Update on Research Funding via Federal Agencies November 03, 2021
Research Development's Strategic Intelligence team monitors the federal budget and funding landscape and produces this memo on a bi-weekly basis to share information that may impact ASU research.
Science Policy Legislation
Some Science Spending Survives Reconciliation Bill Pruning
https://www.aip.org/fyi/fyi-this-week/week-november-1-2021
On 10/28/2021, House Democrats introduced a new version of their partisan reconciliation bill. The new reconciliation bill retains many science priority areas laid out in the original House bill at reduced spending levels, including:
- The Department of Energy would receive $2 billion in total for R&D programs, down from over $15 billion in the original version. The bill now includes $985 million for the Office of Science, entirely dedicated to domestic fusion energy R&D efforts and low-dose radiation research.
- The National Science Foundation would receive $3.5 billion, of which $1.5 billion is for standing up the agency’s proposed Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships directorate. Of the remainder, $500 million is dedicated to climate research and another $500 million is for infrastructure. The original bill included $11 billion for NSF and did not allocate a specific amount for the new directorate.
- NASA would receive $1.1 billion, with $750 million dedicated to infrastructure and facilities modernization, down from the $4 billion originally proposed. The new bill also includes $365 million for climate-related R&D, slightly less than originally proposed.
Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s Public Briefing
The National Academies is publicly releasing the 2020 decadal survey on Thursday, November 4 at 11am ET followed by a public briefing webinar from 2-3:30pm ET. An important part of the process involves evaluating and ranking proposals for major facilities and projects to establish a strategy for future spending by NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy. During the webinar, the decadal survey co-chairs will discuss the key findings and recommendations from the report and take questions from the audience.
White House Seeks Ideas for Advancing Equity in Science
https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=ostp-time-is-now
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced an “ideation challenge” to solicit public input on how the federal government can advance equity in science and technology - The Time is Now: Advancing Equity in Science & Technology Ideation Challenge.
Senior Program Officer
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine seeks a Senior Program Officer to manage program activities and conduct studies related to the U.S. research and higher education enterprise in the U.S. Science and Innovation Policy theme (Policy) in the Policy and Global Affairs (PGA) Division.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
FY22: Budget Outlook: National Institutes of Health
https://www.aip.org/fyi/2021/fy22-budget-outlook-national-institutes-health
Appropriators in the House and Senate both propose to boost funding for the National Institutes of Health by more than 10% in fiscal year 2022. The Senate bill, released last week, proposes to increase NIH’s current $43 billion topline by $5 billion, while the House bill proposes a $6.5 billion increase. Either amount would represent by far the largest increase among the string of multi-billion-dollar boosts Congress has provided NIH in each of the past six years. They also endorse the creation of an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, though they would provide less than half the initial funding the administration requested for it. Total funding for NIH’s existing activities would increase by 8% under the House proposal and 6% under both the Senate and administration proposals.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
FY22 Budget Outlook: National Science Foundation
https://www.aip.org/fyi/2021/fy22-budget-outlook-national-science-foundation
House and Senate appropriators both propose to increase the National Science Foundation’s annual budget by more than 10% for fiscal year 2022 and endorse the Biden administration’s request to create a new directorate in the agency. Under the appropriations legislation, the current $8.5 billion annual budget of NSF would surge by about $1 billion in fiscal year 2022, which is short of the $1.7 billion increase the Biden administration requested. The Senate’s bill, released this week, seeks a 12% overall budget increase for NSF, while the counterpart bill the House passed this summer proposes a 14% increase.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
2021 ERI Summit Symposium - Recorded
On October 19-21, DARPA hosted its fourth Electronics Resurgence Initiative (ERI) Summit. The annual event brings together leaders from across the electronics ecosystem – spanning government, defense, academia, and industry – to foster collaboration and share technical progress on DARPA’s five-year, $1.5B dollar investment into the advancement of the U.S. semiconductor industry. If you weren't able to attend the summit, recordings will be posted to the above website.
