagued by problems recently. The House Energy and Water Development appropriations bill was approved by subcommittee on July 15, 2010. The House bill is slightly less generous, containing $27.6 billion in funding for the Department of Energy, $2.0 billion (6.8%) less than the request, but still a small increase of $488 million (1.8%) over FY 2010. The Office of Science is funded at $4.9 billion, $221 million (4.3%) less than the request and $4 million (0.1%) less than FY 2010, and ARPA-E would receive slightly more than the Senate bill, $220 million, but still $80 million (26.7%) less than the request. Rep. Ed Pastor, chair of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, released a statement supporting the continued funding of the three current Energy Innovation Hubs, but neglected to mention the proposed fourth hub. The statement also mentioned the creation of a Center of Excellence for Nuclear Waste Management in the Nuclear Energy program in response to the termination of the Yucca Mountain nuclear repository project.
Department of Energy R&D Funding Table
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3635)
House Energy and Water Development Subcommittee
- posted August 3, 2010
Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Bill Approved by Full Senate Committee
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3636) on July 22. The bill includes $5.5 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), $2.0 million (0.0%) more than the President's request, $940.8 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), $21.9 million (2.4%) more than the request, $19.0 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), even with the request, and $7.4 billion for the National Science Foundation, $71 million (1.0%) less than the request. The House Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee approved its version of the bill on June 29 which provided $5.5 billion for NOAA, $29 thousand (0.0%) less than the request, $882.9 million for NIST, $36 million (3.9%) less than the request, $19.0 billion for NASA, even with the request, and $7.4 billion for NSF, even with the request. While the NASA budget in both bills equals the President's request, the Senate bill would provide an estimated $773 million more in R&D due to its larger investment in Space Operations which includes the International Space Station. However, the House funding mark could change as the appropriators made NASA funding for Human Space Exploration contingent on the enactment of authorizing legislation. The President's budget request for NASA, which cancelled the Constellation program and retired the Space Shuttle, was not well received initially, but the pending authorization bills strike a "sensible center" according to Sen. John D. Rockefeller, IV (D-WV) who chairs the Senate subcommittee which approved the NASA reauthorization bill. The NSF education budget got a $66 million increase over the request in House bill. If the increase holds, this would be the second year in a row that Congress increased the NSF education budget. The Senate bill does not provide an increase over the request, but it does deny the request to merge a number of broadening participation programs into a single program citing different purposes and methods of engaging students and colleges.
Department of Commerce R&D Funding Table
National Aeronautics and Space Administration R&D Funding Table
National Science Foundation R&D Funding Table
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3636)
House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
- posted July 30, 2010
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill Passes House
The House passed the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (H.R.5822) yesterday. The bill provides $590 million for the Veterans Affairs' Medical and Prosthetic Research program, the amount of the President's request and $9 million (1.5%) more than last year. The Senate bill, S.3615, which was approved by the Appropriations Committee on July 15 but has yet to make it to the Senate floor, provides the same amount. Both bills also provide $97 million for the construction of military R&D facilities which equals the President's request and is $13 million (15.5%) more than last year.
Department of Veterans Affairs R&D Funding Table
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (H.R.5822)
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (S.3615)
- posted July 29, 2010
- updated August 26, 2010
Department of Homeland Security S&T Authorization Passes House
The House passed the Homeland Security Science and Technology Authorization Act of 2010 (H.R.4842) last week. The bill authorizes $1.12 billion for the Directorate of Science and Technology for FY 2011 and $1.16 billion for FY 2012. The bill requests a number of reports from the S&T Directorate including a strategic plan, requirements for how to identify, prioritize, fund, task, and evaluate basic and applied research, and guidelines for external peer review of the directorate's divisions. The bill also directs the S&T Directorate to establish a cybersecurity R&D program and training center with an authorization funding level of $75 million for FY 2011 and FY 2012. Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) funding is also authorized in the bill at $306 million for FY 2011 and $315 million for FY 2012. Similar reports are also requested from DNDO including a strategic plan and project selection and evaluation methodology.
Homeland Security Science and Technology Authorization Act of 2010 (H.R.4842)
- posted July 28, 2010
OMB and OSTP Release S&T Guidance for FY 2012 Budgets
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Peter Orszag and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director John Holdren released their annual joint memo to agency heads last week. The memo reiterates the President’s long-term goal for investment in R&D to reach 3% of GDP and encourages agencies to pursue transformational and multidisciplinary approaches that address six challenges and strengthen six cross-cutting areas. The memo also called on agencies to develop and sustain datasets to better document Federal science, technology, and innovation investments and to develop outcome oriented goals for their S&T activities.
