Federal Funding of Research
and Development Issues

Washington Policy Reports

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Washington Policy Report: April 2012

House and Senate Approve Differing CJS Appropriations Bills
Despite the high unlikelihood that any appropriations bills will be approved before this year’s November elections, both the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees have approved their own versions of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and Related Agencies appropriations bill. A quick summary of key research account highlights for each is provided below. Overall, the House has put forward higher numbers for research activities.

The House CJS bill includes:

  • $7.3 billion for the National Science Foundation, an increase of $299 million, or 4.3% above FY12 for basic research and science education.  This level is $41 million shy of the President’s FY 2013 request for the NSF.
  • $830 million to support the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), $80.8 million more than the FY 2012 appropriated amount but $27 million less than the Administration’s FY 2013 request.  The House bill includes $128 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, and $21 million for an Advanced Manufacturing competitive research program (AMTech), matching the President’s request.
  • $17.6 billion to support the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) $226 million below fiscal year 2012 and $138 million below the President’s request.  This funding includes $569.9 million for NASA’s Aeronautics Research programs, half a million over the FY 2012 amount and $18.4 million over the President’s request, and $5.1 billion for the Space Science programs, $5 million over the FY 2012 level and $189 million over the President’s request.  The bill also includes $632.5 million for Space Technology programs, $66.5 million under the President’s request but $84.5 million over the FY 2012 level. 

The Senate CJS bill includes:

  • $7.3 billion for the NSF, an increase of $240 million above the fiscal year 2012 enacted level but $59 million less than the level provided by the House of Representatives and $100 million under the President’s request.
  • $826 million for NIST, which is $75 million above the FY 2012 enacted level but $4 million less than the House level and $31 million under the President’s request. The bill provides an increase of $56 million for NIST’s laboratories and technical research, $128.5 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, and $14.5 million for the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech), $6.5 million under the House level and the President’s request.
  • $19.4 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), an increase of $1.6 billion over the fiscal year 2012 enacted level and $2.2 billion over the President’s request. The Senate included just over $5 billion for NASA’s Space Science programs, $74 million less than the House level and $53 million less than the FY 2012 amount, but $110 million over the President’s request.  The bill includes $551.5 million for NASA Aeronautics programs, consistent with the President’s request but 18.4 million less than the House level.  The Senate provided $651 million for Space Technology programs, $48 million below the President’s request and $18.5 million more than the House level.

With respect to the large funding difference between the House and Senate in overall topline funding, the Senate CJS Subcommittee noted “The large increase (for NASA overall) results from a reorganization of operational weather satellite procurement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) into NASA. Without the funds for weather satellite procurement, this level represents a $41.5 million cut from the fiscal year 2012 enacted level”. The House took no action to shift satellite funding out of the NOAA; without the extra satellite funding, the Senate budget for NASA would still come in at roughly $600 million over both the House level and the President’s request.

The House is expected to advance their CJS legislation soon (early May); no date has been set for further Senate action.

 

FY 2013 Defense Authorization Bill Advances
The House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities has released legislative language on Defense Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation issues. The subcommittee’s language will become a part of the larger FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) later this year.

Key provisions dealing with DOD research issues include:

  • Section 242—National Research Council Review of Defense Scientific and Technical Graduate Education Needs: This section would require the Secretary of Defense to enter into an arrangement with the National Research Council to review Department of Defense specialized degree-granting graduate programs in engineering, applied sciences, and management, and provide an assessment of the number of science and engineering personnel needed by discipline as well as recommendations for improving DOD programming in this area (graduate education workforce needs).
  • Section 253—Regional Advanced Technology Clusters: This section would allow the Secretary of Defense to use the research and engineering network of the Department of Defense to support regional advanced technology clusters established by the Secretary of Commerce to encourage the development of innovative advanced technologies. This section would also designate an office within the Department of Defense with the lead responsibility for enhancing the Department’s use of regional advanced technology clusters. Cluster research topics specifically noted by the Subcommittee include: advanced robotics, advanced defense systems, power and energy innovation, cybersecurity, and applied lightweight materials.

These and other completed sections of the FY 2013 NDAA may be viewed at: http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=7ed34eaf-3480-4b32-8f58-281e92ea798d

 

 

ASME Federal R&D Position Statements

Letter Opposing the "Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA)"
ID: PS12-11 Endorsed by 81 scholarly publishers, this letter opposes the "Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA)" as introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR 4004) and U.S. Senate (S.2096) Issued By: Publications Committee

ASME ISCFRD NSF Task Force Position Statement on the FY 2013 Budget for the National Science Foundation
ID: PS12-10  Urges additional support for NSF's engineering directorate, STEM education programs, and research grants for the FY 2013 budget request.  Issued By: NSF Task Force

Outside Witness Testimony for National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) FY 2013 Budget request
ID:  PS12-09 NIST Task Force Outside Witness Testimony for FY 2013 budget. Issued By: NIST Task Force

ASME Aerospace Division Position Statement on the FY 2013 Budget for NASA
ID:  PS12-08 Urges additional support for NASA's Aeronautics and Education programs and supports Space Technology investments. Issued By: NASA Task Force

Outside Witness Testimony for Department of Energy FY 2013 Budget Request 
ID:  PS12-07 EnComm position statement on FY 2013 DOE budget. Issued By: Energy Committee (EnComm)

