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To Members of the NASULGC System:
- Board on Agriculture Assembly
- Budget and Advocacy Committee
- Council on Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching
As you may know,
Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate have been
working with the Obama transition teams to craft an economic
recovery (stimulus) package. The House version of the elements
of this legislation under the jurisdiction of the Appropriations
Committee was made public yesterday:
Bill –
http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/RecoveryBill01-15-09.pdf
Report –
http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/RecoveryReport01-15-09.pdf
According to the Committee's summary, the House
legislation contains the following provisions with respect to
Science Research:
National Science Foundation: $3 billion,
including $2 billion for expanding employment
opportunities in fundamental science and engineering
to meet environmental challenges and to improve
global economic competitiveness, $400 million to
build major research facilities that perform cutting
edge science, $300 million for major research
equipment shared by institutions of higher education
and other scientists, $200 million to repair and
modernize science and engineering research
facilities at the nation’s institutions of higher
education and other science labs, and $100 million
is also included to improve instruction in science,
math and engineering.
National Institutes of Health Biomedical
Research: $2 billion, including $1.5 billion for
expanding good jobs in biomedical research to study
diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer,
and heart disease - NIH is currently able to fund
less than 20% of approved applications – and $500
million to implement the repair and improvement
strategic plan developed by the NIH for its
campuses.
University Research Facilities: $1.5 billion
for NIH to renovate university research facilities
and help them compete for biomedical research
grants. The National Science Foundation estimates a
maintenance backlog of $3.9 billion in biological
science research space. Funds are awarded
competitively.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
$462 million to enable CDC to complete its Buildings
and Facilities Master Plan, as well as renovations
and construction needs of the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health.
Department of Energy: $1.9 billion for basic
research into the physical sciences including
high-energy physics, nuclear physics, and fusion
energy sciences and improvements to DOE laboratories
and scientific facilities. $400 million is for the
Advanced Research Project Agency – Energy to support
high-risk, high-payoff research into energy sources
and energy efficiency.
NASA: $600 million, including $400 million to
put more scientists to work doing climate change
research, including Earth science research
recommended by the National Academies, satellite
sensors that measure solar radiation critical to
understanding climate change, and a thermal infrared
sensor to the Landsat Continuing Mapper necessary
for water management, particularly in the western
states; $150 million for research, development, and
demonstration to improve aviation safety and Next
Generation air traffic control (NextGen); and $50
million to repair NASA centers damaged by hurricanes
and floods last year.
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development,
Pandemic Flu, and Cyber Security: $900 million
to prepare for a pandemic influenza, support
advanced development of medical countermeasures for
chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear
threats, and for cyber security protections at HHS.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Satellites and Sensors: $600 million for
satellite development and acquisitions, including
climate sensors and climate modeling.
National Institute of Standards and Technology:
$300 million for competitive construction grants for
research science buildings at colleges,
universities, and other research organizations and
$100 million to coordinate research efforts of
laboratories and national research facilities by
setting interoperability standards for
manufacturing.
Agricultural Research Service: $209 million
for agricultural research facilities across the
country. ARS has a list of deferred maintenance work
at facilities of roughly $315 million.
U.S. Geological Survey: $200 million to
repair and modernize USGS science facilities and
equipment, including improvements to laboratories,
earthquake monitoring systems, and computing
capacity. |
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Representatives of the land-grant system have been
working during the past several weeks to secure inclusion of
funding for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's
(NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative within the
proposed legislation. However, the Committee report did not
contain any such funding. We will provide additional information
to you shortly.
The Cornerstone Team
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