Science and Technology Priorities for the FY 2012 Budget
- posted July 28, 2010
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill Sent to President
The House passed a trimmed-down, Senate version of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.4899) yesterday, sending the bill to the President for his signature. The House had passed an amended version of the bill which included an additional $16.2 billion in domestic, offset spending to the Senate on July 1, but the larger House bill failed a cloture vote in the Senate last week, and the Senate returned the original, unamended version back to the House. The emergency supplemental appropriations bill includes $273.7 million for Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E), $3.6 million less than the President's supplemental request.
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.4899)
- revised July 28, 2010
Oil Spill R&D Bills Continue Through Congress
A number of bills authorizing funds for oil spill research and development continue to make their way through Congress. In the Senate, the Securing Health for Ocean Resources and Environment (SHORE) Act (S.3597) is near the top of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee agenda. The Act would set aside not more than $20 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and at least 40% of not more than $50 million for the Coast Guard from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund each year for R&D on oil spill response and mitigation. In the House, both the Oil Pollution Research and Development Program Reauthorization Act of 2010 (H.R.2693) and the Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and Development Act (H.R.5716) passed full House votes on July 21 and were referred to the Senate. H.R.2693 authorizes not more than $48 million per year (increased from $21.3 million), $16 million of which would go to NOAA, from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for Oil Pollution R&D. H.R.5716 refocuses research funded by Section 999 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 from "Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Research" to "Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and Development".
Securing Health for Ocean Resources and Environment (SHORE) Act (S.3597)
Oil Pollution Research and Development Program Reauthorization Act of 2010 (H.R.2693)
Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and Development Act (H.R.5716)
- posted July 27, 2010
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Mid-Session Review
Last week, OMB released their Mid-Session Review which provides updated estimates of budget receipts, outlays, and budget authority through FY 2020. While the deficit estimate for FY 2010 decreased from $1.56 trillion in the February budget request to $1.47 trillion, the FY 2011 deficit estimate increased from $1.27 trillion to $1.42 trillion. This implies that while the economy is recovering faster in FY 2010 than expected, the faster rate of recovery will not be sustained through FY 2011. The review also projects a deficit of 3.8% of GDP ($900 billion) by FY 2020 after reaching a low of 3.4% of GDP ($721 billion) in FY 2017. The increasing deficit in the last part of the decade will be an effect of increasing health care costs and an aging population which increases entitlement spending.
OMB FY 2011 Mid-Session Review
- posted July 27, 2010
302(b) Subcommittee Allocations
The Senate and House have both passed their 302(b) subcommittee allocations which set the upper limit on how much spending each appropriations subcommittee can include in their appropriations bills. The Senate 302(b) allocations total $1.114 trillion while the House 302(b)s total $1.121 trillion in discretionary spending. Both of these totals are below the President's request which totaled $1.136 trillion in discretionary spending. These totals do not include an additional $159 billion in requested Overseas Contingency Operations funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Senate 302(b) Subcommittee Allocations
House 302(b) Subcommittee Allocations
- posted July 26, 2010
Fuels for Sunlight Energy Innovation Hub Awarded to Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis
The Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), a team led by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), was selected to run the Fuels from Sunlight Energy Innovation Hub. The hub will receive $122 million over 5 years to develop and demonstrate a manufacturable solar-fuels generator that will produce fuel using photosynthesis with an efficiency 10 times greater than typical current crops. The Fuels from Sunlight Hub is the second Energy Innovation Hub to be awarded. Oak Ridge National Laboratory was selected to run the Nuclear Energy Modeling and Simulation Energy Innovation Hub in May and proposals are currently under review for the Energy Efficient Building Systems Regional Innovation Cluster.
- posted July 26, 2010
UK Science Minister: Science Should Contribute to Economic Growth
In his first major speech at the Royal Institution, David Willetts, UK's Science Minister, spoke about making the best use of the UK science base to contribute to economic growth. He also stated that scientific "contribution may come best if we encourage openness and innovation, not if we try to micromanage our universities, direct researchers, or count patents." The full BBC article is here.
