Today, President Obama released a $3.73 trillion budget request for FY12. The White House estimates that the request and projections for spending in the out-years would reduce the deficit by more than $1 trillion over the next decade. Despite reductions in overall spending, the request contains significant increases for research and development as well as some education programs.

National Institutes of Health- $31.8 billion, an increase of 3.3% over the FY10 level of $30.8 billion

White House/Office of Management and Budget HHS FY12 Budget Summary

National Science Foundation- $7.77 billion, an increase of 13% over the FY10 level of $6.87 billion –keeping the agency on track for a 10-year (FY08-FY17) doubling that is authorized in last year’s America COMPETES Act

NSF FY12 Budget Materials

Department of Energy, Office of Science- $5.4 billion, an increase of 10.2% over the FY10 level of $4.9 billion –keeping the agency on track for a 10-year (FY08-FY17) doubling that is authorized in last year’s America COMPETES Act. $550 million is also included for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to continue support for the promising early-stage research projects that could deliver game-changing clean energy technologies.

DoE FY12 Budget Materials

Department of Defense, Science and Technology- $12.2 billion for science and technology programs, which includes a 2% real growth in basic research

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency- $5.5 billion, an increase of 14.3% over the FY10 level of $4.85 billion

White House/Office of Management and Budget Department of Commerce FY12 Budget Summary

Department of Education-

• Continues support for a $5,550 maximum Pell Grant award, $819 above the level in 2008, largely paid for by eliminating the year-round Pell Grant and the in-school interest subsidy for graduate and professional student loans
• Invests $26.8 billion, an increase of 6.9 percent, in a reformed Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) focused on raising standards, encouraging innovation, and rewarding success, while allowing States and districts more flexibility to invest resources where they will have the greatest impact. The new ESEA directs funds to reform-oriented competitive initiatives, consolidates dozens of programs, and cuts programs that do not demand results.
• Provides $1.4 billion for new competitions, modeled on the Race to the Top initiative, to strengthen and reform early childhood education, improve district performance in elementary and secondary education, and improve outcomes in higher education

Department of Education FY12 Budget Materials

National Endowment for the Humanities- $146 million, a decrease of 13% from the FY10 level of $168 million

NEH FY12 Budget Summary

Additional information on President Obama’s FY12 budget request will be posted as it becomes available. The release of the President’s Budget Request (PBR) is the first step in appropriations process for the coming year. After Congress and the President settle on a path forward for FY11 — which began on October 1, 2010 — the FY12 process will begin to move forward.

In his State of the Union address last night, President Obama urged Congress to invest in critical priorities, reorganize the government, and begin addressing growing debt and deficits in order to ensure US success in the future. Obama proposed increased spending on education, infrastructure, and research and technology — particularly clean energy technology — that the President said would both create jobs and enhance US competitiveness in the world.

 “We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world,” he said. “We have to make America the best place on Earth to do business. We need to take responsibility for our deficit, and reform our government. That’s how our people will prosper. That’s how we’ll win the future.”

The promise of technology heavily underpinned the President’s address, as he emphasized the importance of clean tech, broadband, and science education in achieving his goal. He made the case for continued investment in research funding, and a renewed commitment to immigration reform that’s designed to keep talented foreign workers in the country.

While this all sounds encouraging for the research and higher education communities, the President proposes to pay for those investments by cutting other domestic programs.  He is proposing a five-year freeze on non-security discretionary spending, which he said would save more than $400 billion over 10 years and bring discretionary spending to the lowest level as a share of the economy since the Eisenhower administration. It remains to be seen whether the President can actually motivate Congress into acting on his proposals, some of which appeared in Obama’s prior State of the Union addresses. It was in 2010 that the president sounded similar notes on innovation, taxes and trade, but those reforms often lagged in a Congress more focused on other big-ticket items like healthcare.

One surprise in the President’s address was his threat to veto any legislation that includes earmarks, essentially closing the door on any earmarks for FY12. Democrats in the Senate denounced the President’s call as a power grab that will have little-to-no impact on the federal budget deficit.

But the reality is that Democrats face a political climate that makes it virtually impossible to get any earmarks through this Congress if Obama and Republicans in congress maintain their opposition. Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has already said that no appropriations bills with earmarks will pass the House, and Senate Republicans have also embraced a moratorium on the pet projects. That means House Republicans, Senate Republicans, and the President would have to cave in if any earmarks are to become law this year.

In other budget news, the House Republicans on Tuesday moved forward in their push to sharply reduce spending and draw contrasts with President Obama’s budget priorities. They adopted a resolution calling for non-security discretionary spending to be cut to FY08 levels or less for the last seven months of FY11. House Republican leaders also announced that they are planning to bring a government funding measure to the floor the same week the president is expected to release his budget (week of February 14^th). During that same week, the House will also consider another stopgap spending measure to fund the government for the remainder of FY11. The current stopgap funding expires March 4th.

