Week in Review, or Requesting Research
A week ago today, the President delivered his FY 2013 budget request to Congress. The overall budget request is $3.8 trillion, which takes into account the $1.047 trillion cap on domestic spending as agreed to in the Budget Control Act. Included in this overall number is $64 billion for basic and applied research, a 3.3 percent increase from FY 2012 enacted levels. The request includes increases for most basic research accounts, including those at the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Defense (DoD). The National Institutes of Health (NIH), however, remains flat funded from 2010 and NASA’s Science Directorate is reduced. The majority of smaller research agencies (e.g., National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)) receive increases from FY 2012.
The budget request emphasizes clean energy and advanced manufacturing as specific Presidential priorities, with $2.2 billion provided for advanced manufacturing R&D (19 percent over FY 2012) and over $5 billion for clean energy R&D. I’ve included some research highlights below, but many more details can be found through the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) R&D Budget and Policy Program websites.
One thing to keep in mind when reviewing the President’s budget request is that, especially in an election year, it is a very political document. The proposal outlines the President’s spending priorities, but it also includes a number of controversial proposals to pay for that spending (particularly regarding taxes). While the appropriations process began in earnest this week, it is highly unlikely that this budget request will be anywhere close to realized before the election in November.
Also of Note
Appropriations. Here are some research highlights from the President’s FY 2013 budget request.
- Department of Defense: Despite significant reductions in the overall DoD request, the basic research (6.1) request is $2.12 billion, up slightly from FY 2012, and the applied research (6.2) request is $4.48 billion, down from $4.74 billion in FY12. The request also includes $2.817 billion for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), up very slightly from FY 2012.
- Department of Energy: The request includes $4.99 billion for the DOE Office of Science, up from the $4.84 billion enacted in FY 2012. The request also includes a significant increase for the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) program, which conducts applied “clean energy” research, at $2.26 billion (up from $1.81 billion in FY 2012), and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), at $350 million (up from $275 million in FY 2012).
- National Institutes of Health: The request includes $30.7 billion for NIH, which is essentially flat funding from FY 2012. Despite the flat funding, the request proposes new grant management policies that would result in an increased number of grants awarded. The NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research provides more insight into these policies a recent blog post.
- National Science Foundation: The request includes $7.4 billion for NSF, up from the $7 billion enacted in FY 2012. Within that, Research and Related Activities (RR&A) receives $5.98 billion, up from the $5.68 FY 2012 enacted level, and Education and Human Resources (EHR) receives $876 million, up from the $829 FY 2012 enacted level.
- NASA: The budget includes $17.7 billion overall for NASA, slightly less than the FY 2012 level of $17.77 billion. Within this, the request includes $4.9 billion for the Science Mission Directorate, down from $5.1 billion enacted in FY 2012. The budget includes an increase of funding for the James Webb Telescope, but also incorporates a significant cut to Mars exploration.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): The USDA’s request for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is $732 million, above the $705 million enacted level in FY 2012. Within NIFA, the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) receives $325 million, above the FY 2012 enacted level of $264 million.
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS): The request includes $831 million for the DHS Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate, up from $668 million enacted in FY 2012. Within the Directorate, Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) receives $478 million, a significant increase from the $266 million enacted in FY 2012.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): The overall NIST request is $857 million, an increase from the $750 million enacted level in FY 2012. Advanced manufacturing is stated as a big priority for existing NIST activities, and the request includes a proposal to seek legislation authorizing $1 billion for competitive regional manufacturing institutes.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): The overall request for NOAA is $5.06 billion, an increase from the $4.09 FY 2012 enacted level. Within that, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research receives $403 million, an increase from the $376 million FY 2012 enacted level.
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): The USGS request is $1.10 billion, above the $1.07 billion enacted level in FY 2012.
Defense. The Defense Science Board released the results of its recent review of DoD basic research programs. While the report found that DoD basic research programs remain strong, it did offer several areas of improvement such as ensuring robust human capital in STEM fields and outlining a technology strategy.
Research. The Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU) wrote to Congressional sponsors of the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA), expressing their support for the legislation. As discussed last week, FRPAA would require major federal research agencies to make available the results of the research they support six months after publication in a scientific journal.
A coalition of scientific societies, associations, and universities wrote to Congressional sponsors of the GRANT Act, expressing concerns with the legislation. As previously reported, the GRANT Act would require full applications of all grant applicants to be posted online, causing concern regarding protection of intellectual property.
In Print
Nature’s piece, Obama Shoots for Science Increase, provides a great analysis of how science fares in the FY 2013 President’s budget request.
In an article in The Chronicle, Paul Basken writes about Facing Budget Pressure, NIH Sees Opportunity to Favor Younger Researchers.
What’s on Deck
Both the House and Senate are in recess this week.
Thursday
- The American Chemical Society will hold a Capitol Hill briefing on Shale Gas Development.