- posted July 13, 2010
AAAS ARRA Spending Tables Updated
Other ARRA Funding Analyses
ScienceWorksForUS website
Research!America NIH ARRA Spending
- updated July 9, 2010
Budget Resolution and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Pass House
In a session that extended late into last night, July 1, the House passed H.Res.1493, the budget enforcement resolution for FY 2011 and H.R.4899, the Supplemental Appropriations Act. The budget enforcement resolution was adopted as part of the rules for the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act. The resolution sets FY 2011 discretionary spending at $1.121 trillion, $3 billion less than the Senate resolution, reaffirms committment to PAY-GO, aims for a balanced budget by 2015, and suggests that the House should vote on recommendations made by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform that are approved by the Senate. The House-passed Supplemental Appropriations Act adds $16.2 billion of offset domestic spending to the Senate version including $10 billion for an Education Jobs fund, $4.95 billion for Pell Grants, and $701 million for border security. Due to the amendment, the bill will be sent back to the Senate after the July 4th recess. More information on the House changes to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act are at the House Appropriations Committee website.
- posted July 2, 2010
NASA Update: President Releases National Space Policy and Sen. Nelson Letter
On June 28, the President released his plan for the future of the United States' space program. The plan highlights international collaboration and openness, the importance of a robust commercial space sector, and an expanded role for new technologies in space, specifically robotics and observational sensing. The President's space policy shares a number of priorities with a June 14th letter sent by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) to Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) outlining some of the details of the NASA reauthorization bill that will soon be brought before the Senate Science and Space Subcommittee which Sen. Nelson chairs. The letter supports a "walk before you run" approach to the development of near-earth commercial space services and an international effort to define near-term, long range missions extending to the moon and beyond. The authorization will propose that workforce, contracts, assets and capabilities of the shuttle and Constellation programs be leveraged for the development of heavy-lift and crew exploration vehicles. The pending authorization bill became more important after the House Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriation Subcommittee Chairman Alan Mollohan expressed his desire to withhold funding for Human Space Exploration until the enactment of authorizing legislation.
- posted July 2, 2010
Budget and Program Cuts of 5% Requested for FY 2012
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Peter Orszag issued a memo on June 8 directing heads of all non-defense departments and agencies to reduce their fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget requests, to be submitted to OMB in September, by five percent based on the FY 2012 budget projection that was submitted as part of the FY 2011 budget request. The memo further requests that agencies seek to eliminate low-priority and duplicative programs rather than making across-the-board cuts. Additionally, Orszag issued a separate memo directing all non-defense departments and agencies to create a list of low-impact programs to be submitted to OMB along with their FY 2012 budget request. The memo clarifies that this list is in addition to the budget reductions necessary to meet FY 2012 discretionary spending targets.
- posted July 2, 2010
STAR-METRICS: Measuring the Impact of R&D Investment
On June 1, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced $1 million for a new multi-agency initiative to develop metrics for measuring the impact of federal R&D funding. The initiative, "Science and Technology for America's Reinvestment: Measuring the Effect of Research on Innovation, Competitiveness and Science" (STAR-METRICS), will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will calculate employment generated from stimulus funds using university records, and the second phase will measure economic growth, workforce outcomes, scientific knowledge, and social outcomes, using a broader set of records. In the future, OSTP would like to see system cover the full range of federal R&D funding, not just the stimulus money.
- posted July 2, 2010
Presidential "Enhanced Rescission Authority" Bill Introduced
On May 28, House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt (D-SC) introduced H.R. 5454 which would give the President 45 days to examine spending bills after they are signed into law and submit to Congress a list of proposed rescissions (deletions of funding for specific programs). The list of rescissions would then be voted on as a package by Congress without amendment. The "expedited rescission" bills would be fast-tracked through Congress and would require only a majority vote in both chambers to pass. Although the chances of both houses passing the Spratt bill are problematic, similar proposals have arisen in five different bills between the two houses, and if passed, such legislation could have significant implications for earmarks or particular R&D programs.
- posted June 9, 2010
Defense Authorization Bill
The House passed the Defense Authorization bill, H.R. 5136, on May 28. The Senate Armed Services Committee completed its markup and reported out the bill the same day. Both versions of the bill would repeal DOD's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy pending a comprehensive review and formulation of an implementation plan by DOD. However, the bills differ on funding the controversial alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Each chamber's bill takes similar positions to last year's on this issue; the House bill funds the alternative engine, while the Senate bill does not.
