Shuttered agencies represent $38 billion in science, innovation, economic development funding

As the partial government shutdown enters its second month, the impacts across America are increasingly disruptive. The agencies that do not have a current budget were appropriated more than $38.9 billion for R&D, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, broadband, science, economic development and other activities related to regional innovation economies in FY 2018. Most of these programs stand to receive at least this amount for FY 2019. While some programs were able to spend funds from remaining 2018 dollars or from the continuing resolution that expired in December, many other activities have been delayed by more than a month — and with no clear endpoint in sight. To help your organization track the shutdown, SSTI has compiled a list of the most significant impacts on regional innovation.

Primary regional innovation funding agencies with limited, or essentially zero, current staff support:

• Department of Commerce (including EDA and NIST)
• National Science Foundation
• Small Business Administration

Programs with awards or funding processes disrupted:

• EDA Regional Innovation Strategies (FY 2018 winners)
• SBA Innovation Clusters (FY 2018 awards not released; FY 2017 and earlier received stop work orders)

Programs with anticipated FY 2019 funding cycles that are currently not funded, including cycles that may have been announced if a budget were complete:

• CDFI Fund Financial & Technical Assistance
• EDA Regional Innovation Strategies
• SBA Growth Accelerators Challenge
• SBA Innovation Clusters
• SBIR/STTR at closed agencies, including EPA, NASA, NOAA, NSF, USDA
• USDA-Rural Development

Closed agencies are also not able to continue work on changing rules and regulations, including two innovation-related changes that were underway when the shutdown began:

• Federal tech transfer policies under Stevenson-Wydler (NIST)
• Initial Opportunity Zone investment policies (IRS)