SSTI Digest

Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.

The administration’s FY15 budget request for the Small Business Administration (SBA) is $710 million, a 7.8 percent decrease from FY14 (not including presidential disaster funding). Of this amount, $47.5 million is for business loan subsidy and $197.8 million is for non-credit programs. Through the Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative the administration also proposes public-private investment funding to support the scaling-up of new advanced manufacturing firms into full-scale commercial production.

Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.

The president’s FY15 budget request of $7.9 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reflects a 3.8 percent decrease from FY14 enacted. However, funding for science and technology programs would increase by 0.6 percent under the budget proposal. Priority funding areas for EPA R&D in FY15 include research in potential endocrine disrupting chemicals, human health risk assessment, air quality, sustainable approaches to environmental protection, and safe drinking water.

For Science and Technology (S&T), including R&D activities, the administration requests $763.8 million (0.6 percent increase). Funding for S&T represents 9.7 percent of EPA’s total budget request.

Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.

The president’s FY15 budget request for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is $47.7 billion, a 2.6 percent increase. The administration’s Growth, Opportunity and Security Initiative proposes $280 million for HUD to support comprehensive revitalization in high-poverty neighborhoods and for the Promise Zones Initiative.

The Community Development Fund, which includes the Community Development Block Program (CDBG), would receive $2.9 billion (7.4 percent decrease). Of this amount, $2.8 billion (7.6 percent decrease) is for the CDBG formula grant program to assist state and local governments address community and economic development activities.

Enacted FY14 funding is used for comparisons unless otherwise noted.

The administration’s FY15 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is $38.2 billion (2 percent decrease) in non-disaster, net discretionary funding, excluding disaster relief funding. The proposed budget includes funding for major asset acquisitions, including $300 million for completing the construction of the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility. The proposed budget also includes $549 million to support the EINSTEIN intrusion, detection, and prevention cybersecurity system.

FY14 enacted is used for Department of Treasury comparisons, unless otherwise noted.

The administration’s FY14 request for the Department of the Treasury’s domestic programs is $13.8 billion (9.2 percent increase). Under the proposed budget, Treasury would continue to fund programs focused on economic development, small business support, and job creation.

The Treasury Department recommends a legislative proposal that would provide $1.5 billion (18.6 percent decrease) for a second round of funding for the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) to support state-sponsored, public-private partnerships that increase lending, investment, and technical assistance to small businesses and manufacturers. Of that funding, $1 billion would be awarded on a competitive basis to states that target underserved groups and $500 million would be allocated to states according to a need-based formula.

Estimated FY14 funding is used for the Department of Transportation comparisons, unless otherwise noted.

The president’s FY15 budget request for the Department of Transportation (DOT) totals $90.8 billion (25.7 percent increase), including the first installment of $73.6 billion for a $302.3 billion four-year surface transportation reauthorization proposal that would improve U.S. surface transportation systems. DOT would be allocated $865 million to support research and development (R&D) efforts across the department. Several administrations under DOT would see limited change in their R&D budgets. Funding for various research and development initiatives include:

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.