Department of Ed. Releases Secretary’s Proposed Priorities for FY11

Posted on August 9, 2010October 17, 2012

The Department of Education last week released Secretary Duncan’s proposed priorities for discretionary grant programs in FY 11 and beyond. These priorities could be used as an absolute, competitive, or invitational priority for any discretionary grant solicitation. Grant programs of interest to the higher education community include:

Increasing Postsecondary Success, which includes “increasing the rates at which high-need students enroll in and complete graduate programs”

Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education, of which one area is “increasing the number of students prepared for advance postsecondary or graduate study and careers in STEM, with a specific focus on an increase in the proportion of students so prepared who are from groups traditionally under-represented in STEM careers, including minorities, individuals with disabilities, and women” and “increasing the opportunities for high-quality preparation of, or professional development for, teachers of STEM subjects”

House Passes Oil Spill Bill, Senate Struggle Will Continue in Fall

Posted on August 5, 2010October 17, 2012

House Passes Oil Spill Bill

Before adjourning for the August recess, the House of Representatives passed an oil spill response bill, HR 3534, the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2010 (CLEAR Act). The House bill removes the $75 million cap on economic liability reimbursement for offshore oil spills, restructures the Department of Interior’s offshore drilling regulatory functions, and bolsters mandatory funding for research and development. The bill calls for a program of research, development, and risk assessment to address technology and development issues, associated with exploration for, and development and production of, energy and mineral resources on the outer Continental Shelf, with the primary purpose of informing its role relating to safety, environmental protection, and spill response.

The House bill also establishes an Ocean Resources Conservation and Assistance Fund (ORCA) that would be used to provide grants to coastal states and Regional Ocean Partnerships and the Regional Coordination Councils for activities that contribute to the protection, maintenance, and restoration of ocean, coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems.

Grants would also be available for coastal states to improve their oil spill response planning, and for the implementation and operation of an Integrated Ocean Observation System (IOOS). The University of Washington is a key partner of the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), which is 1 of 11 regional components of IOOS

Continue reading “House Passes Oil Spill Bill, Senate Struggle Will Continue in Fall”

Murray Amendment Advances Crucial State Funding

Posted on August 5, 2010November 1, 2012

The Senate today passed a crucial amendment that will help states avoid education job losses, and provides desperately needed Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) payments to states . The FMAP/Teacher Jobs Bill passed the senate on a vote of 61-39 and will now be sent to the House where most expect it to pass and then sent to the President for his signature. The Amendment, which was attached to the Aviation Safety and Investment Act of 2010, will send more than $26 billion in aid to states and its costs are fully offset, largely due to spending reductions made in other areas. Patty Murray, was a driving force behind this bill and worked to achieve a solution that would draw bipartisan support.

The legislation provides $16.1 billion for FMAP, and will keep the level of federal Medicaid assistance (which was increased by a minimum of 6.2% in the Recovery Act) consistent for the next 6 months and then gradually decrease the contribution level for the following 6 months. The amendment will also provide $10 billion for additional support to local school districts to prevent imminent layoffs. Nationwide it is estimated that this fund will help to save the jobs of nearly 140,000 educators.

If the legislation passes the House, the State of Washington would realize approximately $546.3 million in FMAP funds. The bill will also prevent the layoffs of up to 3,000 teachers within our state and allow the State legislature to avoid conducting a costly special session. In the words of Senator Murray, “This amendment will allow Washington State to avoid layoffs, service cuts, or tax increases—and it will make sure our children don’t walk through the schoolhouse doors this September to larger class sizes and fewer subjects”.

In an uncommon move, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the House back from its August recess to vote on the measure. They are expected to take up the issue next Tuesday the 10^th.

Full summary of amendment with offsets (Word doc)
Murray press release

FY11 Appropriations Update

Posted on August 5, 2010October 17, 2012

***Updated 8/5/10

House and Senate Appropriations committees and subcommittees made substantial movement in their consideration of FY11 appropriations bills during the monthy of July. However, concerns over the federal deficit combined with the associated election year politics have cast a shadow over the appropriations process. Although appropriations bills will continue to advance through committee, it remains unlikely that most will receive consideration by a full chamber before the November congressional elections. The chart below captures budget items of interest to the UW and the broader higher education/research community. We will update the chart as the process unfolds.

Figures in millions of dollars

Approps. Bill	Agency	Program	FY10 Final	FY11 PBR*	FY11 UW Rec.**	FY11 House Comm.	FY11 Senate Comm.
Agriculture	Agriculture	Agriculture and Food Research Initiative	263	429	429		310.1
		McIntire-Stennis	29	29	35
CJS	NSF	Agency	6,926	7,424	7,424	7,400	7,350
		Education and Human Resources		892	892		892
		Research and Related Activities	5,617	6,019	6,019		6,000
		MREFC	117	165	165		155
	NOAA	Agency	4,737.0	5,550	5,605		5,550
		Sea Grant	63.0	65	77		63.1
		OAR	449.1	465	465		449
		NMFS, Fisheries Research and Management	191	183	193		182.2
		Integrated Ocean Observing System	34	21	53		27
	NASA	Science Mission	4,469	5,006	5,006	4,700	5,000
		Aeronautics Research Mission	501	1,152	1,152		904.6
		Education	182	184	184	205.2
	NIST	Technology Innovation Program	69.9	80	80		70
		Manufacturing Extension Program	124.0	130	130		130
Defense	Defense	6.1 Basic Research	1,882	2,000	2,082
Energy & Water	Energy	Office of Science	4,904	5,121	5,121	4,900	5,012
		ARPA-E	0	300	300	220	200
		Innovation Hubs	66	107	107
		RE-ENERGYSE	0	55	55		0
Interior-Environment	USGS	USGS	1,112	1,133	1,133	1150
	USGS	Geologic Hazards, Resources and Processes	250	253	253
	NEH	NEH	168	161	204	170
	NEA	NEA	167.5	161	204	170
	EPA	Science to Achieve Results (STAR)	61	87	87
	Agriculture	Forest Service Discretionary	5,315	5,377	5,377
		Forest and Rangeland Research	308	322	355
Labor-HHS	Education	Pell Grant Discretionary	17,495	23,162	23,162	23,162
		TRIO Programs	853	853	1,000		868.1
		Federal Work Study	980	980	1,280		980
		GEAR UP	323	323	400		323.2
		Javits Fellowship Program	9.7	10	16		9.6
		GAANN	31.0	31	41		31
		International Education and Foreign Lang. Studies	125.9	126	133
	HHS	Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services	511,034	493,759	511,034
	HRSA	Nursing Workforce Development	150	150	168
	HRSA	Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry	54	54	61
	NIEHS/	Superfund Research Initiative	79	82	89
	Interior	Superfund Research Initiative	79	82	89
	NIH	Agency	31,087	32,007	32,007	32,007	32,007
		National Children’s Study	–	194	194
Mil-Con-VA	VA	Medical and Prosthesis Research Programs	581	590	700
State-Foreign Ops.	USAID	Educational & Cultural Exchanges Programs	635	633	861	635	654.2

*President’s Budget Request (PBR)

**FY11 UW Recommended Appropriation Level