SSTI Digest

Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.

The president’s FY15 budget would provide $11.8 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Labor (DOL), a 1.9 percent decrease from FY14 enacted levels. In addition, the administration’s Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative (OGSI) would provide $2.4 billion not accounted for in the departmental budget to expand the agency’s workforce training and apprenticeship programs. Most DOL programs related to high-tech and manufacturing industries reside within the department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), which would receive $3.3 billion (3.4 percent increase).

Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) would receive $27.4 billion in FY15 discretionary funding under the president’s budget request, a 0.4 percent increase.

For the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the budget request for FY15 totals $2.4 billion (0.5 percent decrease) with $137 million (14 percent increase) for Research, Evaluation, and Statistics. This appropriation includes programs that provide grants, contracts and cooperative agreements for research, development and evaluation; development and dissemination of quality statistical and scientific information; and, nationwide support for law enforcement agencies. Of this amount, $47.5 million (18.8 percent increase) is requested for research, development and evaluation efforts under the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), which serves as the R&D agency of DOJ.

Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.

The administration’s FY15 budget request for the Department of the Interior (DOI) would provide $11.7 billion (0.3 percent increase) in discretionary funding. DOI would receive $888.7 million (7.3 percent increase) for research and development activities. Of the proposed R&D budget, $94.8 million (3.5 percent increase) would be allocated to DOI’s Powering Our Future initiative, which supports renewable energy projects on federal lands and waters.

DOI would receive $140 million of its R&D funding through the administration’s Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative (OGSI). OGSI-supported research would target energy and mineral development; climate resilience; landscape scale ecosystem management, restoration and protection; water resources management; and, species protection and health.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), DOI's lead research bureau, would receive $1.1 billion (4 percent increase).

Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.

The FY15 budget request for the Department of Education (ED) totals $68.6 billion (1.9 percent increase) in total discretionary funding. An overhaul of P-12 STEM education programs and a ConnectED initiative providing next-generation broadband and high-speed wireless network support to students and teachers are among the new proposals.

With the FY15 budget request, the administration is proposing $170 million in new funding for a comprehensive STEM innovation proposal to transform teaching and learning in STEM education. The goal is to create a fresh framework for delivering STEM education to more students and teachers more effectively while reducing fragmentation. Key activities include:

Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.

The FY15 budget request for the Department of Defense (DOD) would provide $495.6 billion (0.1 percent decrease) in discretionary base funding. DOD is proposing a strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region as the war in Afghanistan nears an end, while also maintaining a military presence and engagement with allies and partners in the greater Middle East. The budget supports this adjustment and makes strategic investments in areas identified as priorities, such as increasing security challenges and opportunities in cyberspace, continuing to invest in R&D to feed innovation in both the military and civilian sectors, and combating terrorism.

The FY15 budget request of $5.1 billion continues to fully support defensive and offensive cyberspace operations capabilities to develop the Cyber Mission Forces initiated in FY13. DOD Space Investment Programs would be funded at $7.2 billion.

Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.

The administration’s FY15 budget request in discretionary funding for the Department of Energy (DOE) is $27.9 billion (1 percent decrease from FY14), of which $12.3 billion would support R&D (8.4 percent increase) and $4.2 billion would support investment in the Department’s applied energy sector programs to drive an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy sector innovation. The proposed budget would provide substantial increases for funding advanced manufacturing and clean energy R&D.

Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.

The president’s FY15 budget request for the Department of Commerce (DOC) totals $8.8 billion in discretionary funding (6.9 percent increase over FY14 enacted), with increased funding for most agencies and programs related to research, technology transfer, advanced manufacturing and regional economic development. The department would play a key role in the administration’s Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative (OGSI), managing the planned expansion of the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) to include 45 institutes over the next 10 years.

Discretionary funding for DOC’s TBED-related component offices (including salaries and expenses) includes:

While President Obama’s FY15 budget request is unlikely to find much support in Congress this year, the document has traditionally served as a useful guide to the administration’s priorities and to federal programs related to research, regional economic development, manufacturing, entrepreneurship and STEM education.

This year, the administration is proposing the creation or expansion of several programs in these areas through the president’s $56 billion Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative (OGSI).  Since the programs associated with OGSI represent the majority of significant changes within the budget request, many of the agency sections note if a particular program is part of the initiative.

Highlights of particular interest to Digest readers:

John Sider has accepted a position with Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes and the PA Senate Democratic Caucus to work on economic development policy and projects, effective April 1. Currently, Sider is the managing director of statewide initiatives at Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

Vic Nole has joined the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. as director of business development and entrepreneurial activity.

Norris Tolson, who has been the president and CEO of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center since 2007, will retire from the organization on June 30.

U.S. patents continued their rapid pace of growth in 2013, according to statistics from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).  USPTO granted 122,593 utility patents last year, a 10 percent increase over the previous year and a 72 percent increase over 2008. Much of the increase in activity is due to the growth of IT and software patenting, as discussed in a separate SSTI Digest article. California leads the country in utility patents, representing about 27 percent of patents granted in 2013. Massachusetts narrowly leads California in per capita patenting activity, followed by Vermont and Washington.

In keeping with the commitment made in his State of the Union address to reform the American patent system, President Obama announced a series of executive actions to improve the quality and accessibility of the patenting process. White House officials also reiterated the call for more sweeping changes to the system from Congress and provided an update on the previous series of executive orders related to intellectual property issued in June of last year. At the same time, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering two cases that could have major ramifications for patenting in high-tech industries.

President Obama’s emphasis in the State of the Union address on the use of executive orders to overcome legislative gridlock carried over into his administration’s agenda for the patent system.  Last Friday, the President announced three executive orders intended to reduce duplicate patents and wasteful litigation, to improve the patenting process with insights from inventors and to help inventors with fewer resources navigate the complicated and expensive process of securing a patent.

The new actions include measures to:

University-focused initiatives that help bring new technologies and products to market help drive regional economic development and encourage an entrepreneurial culture on campuses. To create stronger connections with the private sector, eliminate barriers between universities and the innovation community, and better support industry needs, some higher education institutions are honing in on entrepreneurship and commercialization activities.