- posted June 9, 2010
America COMPETES Reauthorization Act Passes House on Third Try
The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (H.R. 5116), which reauthorizes the Department of Energy's Office of Science, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and ARPA-E, passed the House on Friday, May 28. H.R. 5116 was originally pulled from the floor on Thursday, May 13, after a motion to recommit put forth by Ranking Member of the House Science and Technology Committee, Ralph Hall (R-TX), passed. The motion to recommit included instructions to add a provision that would require federal agencies to not pay employees disciplined for viewing pornography on government computers along with a reduction in funding for the included agencies to FY 2010 levels and removal of new programs, including ARPA-E. The inclusion of the pornography provision made the motion to recommit a potentially caustic vote for members vulnerable in the upcoming elections and the motion passed easily, forcing House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Gordon (D-TN) to pull the bill. On May 19, Chairman Gordon brought H.R. 5325 to the floor which was largely unchanged from the original bill with the exception of the reduction of the authorization period for all agencies from five to three years and the addition of a provision to forbid the payment of salary to any federal employee disciplined for viewing pornography at work. The bill was considered under suspension of the rules with no amendments and failed to get the two-thirds vote required by the suspension rules. Finally, on May 28, Chairman Gordon brought the original bill, H.R. 5116, back to the floor and offered the instructions in the motion to recommit as an amendment to be divided into nine components and voted on seperately. Of the nine components, only two passed, the pornography at work provision, which passed unanimously, and a provision which prohibits federal funds from going to institutions of higher learning which restrict or deny access to ROTC or military recruiting. The COMPETES Reauthorization Act then passed by a majority 262-150 vote. Rep. Hall commented on his disappointment in the final version of the bill saying that the bill spends too much money and creates new programs which shift the focus away from the original COMPETES priority of basic research. A summary table and charts of the authorization levels in the bill are available here.
- updated June 2, 2010
2010 S&T Policy Forum
The 35th annual S&T Policy Forum was held 13-14 May 2010 at the International Trade Center in the Ronald Reagan Building.
Slides and audio from the presentations are now posted.
- updated June 15, 2010
AAAS Report XXXV: Research and Development FY 2011
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AAAS Report XXXV: Research and Development FY 2011 The 283-page report was officially released at the AAAS S&T Policy Forum on May 13-14 and you can order your copy now. This reference work provides a comprehensive analysis of R&D in the President's FY 2011 Budget Request, including specialized analyses by theme, major agency, and discipline. New this year are funding tables for each discipline and a disciplinary chapter on Food, Nutrition, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences. For more information on R&D in the FY 2011 budget, see the FY 2011 R&D page. Order your copy today!
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- updated June 15, 2010
FY 2010 R&D Earmark Analysis
The total dollar value of R&D earmarks after Congressional action on the FY 2010 budget is slightly less than in FY 2009 at $4.3 billion or 2.8 percent of total R&D spending. However, this is still much more than the $1.5 - $2.5 billion seen in the early 2000s due mostly to a large increase in Department of Defense RDT&E earmarks.
Table. Congressional R&D Earmarks by Agency and Program
- posted April 30, 2010
Congress Passes Another Debt Limit Increase
H.J.Res. 45, presented to the President for signature on Feburary 4, raises the U.S. debt limit by $1.9 trillion from $12.394 trillion to $14.294 trillion. Attached to the resolution is the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 which enforces budget neutrality on new revenue and spending legislation with some special conditions and exceptions for current programs and legislation.
- posted February 12, 2010
FY 2011 President's Budget Release
The President's Fiscal Year 2011 Budget
AAAS FY 2011 R&D Budget Page
- posted February 2, 2010
NSB Releases Science and Engineering Indicators 2010
One-page Summary![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20110722180011im_/http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/images/pdficon.gif)
The National Science Board (NSB) rolled out the Science and Engineering Indicators (SEI) 2010 this morning at the White House Conference Center. The National Science Foundation (NSF) released the first SEI in 1972 as required by statute and biennially in even numbered years since then. SEI serves as the authoritative international source on science and engineering statistics including data on workforce, education, public attitudes on science and engineering, and funding.
Generally, the trends indicate that while the United States continues to be the world leader in science and engineering, other countries, especially those in East Asia, are dramatically increasing their own investments in science and engineering and closing the gap.
