AAAS Reports Declines in Proposed Funding
for Key Agencies in Senate Appropriations

In its latest analysis of R&D funding for FY 2004, AAAS reports that initial actions taken on the Senate side indicate an intention to slash funds for transportation R&D, and to shift funding for NASA toward the Space Shuttle and scientific space missions, and away from the stalled International Space Station project, according to a AAAS R&D budget update.

The AAAS analysis also reports that the Senate's proposed appropriation for the National Science Foundation falls far short of that needed to complete a five-year plan for doubling the agency's funding.

"In a difficult funding environment, where defense and homeland security have top priority, the Senate is having trouble finding enough money to go around for other R&D programs," says Kei Koizumi, Director of the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program. "R&D funding would decline in EPA, DOT, and NASA; and even NSF's increase would be far less than needed to fulfill the plan to double the NSF budget over five years. Because the House has approved similar amounts, 2004 won't be a great year for R&D in these agencies."

For the full analysis, including detailed funding tables, see the "What's New" or "FY 2004 R&D" sections of the AAAS R&D web site.

According to Koizumi, the Senate has made significant progress by drafting FY 2004 appropriations for NSF, NASA, EPA, ad DOT. Four new AAAS R&D Funding Updates provide details of Senate-proposed R&D funding for these agencies, available in the "What's New" and "FY 2004 R&D" sections of the AAAS R&D web site. Below are brief highlights of these updates.

Senate Gives NASA Flat Budget, Waits for Shuttle Plans

The Senate would provide $15.3 billion for the NASA budget in FY 2004, the same as FY 2003, but the Senate plan would shift funds toward the Space Shuttle and scientific space missions and away from the stalled International Space Station project. NASA's R&D activities would receive $10.9 billion in the Senate plan, a cut of 1.0 percent. The Senate would provide the requested amounts for the Space Shuttle and associated space flight programs, but would give NASA unusual flexibility in reallocating these funds as NASA attempts to rebuild the Shuttle program in the aftermath of the Columbia shuttle disaster.

EPA R&D Falls in Senate Plan

The Senate would provide $8.2 billion for the total budget of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in FY 2004, just $104 million more (1.3 percent) than FY 2003. EPA's R&D funding, however, would decline 6.7 percent to $600 million, primarily because one-time emergency funding for building decontamination research in FY 2003 would not be renewed. Funding for EPA's core R&D programs would be flat.

Senate Slashes Transportation R&D

The Senate would cut R&D in the Department of Transportation (DOT) by $70 million or 10.0 percent to $632 million in FY 2004. The House would go even further with a 15 percent cut. The House and Senate cuts would hit both of DOT's major R&D agencies, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), both of which are primarily funded through trust funds.

Senate Proposal for NSF Falls Short of House Proposal

The Senate would provide $5.6 billion for the budget of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in FY 2004, $276 million or 5.2 percent more than FY 2003 but slightly less than the House proposal for a 6.2 percent increase. NSF's R&D activities would receive $4.1 billion, an increase of 3.9 percent. The House and Senate appropriations, as well as the request, would fall nearly $1 billion short of the authorized funding level contained in the NSF authorization bill signed into law last December.

12 September 2003