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Federal budget continues growth for innovation initiatives

December 22, 2020

The final FY 2021 budget provides $1.4 trillion in total federal funding, including increases in some programs affecting the innovation economy. Among SSTI’s Innovation Advocacy Council priorities: EDA’s Build to Scale received an appropriation of $38 million, SBA’s Regional Innovation Clusters received $6 million, and SBA’s Federal and State Technology (FAST) program received $4 million. These are just a few of the federally-funded initiatives that support regional innovation economies and a wide range of federal R&D activities.

Department of Commerce

  • EDA: Build to Scale – $38 million (+$5 million from FY 2020) – At least $30 million for the Venture Challenge and $6 million for the Capital Challenge
  • EDA: STEM Apprenticeships – $2 million (no change)
  • EDA total funding – $346 million (+$13 million)
  • NIST: Manufacturing Extension Partnership – $150 million (+$4 million)
  • NIST: Manufacturing USA – $16.5 million (+$0.5 million)
  • NIST: Scientific & Technical Research & Services – $788 million (+$38 million)
  • Minority Business Development Agency – $48 million (+$6 million) – Designates $9 million for broad agency announcements with a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship

Small Business Administration

  • Regional Innovation Clusters – $6 million (+$1 million from FY 2020)
  • FAST Partnership Program – $4 million (+$1 million)
  • Growth Accelerators Fund Competition – $2 million (no change)
  • Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot – $3 million (new) – Initiative that will provide up to three grants to states to support access to cybersecurity tools

National Science Foundation

  • Overall funding level – $8.5 billion (+$208 million from FY 2020) – Includes $210 million for quantum information science research
  • I-Corps – $40 million (+$5 million)
  • Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) – $200 million (+$10 million)

Health & Human Services

  • Centers for Disease Control & Prevention – $7.9 billion (+$123 million from FY 2020)
  • NIH – $42.9 billion (+$1.25 billion) – Includes $397 million for Institutional Development Awards (+$10 million) and $50 million for public and nonprofit biomedical research facilities
  • BARDA – $596.7 million (+$35 million)

Department of Defense

  • Research, Development, Test & Evaluation – $107 billion (+$2.7 billion)
  • Defense Manufacturing Communities – $50 million (+$25 million)

Department of Agriculture

  • Rural Innovation Stronger Economy – $5 million (no change from FY 2020)
  • Rural Cooperative Development Grants – $26.6 million (no change) – Includes $2.8 million for technology transfer for rural areas program
  • Agricultural Research Service – $1.5 billion (+$77 million)
  • National Institute of Food and Agriculture – $1.6 billion (+$43 million)

Department of Energy

  • ARPA-E – $427 million (+$2 million from FY 2020)
  • Office of Science – $7.0 billion (+$26 million)
  • Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institutes – $28 million (did not receive a specific line item in FY 2020) – $14 million is for a new institute
  • Office of Technology Transitions – (no line item given) – Includes an additional $5 million for a program to fund clean energy incubators that have support from state, regional and local entities

Department of Labor

  • Apprenticeship Grant Program – $185 million (+$10 million from FY 2020)
  • Strengthening Community College Training Grants – $45 million (+$5 million)
  • Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities – $35 million (+$5 million) – For use in partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission and Delta Regional Authority

NASA

  • Science office – $7.3 billion (+$162 million from FY 2020)
  • EPSCoR – $26 million (+$2 million)
  • Regional Economic Development – $8 million (no change)
  • STEM Engagement – $127 million (+$7 million) 

Additional initiatives

  • CDFI Fund – $270 million (+$8 million)
  • Appalachian Regional Commission – $180 million (+$5 million)
  • Delta Regional Authority – $30 million (no change)
  • Department of Education: Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development Grants – $10 million (new) – Competitive program to support higher education enrollment and completion for high-skill/wage or in-demand programs

If your organization leverages federal funding to support your work, consider adding your voice to SSTI’s Innovation Advocacy Council. Contact Jason Rittenberg (rittenberg@ssti.org) to learn more.

federal budget, RIS, eda, sba, FAST, clusters, fy21budget