- posted January 15, 2010
FY 2010 Appropriations
Presentations and charts on the appropriation bills
Current status of the appropriation bills
Guest blog entry on Defense R&D on Budget Insight
Summary of Congressional Action on the FY 2010 Budget by Agency
R&D in the FY 2010 Budget by Agency
Agency Tables
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Education
Department of Energy
Department of Homeland Security
Department of the Interior
Department of Transportation
Department of Veterans Affairs
Environmental Protection Agency
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Institutes of Health
National Science Foundation
- updated January 5, 2010
Debt Limit Raised by $290 billion
H.R. 4314, signed by the President on Dec 28, raises the U.S. debt limit from $12.104 trillion to $12.394 trillion. The amount of the increase was less than what had been originally proposed and will force Congress to address the debt limit again before the 2010 elections.
- posted December 29, 2009
Obama's Goal of 3.0% of GDP Investment in R&D
Guest Commentary titled "The Path to 3.0%" in Illinois Science & Technology Coalition Catalyst
- posted December 8, 2009
AAAS Report XXXIV: Research and Development FY 2010
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AAAS Report XXXIV: Research and Development FY 2010 The full text of the 273-page report, including nearly 40 tables, is available online in PDF format and hardcopies can be ordered below. This reference work provides a comprehensive analysis of R&D in the President's budget for FY 2010, including specialized analyses by theme, major agency, and discipline. For more information on R&D in the FY 2010 budget, see the FY 2010 R&D page. Order yours today!
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- posted September 1, 2009
Final Stimulus Bill Provides $21.5 $18.4 Billion for Federal R&D
- updated December 3, 2010
FY 2010 Budget Request and Analysis
On May 7, 2009 President Obama released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2010. Despite a large increase in discretionary spending of 9.1 percent overall and 16.0 percent for non-defense discretionary accounts, federal investment in R&D would remain essentially flat when funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are excluded. A 2.0 percent cut in defense R&D would be offset by a 3.6 increase in non-defense R&D. Click here for all the details.
Congress Finalizes Omnibus Budget for FY2009: Increases Across All Major R&D Agencies
Almost six months into the fiscal year, Congress gave final approval to a fiscal year (FY) 2009 omnibus bill on March 10 combining the nine unfinished appropriations bills, which President Obama later signed into law (P.L. 111-8) on March 11. The final $410 billion omnibus budget wraps up the FY 2009 appropriations for the remaining agencies that had been operating on a continuing resolution (CR) since the end of the 110th Congress. Included in the omnibus bill is $151.1 billion in federal R&D, an increase of $6.8 billion or 4.7 percent above the FY 2008 estimate. As a result, every major R&D funding agency will receive an increase greater than the expected rate of inflation, and in many cases the final FY 2009 numbers are larger than the budget request submitted by the previous administration to the 110th Congress. See the complete AAAS analysis of the bill for more details, including figures with and without stimulus funds.
Large gains for COMPETES Agencies. The National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy’s Office of Science (DOE OS), and Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology laboratories (NIST), agencies slated for doubling as part of the America COMPETES Act passed by the previous Congress, will see increases in funding for FY 2009 consistent with doubling their budgets over a decade. Excluding stimulus funds, the three agencies in FY 2009 receive $4.8 billion for R&D (up 6.8 percent) at NSF, $4.3 billion for R&D (up 17.3 percent) at the DOE OS, and $561 million for R&D (up 7.5 percent) at NIST. Including the appropriations in the stimulus bill for these agencies results in respective increases in R&D to $7.5 billion (up 66 percent), $6.1 billion (up 69 percent), and $1.1 billion (up 115 percent over 2008 levels. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will also receive a significant boost, with a total budget of $30.5 billion, a 3.2 percent increase, and a total budget of $40.9 billion (a 38 percent increase) with the stimulus funds included.
- posted March 23, 2009
About the R&D Budget and Policy Program
Since 1976, the R&D Budget and Policy Program has been providing timely, comprehensive, and independent analyses of R&D funding trends in the federal budget as a service to the science, engineering and policymaking communities.
Through its Web site and email list, the Program makes available continually updated coverage of R&D funding trends, ongoing budget debates in Congress and the Executive Branch, and potential impacts of budget legislation. The Web site also offers a guide to R&D funding data as well as downloadable copies of its printed reports.
Every spring, the Program hosts the annual AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy (formerly the AAAS Colloquium), the nation's premier conference devoted to S&T policy. The next Forum will be held May 13 - 14, 2010, in Washington, DC.