The Office of Federal Relations is closely monitoring all of these events and will provide additional information on this site as it becomes available. In the meantime, we are anticipating major programmatic cuts in the President’s FY12 Budget and are currently developing materials to defend those federal programs that the UW works with the most.

The Republican Study Committee (RSC), a group of 174 House Republicans “organized for the purpose of advancing a conservative social and economic agenda in the House of Representatives,” has released a proposal containing an estimated $2.5 trillion (over 10 years) of spending cuts. It is expected that the package will be debated and voted on in the House before the current continuing resolution expires on March 4th. Items of particular note in the proposal include elimination of the National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts, as well as elimination of Recovery Act funding that has yet to be allocated and applied research within the Department of Energy.

The proposal is only one of many circulating on the Hill right now, but provides some insight into how a significant portion of the House wishes to proceed on the budget.

RSC summary and list of programs targeted for elimination 

Yesterday, the commission tasked by President Obama to examine the BP Deepwater Horizon undersea accident of last spring released its findings and recommendations. The commission addressed a range of topics from the need for increased regulation to funding for oil spill research to long-term restoration of the Gulf. 

Some of the ideas offered:

• Create a distinct environmental science office within the Department of Interior;
• Formalize the role of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in offering input on  environmental protection in Interior leasing decisions;
• Assign responsibility for congressional oversight of drilling safety and environmental protection to one specific committee in each chamber and require annual oversight hearings;
• Provide mandatory funding for oil spill research and response technology at a level equal to or greater than that authorized by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990;
• Significantly increase the Oil Pollution Act’s liability cap and financial responsibility requirements for offshore facilities;
• Dedicate 80% of any Clean Water Act penalties from the Deepwater Horizon spill to long-term restoration of the Gulf of Mexico; and
• Along with federal agencies and responsible parties, take steps to restore consumer confidence in the aftermath of a significant spill.

It is expected that Congress will again try to assemble an oil spill bill. During the previous Congress, ideological differences over government regulation and the liability cap hampered efforts to pass a bill. Previous drafts have contained significant investments in research and development, and we will push for those provisions to remain in the mix going forward.

**12/21 Update** Today, the House passed the America COMPETES Act, as already agreed to in the Senate. The legislation now goes to the President, who is expected to sign it. Additional details will be provided shortly

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On December 17th, in somewhat of a surprise move, the Senate voted to pass the America COMPETES Act. The legislation had been sidelined for weeks by a crowded agenda for the current lame duck session of Congress as well as over concerns that the spending levels authorized were too large in light of the federal budget deficit. COMPETES authorizes annual budget increases for the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. While passage of COMPETES is certainly a positive development, there is no guarantee that the annual appropriations process will keep the agencies funded at the levels authorized.

From the Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray

Senator Murray Applauds Passage of Bill to Strengthen Science and Math Programs in Washington State Schools

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) applauded the passage of a bill that will strengthen and expand science and mathematics programs in schools in Washington state and across the country. The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 includes provisions to expand science and mathematics programs at all points in our education system. Additionally, the Act directs business and the federal government to coordinate with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs to help create innovative educational opportunities, increase research investment, and improve economic competitiveness.

“Thanks to ground-breaking educational programs, Washington state is home to some of the world’s most innovative workers, businesses, and schools. However, we must continue developing new programs and applying more resources if we want our workers to be competitive in the global economy,” said Senator Murray. “This bill will help America’s workers continue to compete, and will direct the government to use available tools to strengthen educational opportunities and increase investments in research projects that will benefit future generations.”

The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 will:

• Increase research investment;
• Strengthen educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from elementary through graduate school; and
• Develop an infrastructure that will enhance innovation and competitiveness in the United States.

The Department of Energy is now accepting nominations for the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Awards, which are among the longest running and most prestigious science and technology awards given by the U.S. Government. 

The Lawrence Awards honor U.S. scientists and engineers at mid-career for exceptional contributions in research and development supporting the Department of Energy and its mission to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States.

The Lawrence Award was established in 1959 by the Atomic Energy Commission and President Dwight D. Eisenhower in honor of the 1939 Nobel Laureate in physics. The first Lawrence Awards were conferred in 1960 and have since been awarded to 209 recipients. 

Eligibility requires that nominees be U.S. citizens in mid-career and show promise for continued exceptional achievements.  Nominations for the 2011 Lawrence Awards must be submitted by January 15, 2011. Please carefully note the revisions and updates to prior announcements. In particular, this announcement includes two new award categories – “Computer, Information, and Knowledge Sciences” and “Energy Science and Innovation” – as well as new category titles and descriptions. The Lawrence Award’s webpage describes the nomination guidelines and process, and all nominations must be made via an electronic submission process. The Department of Energy encourages the nomination of a diverse pool of candidates.

Questions about the E. O. Lawrence award nominations may be addressed to: lawrence.award@science.doe.gov or james.glownia@science.doe.gov.  Dr. Glownia may be reached at (301) 903 2411.

