SSTI Digest

Global Warming – 42 percent increase to $2.4 billion. The initiative includes: research and development efforts into Clean Energy research ($1.4 billion) and Bioenergy and Biobased Products (47 percent increase to $289 million); commercialization incentives for Energy Efficiency ($9 billion over ten years); Clean Energy Export Assistance ($200 million); and, $85 million for local Clean Ar Efforts. National Nanotechnology Initiative – an 83 percent increase to $495 million for research into nanotechnology, the ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules. Participating agencies include NSF, Defense, Energy, NIH, NASA and NIST. Approximately 70% of the new funding will support to university-research. The Digital Divide – including among other initiatives: $2 billion over ten years in tax incentives to encourage private sector computer technology donations and worker training; $100 million in the Department of Education to create 1,000 Community Technology Centers in low-income urban and rural areas; $150 million for teacher training; $45 million to triple…

The overall FY2001 budget request for the U.S. Department of Agriculture reflects a decrease of more than 9% over FY2000. For several research and economic development programs, the Administration is requesting the opportunity to use funds appropriated in previous years but blocked from use by Congressional appropriations language in 1999 and 2000. Selected agency program highlights include: Distance Learning & Telemedicine Loans and Grants – $427 million (up $206 million) to support access to advanced telecommunications services for improved education and health care in rural areas. Also includes a $2 million pilot program to fund broadband transmission and local dial-up Internet services in rural areas. National Research Initiative – $150 million (down from $163 million, estimated FY 2000 expenditures) for competitive research grants into agricultural genomics, food safety, environment and natural resource management, and competitiveness and profitability of agriculture. Initiative for Future Agriculture & Food Systems – No new appropriation is requested for…

Several Clinton Administration programs in the Department of Commerce are perennial budget battles, and this year is likely to be no exception. Selected program highlights include: Advanced Technology Program (ATP) – $175 million (up $33 million), with $34 million in carryover funds, this funding level allows $65 million to be awarded to new projects through a general competition. Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) – $114 million (up $9 million), including continuation of the existing network of MEP centers and $9 million for a new emphasis area on E-commerce. To accommodate a $15 million, E-commerce initiative, the base funding for the program's existing activities was decreased from $105 million to $99 million. Defense Economic Adjustment – $31.4 million (down $7 million). The decrease reflects a continued decline in need and demand for funding. Economic Adjustment Assistance Program – $70 million (up $35 million). Technology Opportunities Program (formerly the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP) – $45.1 million (up…

The Clinton Administration budget request for Defense R&D would be essentially equal in FY2001 to FY2000 levels. Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation would dip from $38.3 billion to $37.9 billion. Selected highlights include: Dual Use Science & Technology: Army – $10.15 million (up $0.23 million) Navy – $10.07 million (up $0.12 million) Air Force $10.14 million (up $0.27 million) University Research Initiatives – $253.6 million (up $29.6 million) Government/Industry Cosponsorship of University Research – $6.715 million (no change) Defense EPSCoR – $9.86 million Commercial Operations and Support Savings Initiative (COSSI) – the total FY 2001 appropriation requested for COSSI is $52 million, down $44 million from the FY2000 budget.

With 12.6 percent growth, the Department's budget request includes the largest increase in discretionary spending in the history of the Department. Funding for educational research would increase by $30 million. S&T highlights include: Community Technology Centers – $100 million (up $67.5 million) to create 1,000  computer centers in low-income urban and rural neighborhoods around the country. Next Generation Technology Innovation – $170 million (new), replacing two other programs that received $197 million in FY 2000, NGTI would provide funding to develop new applications of educational technologies and telecommunications for teaching and learning. Regional Technology in Education Consortia – $10 million (no change) to support regional consortia of states, districts and schools to integrate technology with teaching and learning. Technology Leadership Activities – $2 million (no change) to promote leadership in the field of educational technology, including measuring the effectiveness of technology programs.

