SSTI Digest

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

Governor Tom Vilsack has unveiled a plan to enhance Iowa’s science and technology base. In his 2001 budget proposal, the governor has proposed $10 million in state funds to create Centers of Excellence in the life sciences, information solutions, and advanced manufacturing areas. Iowa's Regent’s Universities and the Iowa Department of Economic Development will inventory current assets, evaluate the potential for critical mass commercialization of new products and processing methods, and develop a continuous cycle for Iowa's advancement in these areas.