Coalition for National Science Funding Letter on the GRANT Act
ID: PS12-03 Coalition for National Science Funding letter noting concerns about provisions in H.R. 3433, the GRANT Act, which could damage the peer review process for government grants and undermine the intellectual property rights of grant applicants. Issued By: Coalition for National Science Funding

Letter responding to a "Request for Information (RFI)" issued by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on "Public Access"
ID: PS12-01 In November 2011, OSTP issued a request for information on "Open Government Recommendations on Public Access to Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Publications Resulting From Federally Funded Research"   Issued By: ASME Publications Committee

Coalition Letter Prepared by AAAS urging the Deficit Reduction Cmte. to support research.
ID: PS11-30 Letter urges the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction to provide support for federal research and development budget activities. Issued By: NSF Task Force

Coalition for National Security Research support letter to the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction
ID: PS11-29 Coalition letter of support for basic research activities at the Department of Defense (6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 research accounts). Issued By: Coalition for National Security Research (CNSR)

ASME Resolution: Commitment to Peer Review
ID: PS11-24 Reaffirms ASME's commitment to the practice of peer review as a crucial part of the allocation of funds in support of the Nation's research and development endeavor.  General Position Paper Issued By: ASME

Strengthening the U.S. Manufacturing Sector
ID: PS11-23 Document outlining the US manufacturing programs and the role of Government in supporting manufacturing innovation.  General Position Paper Issued By: ASME

NSF Task Force Letter on Merit Review
ID: PS11-22 ASME NSF Task Force letter supporting NSF merit review process. Issued By: NSF Task Force

Materials Genome Initiative Professional Society Coalition Letter
ID: PS11-19 Professional society coalition letter to support the Obama Administration's proposed Materials Genome Initiative (MGI)

ISCFRD DOD Task Force Position Statement on the FY 2012 Budget Request for the Department of Defense
ID: PS11-16 Provides funding rational and justification for DOD's core science and technology accounts in the FY 2012 budget request.

ASME Bioengineering Division Position Statement on the FY 2012 Budget Request for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
ID: PS11-15 Supports the President's FY 2012 budget request for the NIH and the NIH's National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)

ISCFRD NASA Task Force Position Statement on the FY 2012 Budget Request for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
ID: PS11-12 Supports revitalization of research at NASA as laid out in the President’s FY 2012 budget request. Emphasizes need for robust Investment in US aeronautics and aerospace research

Position statement of the ASME NIST Task force on the FY 2012 budget proposal for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
ID: PS11-10 Statement supports the funding for NIST labs and encourage the Administration to support previous efforts to support manufacturing funding and innovation through programs such as TIP and MEP

Coalition for National Security Research FY 2012 support letter
ID: PS11-09 Coalition letter of support for basic research activities at the Department of Defense (6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 research accounts)

Position statement of the ASME NSF Task force on the FY 2012 budget proposal for the National Science Foundation (NSF)
ID: PS11-08 Statement supports FY 2012 funding for NSF research and education activities

Task Force on American Innovation Letter Supporting FY11 DOE Science and Education Budget Request
ID:PS11-07 Broad coalition letter of support for science and engineering research appropriations for FY 2011

ASME Letter from Bob Simmons to the U.S. House of Representatives Supporting DOE Office of Science
ID: PS11-06 ASME letter to support science, engineering, and STEM education projects in the FY 2011 Continuing Resolution, H.R. 1.

Engineering America's Future Economic Growth through Technical Innovation
ID: PS11-01 Document outlining history of nuclear power industry in the US and recommendations for continued use, and growth of the nuclear power industry moving forward.

Permanent Extension of the Research and Development Tax Credit
ID: PS10-26 This letter calls for a permanent extension and enhancement of the tax credit to place it in line with incentives offered by other leading OECD countries.

Support for Small Business Innovation Research Reauthorization
ID: PS10-25 Letter supporting the reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program.

 

ASME R&D Briefings/ Events:

  • 2011 Engineering Public Policy Symposium, “STEM Education and the 21st Century Workforce” (5/17/2011)
  • Building the Future Today: How Scientific Research Drives Economic Growth and National Security (2/2/2011)
  • NASA Aeronautics Research & Development (9/29/2010)

Learn more

 

Current Research and Development Legislation

Materials Genome Initiative Professional Society Coalition Letter
ID: PS11-19 Professional society coalition letter to support the Obama Administration’s proposed Materials Genome Initiative (MGI)

Letter of Endorsement to Senate and House Sponsors of the Engineering Education for the Innovation Economy Act
ID: PS11-05 Letter from the ASME Center for Public Awareness expressing support for the Engineering Education for the Innovation Economy Act (the E2 For Innovation Act)

Permanent Extension of the Research and Development Tax Credit
ID: PS10-26 This letter calls for a permanent extension and enhancement of the tax credit to place it in line with incentives offered by other leading OECD countries.

Support for Small Business Innovation Research Reauthorization
ID: PS10-25 Letter supporting the reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program.

America COMPETES Reauthorization Act
This bipartisan legislation is fundamental to ensuring America’s long-term economic competitiveness and our continued leadership in basic research and science and engineering education initiatives through the robust reauthorization of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

For more legislative information from the Library of Congress, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov.

 

House and Senate Committees

 

Federal Agencies

 

Reports