The President's request for the Department of Energy reflects a 9.2 percent increase over last year's budget. Funding for science and technology activities, however, would increase by $12 percent. Research and development funding for nuclear and fossil fuel energy systems would decrease by five percent and ten percent respectively. Program highlights include: Inventions and Innovations Program – $6 million (up $1 million). NICE3 – $6 million Industries of the Future – $174 million (up $14 million)

There are several environmental R&D initiatives in the Administration's budget request, however, except for the Global Climate Change Technology Initiative, few of these include the Environmental Protection Agency as an active financial participant. EPA's R&D activities are slated to decrease by $6 million in FY 2001 to $530 million (excluding Climate Change expenditures, which is requesting a 120 percent increase).

The Administration’s budget request includes a 5.6% increase of $1 billion in biomedical research within the National Institutes of Health. The funding would support research in the areas of diabetes, brain disorders, cancer, genetic medicine, disease prevention strategies, and development of an AIDS vaccine. The increased funding also would result in approximately $25 million in additional funding for the NIH SBIR Program.

For the first time in many years, the budget request for NASA reflects an increase, rather than a cut. R&D programs would receive a 14 percent increase if the President's budget request passes. Commercial Technology Programs within the Science, Aeronautics and Technology unit would receive $135 million, a decrease of $5 million over FY 2000. Academic programs would experience a sharper drop of $38.8 million to a FY 2001 total of $100 million. HIghlights include: National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program – $19.1 million (no change) NASA EPSCoR – $4.6 million (down $5.4 million) Innovative Reform Initiatives – $500,000 (no change) for systemic improvements in math & science education NASA SBIR – $100 million (up $2.4 million) Technology Transfer Agents, including the National Technology Transfer Center and the TechLink Center at Montana State University – $5.8 million (down $1.5 million)

Under the President's budget request, NSF would receive increased funding of $675 million or 17.3 percent, doubling the single largest increase ever for the Foundation. If passed, Funding for NSF will have increased by 66 percent since President Clinton took office. Selected program highlights for the FY 2001 request: Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) – $48.4 million (down $3 million) to broaden participation of states and regions in science and engineering. Office of Innovation Partnerships – (no new funding) established in FY 2000 with $8.5 million, to examine means of helping institutions expand their research capacity and competitiveness. Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) – $69 million (up $9 million). Science & Technology Centers (STCs) – $44 million (down $9 million). Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRS&ECs) – $58 million (up $6 million) Centers for Research Excellence in Science & Technology – $9 million (no change). Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRCs) – $5 million (…

The SBA budget requests $1 billion in new spending authority, including the expanded New Markets Venture Capital Program mentioned under the Interagency Initiatives. The program is designed to increase access to equity capital and technical assistance to women, minorities and to businesses located in low- and  moderate-income rural areas and inner cities. It proposes $150 million in SBA-backed funds for these venture capital companies, and $30 million to pay for technical assistance for the firms in which they invest. Other potentially technology-relevant highlights include: $14 million under the Small Business Innovation Research program to help small companies commercialize products they develop under the sponsorship of the federal government. The 3-year pilot program would would support Phase III by providing federal funds averaging $250,000, to match contributions from non-federal sources in a 1:2 ratio. An additional $1 million is proposed to develop multi-agency SBIR solicitation topics, solicit white papers and hold workshops for small businesses. $60…

As was the case in the Administration’s budget request last year, the Department of Transportation’s R&D programs have the greatest percentage growth over the previous year’s funding level at 37 percent. A record $1.28 billion, would be spent for transportation research and for the development and deployment of new technologies. This includes: $338 million, 83 percent more than FY 2000, for smart traffic signals, regional travel information networks and other intelligent transportation systems. Another $20 million would be spent for the Advanced Vehicle Program, to develop less-polluting trucks and buses. University Transportation Research Program, $6 million (no change) for university-based research on transportation issues. National Research and Technology Program within the Federal Transit Administration, $30 million for R&D and deployment of technologies focusing on accessibility for the disabled, air quality, traffic congestion, fuel cells, propulsion systems and improvements in transit safety, service and operations (change from FY 2000 not available).…