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Research Reporter: February 2008
Research Information from the University of Michigan
Washington Update
President's FY09 Budget: Hope for physical sciences, frustration for biomedical research
By Sarah Walkling
Director of Federal Relations for Research & Assistant Director of the UM Washington, D.C. office
On February 4, President Bush released his $3.1 trillion budget request for fiscal year 2009 (FY09). This request holds growth in non-security discretionary spending to 0.3 percent.
For the University of Michigan and other research universities, there are some bright spots but the White House proposal also continues some troubling trends. The White House recommends significantly increasing funding for physical sciences research at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy Office of Science.
In contrast, funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is flat for the second year in a row at $29.3 billion, and NASA science programs are pegged for cuts.
NSF and the Office of Science are slated by the President be the big winners for FY09. With the National Institute of Standards and Technology, these programs make up the American Competitiveness Initiative.
The White House recommends a 13 percent increase for the NSF ($6.85 billion proposed) and an 18.8 percent increase for the Office of Science ($4.72 billion proposed). It also recommends restoring funding for the international fusion project ITER.
These increases are designed to put the agencies' budgets back on track towards doubling in 10 years -- an effort that was derailed last month by low funding levels in the final FY08 appropriations legislation.
In contrast, once again, the NIH is not given a funding increase this year. Thus, nearly all of its institutes and centers receive the same budgets as last year.
As a result, the NIH expects to support 9,757 competing Research Project Grants in FY09 - down from the FY07 level of 10,323. The Roadmap/Common Fund, however is funded at $534 million (an increase of $38 million). Also, $300 million is transferred to the Global HIV/AIDS Fund.
At NASA, research and development would gain 2.9 percent to $10.7 billion. However, this increase would go to two big projects: finishing the International Space Station and developing the Crew Launch Vehicle and Crew Exploration Vehicle combination.
Thus, once again, NASA's science portfolio is cut, this year by 5.6 percent to $4.4 billion. Within this amount, Earth Sciences and Planetary Sciences receive budget increases of approximately 7 percent while Heliophysics is essentially flat funded and Astrophysics drops by 16 percent.
At the Pentagon, the Administration reverses the long-standing trend of under-funding basic research by adding $270.5 million to the basic research account for a total of $1.69 billion which is almost 19 percent more than the President's budget request last year. Pentagon officials have indicated this is the first year of a multi-year effort to increase the 6.1 basic research budget. Applied research, however, would receive a 2.6 percent reduction in funds down to $4.25 billion.
With the White House and Congress controlled by different parties and the President a "lame duck," the Administration's request is considered "dead on arrival" to the Democratic House and Senate.
Congress is expected to write a budget that is significantly different from the President's proposal. The specific differences will come to light during Congressional debates on budget resolutions over the coming weeks. Working with Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Representatives Thaddeus McCotter and Candice Miller, who sit on the Senate and House Budget committees, U-M will play an active role in the higher education advocacy efforts in the weeks ahead.
Walkling is the Director of Federal Research Relations and Assistant Director of the UM Washington, D.C. Office.
Travelling to Washington with policy or research funding concerns? Contact Sarah Walkling at the University of Michigan DC Office, 499 South Capitol Street, SW, Suite 501, 202-554-0578. Faculty and staff with questions may e-mail Sarah at skwa@umich.edu.
February 2008
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