Douglas Clapp, Clerk for the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, visited the University of Washington on August 12, 2010. As Clerk, Mr. Clapp is the chief of staff for the influential subcommittee that controls the purse strings for federal energy and water related funding. Pictured is UW Chemical Engineering Ph.D. student Ikechukwu Nwaneshiudu showing Mr. Clapp his nanotechnology-based sensor for detecting trace hydrocarbons in water, a topic made critically relevant by the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Mr. Nwaneshiudu is a Gates Millenium Scholar and National Science Foundation Bioenergy IGERT Fellow working under the guidance of Professors Qiuming Yu and Daniel T. Schwartz.

At a White House Forum on Energy Security yesterday, US Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US Department of Energy and the US Department of Defense to accelerate clean energy innovation and enhance national energy security. 

Among other things, the MOU demonstrates both agencies commitment to reducing security and energy vulnerabilities through improved efficiencies and displacement of fossil fuels with on-site renewable power generation.  This will cover efforts in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, water efficiency, fossil fuels, alternative fuels, efficient transportation technologies and fueling infrastructure, grid security, smart grid, storage, waste-to-energy, basic science research, mobile/deployable power, small modular reactor nuclear energy, and related areas.

The Department of Energy is the lead Federal agency responsible for the development and deployment of advanced energy technologies, yet the Department of Defense will need to invest in many of these same energy technologies as well as other energy technologies which may be unique to the Department of Defense’s operational requirements.  Partnering with the Department of Defense provides the Department of Energy the opportunity to accelerate the deployment of its technologies and expertise to help address the critical economic and energy security needs of the United States and to promote scientific and technological innovation.

This MOU builds on already strong cooperation between the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense, and will broaden collaboration on clean energy technology research, development, and demonstration.

The MOU can be found at http://www.energy.gov/news/documents/Enhance-Energy-Security-MOU.pdf.  You can watch the White House forum on-line at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/28/clean-energy-and-national-security (length: 2 hours, 45 minutes).

Last week, the Department of Energy launched a blog, along with new accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Secretary Chu provided the vision for these new tools in his inaugural blog post: “Our goal is to use the Energy Blog and our other social media outlets to show you who we are, what we do, and why it matters to you, while allowing you to connect with us in new and creative ways. That’s not a promise for the future; that’s a commitment we’re putting into action today…”

Department of Energy Blog

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has approved — with bi-partisan support — its portion of the America COMPETES Act (S. 3605). The bill provides for three-year authorizations for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). An authorization for the Department of Energy Office of Science is expected to be added in a manager’s amendment on the Senate floor.

During the mark-up, the committee adopted 20 amendments to the bill, including a substitute amendment that reduced the funding levels by 10% for NSF and NIST. The bill’s only new program would fall within NSF and enable a $10-million-a-year effort to prepare science and engineering majors to be elementary and secondary school teachers. It’s modeled after the successful UTeach program at the University of Texas, Austin. To ease the fiscal bite, the bill would require a significant contribution from each university grantee (up to 75% by the end of the 5-year grant).

The legislation would require Department of Commerce to study the U.S. economy and innovation infrastructure, including an assessment of the nation’s economic competitiveness. Within one year of completing the study, the Department would be required to develop a 10-year national innovation and competitiveness strategy. 

Given the packed Senate schedule, it is unclear whether the bill will make it to the Senate floor before the August recess.

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee

S. 3605, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Committee Overview)

The original COMPETES Act was a response to the National Academies’ Rising Above The Gathering Storm, which warned that America’s place as a global leader in science and technology was at risk. Urgent action is still needed to guarantee American prosperity in the face of increasing global competition, especially in the areas of K-12 science and math education and funding for basic research. The America COMPETES Act reauthorization focuses on three primary areas of importance to increase American innovation and competitiveness: (1) increasing science and research investments, (2) strengthening science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, and (3) developing an innovation infrastructure.

Increase Science and Research Investments

• Authorizes funding increases for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal years 2011, 2012, and 2013.
• Supports programs to assist American manufacturers, such as the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Technology Innovation Program, and creates a loan guarantee program to support innovation in manufacturing.

Strengthen Educational Opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics

• Coordinates STEM education across the Federal government, with the goal of reinforcing programs that demonstrate effectiveness.
• Supports research and internship opportunities for high school and undergraduate students, and increases the number of graduate fellowships supported by the NSF.
• Reinforces the role of NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to inspire and educate the future science and technology workforce and encourages the agencies to transfer their technological advances into the private and public sectors.

Develop an Innovation Infrastructure

• Promotes productivity and economic growth by forming an Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship to foster innovation and the commercialization of new technologies, products, processes, and services.
• Requires the development of a national innovation and competitiveness strategy for strengthening the innovative and competitive capacity of the Federal Government, State and local governments, institutions of higher education, and the private sector.
• Supports the development of regional innovation strategies, including regional innovation clusters and research parks.

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