Department of Commerce (DOC)
FY22 Budget Outlook: National Institute of Standards and Technology
https://www.aip.org/fyi/2021/fy22-budget-outlook-national-institute-standards-and-technology
Within the fiscal year 2022 allocation, USICA would provide $2.5 billion for the Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program and $500 million for the microelectronics research program. These programs would work in coordination with the National Semiconductor Technology Center, another major initiative authorized by the CHIPS Act. The center is envisioned as a public-private consortium led by the Department of Commerce, which houses NIST, with participation from the National Science Foundation and the Departments of Energy and Defense. Altogether, the center and the NIST programs would receive $11 billion from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2026, and the funds would be available until expended.
NIST Director Nominee Pledges to Prioritize IoT Cyber, Workforce Shortage – MeriTalk
Dr. Laurie Locascio, the White House’s nominee to be the next director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), told senators this week that she will prioritize cybersecurity of internet of things (IoT) devices, and bridging the cyber workforce gap if she is confirmed to head the agency... NIST is currently in the process of developing an AI Risk Framework, and Locascio sees that as integral to building trust in the burgeoning technology.
“NIST has been asked and taxed to develop a framework for trust in AI, and it’s really a critical time that we do this as a country because AI is ubiquitous, it’s really in everything that we do these days,” Locascio said. “The industry can’t progress forward anymore unless we develop trust in AI, and the consumers can know that when they’re using something that has AI built into it, that they can trust that and they can believe that that is functioning properly.”
Over 500 regions from across the country participate in $1B Build Back Better Regional Challenge
https://eda.gov/arpa/build-back-better/applicant-letter.htm
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) received 529 applications from all 50 states and five territories, including 18 from the State of Arizona, two of which are led by ASU. EDA will continue to share information throughout the competition and over the duration of the grants. Given the collaborative nature of this program, EDA hopes that this information can be used for communities, organizations, elected officials and others to collaborate, share ideas and support economic development throughout the country. ASU's two proposals are for Nexus Innovation Zone and Digital Equity Initiative. There is no sub-awardee information listed in ERA for other proposals (e.g. ACA or GPEC).
Department of Defense (DoD)
Climate change is a risk to national security, Pentagon says
The Department of Defense says climate change is already challenging U.S. national security in concrete ways. In a report last week, the Pentagon found that "increasing temperatures; changing precipitation patterns; and more frequent, intense, and unpredictable extreme weather conditions caused by climate change are exacerbating existing risks" for the U.S.
For example, recent extreme weather has cost billions in damages to U.S. military installations, including Tyndall Air Force Base and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Also, the military has bases on Guam and the Marshall Islands that are vulnerable to rising seas. And China may be able to take advantage of U.S. susceptibility, the Pentagon says.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
HHS Invests over $560 million to Bolster Product Manufacturing to Increase Supply, Availability of COVID-19 Tests
In the past several weeks the Biden Administration, through DHHS, has invested more than half a billion dollars from the American Rescue Plan to boost manufacturing of key products needed to increase domestic testing supply.
BARDA Industry Day
https://www.medicalcountermeasures.gov/barda/barda-industry-day-2021/
EVENT DATE - November 3-4, 2021. BARDA Industry Day is an annual conference, held to increase awareness of U.S. government medical countermeasure priorities, interact with BARDA and ASPR staff, and network with public and private sector colleagues working in the health security space. During BARDA Industry Day 2020, the one-day virtual event attracted 1300+ attendees, featured BARDA program goals and funding updates, expert presentations from government and industry partners, 13 interactive breakout sessions, and two Lightning Talk sessions showcasing 20 exciting technologies.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
FY22 Budget Outlook: NASA
https://www.aip.org/fyi/2021/fy22-budget-outlook-nasa
House and Senate proposals for NASA’s fiscal year 2022 science budget mostly track the administration’s request, providing particularly significant funding increases for the Planetary Science and Earth Science Divisions. Congressional appropriators propose to increase the agency’s annual topline from $23.3 billion to about $25 billion. Appropriators have sent mixed signals about the fate of the airborne SOFIA telescope, which NASA has proposed to terminate.
New Roles, Combined Offices for NASA Administrator Leadership Team
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/new-roles-combined-offices-for-nasa-administrator-leadership-team
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is announcing new leadership roles, as well as the merging of two offices into the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS), in support of Biden-Harris Administration priorities and the focus on space strategy. All appointments are effective immediately.