Federal R&D Budget: Context and Current State of Play Matt Hourihan September 27, 2014 for the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program program program
Why Does the Federal R&D Budget Matter?
Interaction Between Public and Industrial R&D Industrial R&D projects often draw on public research findings, instruments, techniques Many industry operatives place high value on info about public research Fair evidence for public research as complement to/inducer of private R&D and innovation Workforce, networks, spillovers Some sources: Cohen, Nelson, Walsh, Management Science, Vol. 48, No. 1, Jan. 2002; Salter and Martin, Research Policy, Vol. 30, No. 3, March 2001; Toole, Research Policy, Vol. 41, No 1, Feb. 2012; Blume-Kohout, Journal of Policy Analysis and Mgmt, Vol 31, No. 3, Summer 2012
Recent (and Not-So-Recent) History
There is no actual R&D budget and only limited coordination of “the R&D budget” We don’t know what funding levels are optimal “Politics is who gets what, when, and how.” - Harold Lasswell “Budgeting is about values, and it’s about choices.” – Rep. Rosa DeLauro
BCA takes effect: first year of caps
Sequestration kicks in (delayed and reduced by the American Taxpayer Relief Act)
Yearlong budget warfare resolved by Bipartisan Budget Act (restores some funding in FY14, sets table for FY15)
Current Year: Where Are We? Some discretionary funding restored but this only keeps things flat President’s budget released in March Flat funding overall Limited prioritization (low-carbon energy, neuroscience, advanced manufacturing, high- speed rail, NASA industry partnerships, extramural ag research) Extra funding proposed & ignored House: 7 of 12 bills passed; Senate: none
Agency Notes DOE: differing takes on ITER, climate research, renewables and efficiency v. fossil fuels NASA: Appropriations way above request; varying numbers in many places (Earth, Planetary, Astro, Aero); exploration funding? NSF: Social and geo targeted NOAA climate research cut in House; boosts for NIST labs Biodefense facility funding for DHS
Looking Ahead Continuing resolution Lame duck omnibus? FY 2016 and beyond – back to “post- sequester” levels What it all means: very tight fiscal room, broad-based growth unlikely But growth in targeted programs?
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