| Table
1: Summary of Mechanical Engineering-Related
Programs in the FY 2008 Budget (in millions of dollars)
| | FY 2006 Actual | FY 2007 Estimate | FY 2008 Request |
| Department
of Defense | 13,272 | 13,329 | 10,787 |
| Department
of Energy | 3,202 | 3,438 | 4,189 |
| Department
of Homeland Security | 817 | 1,005 | 978 |
| Environmental
Protection Agency | 240 | 228 | 239 |
| National
Aeronautics and Space Admin. | 1,577 | 1,370 | 553 |
| National
Institute of Standards and Tech. | 751 | 676 | 639 |
| National
Institutes of Health | 907 | 898 | 896 |
| National
Science Foundation | 398 | 427 | 461 | Table
2: Detail of Mechanical Engineering-Related Programs in the FY
2008 Budget (in millions of dollars)
| | FY 2006 Actual | FY 2007 Estimate | FY 2008 Request |
Department of Defense (DOD)
| Army | | | |
| Basic
Research (“6.1”) | 364 | 366 | 306 |
| Applied
Research (“6.2”) | 1,184 | 1,204 | 686 |
| Advanced
Technology Development (“6.3”) | 1,847 | 1,267 | 736 |
| Navy | | | |
| Basic
Research (“6.1”) | 467 | 492 | 467 |
| Applied
Research (“6.2”) | 762 | 786 | 678 |
| Advanced
Technology Development (“6.3”) | 1,012 | 768 | 535 |
| Air
Force | | | |
| Basic
Research (“6.1”) | 374 | 409 | 375 |
| Applied
Research (“6.2”) | 1,039 | 1,156 | 1,011 |
| Advanced
Technology Development (“6.3”) | 975 | 1,038 | 580 |
| Defense
Wide | | | |
| Basic
Research (“6.1”) | 252 | 298 | 280 |
| Applied
Research (“6.2”) | 1,963 | 2,184 | 1,982 |
| Advanced
Technology Development (“6.3”) | 3,033 | 3,363 | 3,152 |
| -
University Research Initiative (non-add) | 272 | 249 | 246 |
| | _______ | _______ | _______ |
| Total
DOD | 13,272 | 13,329 | 10,787 | Department
of Energy (DOE)
| Office of Science | | | |
| Basic Energy Sciences | 1,135 | 1,297 | 1,377 |
| Advanced Scientific Computing Research | 235 | 265 | 340 |
| Fusion Energy Sciences | 288 | 319 | 428 |
| Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, & Tech. | | | |
| Nuclear Energy R&D | 224 | 224 | 568 |
| Univ. Nuclear Reactor Infrastructure & Edu. | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| Office of Energy Effic. /Renewable Energy | | | |
| Hydrogen Technology | 156 | 216 | 213 |
| Biomass and Biorefinery Systems R&D | 91 | 177 | 179 |
| Solar and Wind Energy | 122 | 192 | 208 |
| Geothermal Technology | 23 | 5 | 0 |
| Hydropower | 0.5 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle, Building & Industrial Technologies | 308 | 349 | 309 |
| Office of Fossil Energy | 592 | 593 | 567 |
| | _______ | _______ | _______ |
| Total DOE | 3,202 | 3,438 | 4,189 | Department
of Homeland Security (DHS)
| Science and Technology Directorate | | | |
| Biological and Chemical Countermeasures | 376 | 314 | 229 |
| Border and Maritime | 43 | 33 | 26 |
| Command, Control, Interoperability | 108 | 63 | 64 |
| Explosives | 262 | 105 | 64 |
| Human Factors | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| Test, Evaluation and Standards | 35 | 25 | 25 |
| Infrastructure and Geophysical | 86 | 75 | 24 |
| Innovation | 0 | 38 | 60 |
| Laboratory Facilities | 83 | 106 | 89 |
| Transition | 19 | 24 | 25 |
| University and Fellowship Programs | 62 | 49 | 39 |
| Domestic Nuclear Detection Office R&D | 209 | 273 | 320 |
| | _______ | _______ | _______ |
| Total DHS | 817 | 1,005 | 978 | Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
| Clean Air Research | - | - | 81 |
| Air Toxics Research ** | 19 | 12 | - |
| Climate Change Research | 18 | 18 | 17 |
| Sustainability Research | 27 | 21 | 23 |
| Drinking Water and Water Quality Research | 100 | 106 | 105 |
| Nat’l Ambient
Air Quality Stds. (NAAQS)** | 65 | 65 | - |
| Fellowships | 16 | 8 | 8 |
| | _______ | _______ | _______ |
| Total EPA | 245 | 230 | 234 | National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
| Aeronautics Technology | | | |
| Aviation Safety and Security | 148 | 102*** | 74 |
| Airspace Systems | 174 | 120*** | 98 |
| Fundamental Aeronautics | 562 | 447*** | 293 |
| Aeronautics Test Program | - | 55*** | 88 |
| Exploration Systems Research &Technology | 693 | 646 | *** |
| | _______ | _______ | _______ |
| Total NASA | 1,577 | 1,370 | 553 | National
Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST)
| Scientific & Tech. Res. & Services | | | |
| NIST Laboratories | 394 | 434 | 500 |
| Industrial Technology Services (ITS) | | | |
| Advanced Technology Program (ATP) | 79 | 79 | 0 |
| Manufacturing Extension Partnership | 104 | 104 | 46 |
| Construction of Research Facilities | 174 | 59 | 93 |
| | _______ | _______ | _______ |
| Total NIST | 751 | 676 | 639 | National
Institutes of Health (NIH)
| NIH-wide SBIR/STTR (excl. NIBIB) | 609 | 600 | 596 |
| National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering (NIBIB) | 298 | 298 | 300 |
| | _______ | _______ | _______ |
| Total NIH | 907 | 898 | 896 | National
Science Foundation (NSF)
| Chemical, Bioeng., Env., & Transport Sys. | 112* | 125* | 124 |
| Civil, Mechanical, & Manuf. Innovation | 141§ | 149§ | 152 |
| Engineering Education and Centers | 120 | 124 | 126 |
| Emerging Frontiers in Res. & Innov. | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| | _______ | _______ | _______ |
| Total NSF | 373 | 398 | 427 | *
Combines former Bioengineering and Chemical & Transport Sys. divisions. § Combines former Civil and Mechanical Systems and Design and Manufacturing
Innovation divisions. **
Air Toxics Research and NAAQS programs will be combined into the Clean Air Research
program in the FY 2008 request. There would be a net increase of $4 million from
the FY 2007 to the FY 2008 requests. ***
Exploration Systems Research and Technology (ESRT) and Human Systems Research
and Technology (HSRT) have been combined into a new theme Advanced Capabilities.
This new theme consists of three programs: the Lunar Human Research Program (LHRP),
Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP), and the Human Research Program
(HRP). Introduction Mechanical
engineering research and development spans a very wide range of problems and applications.
Mechanical engineering has a presence virtually in anything involving the design,
manufacture, operation or decommissioning of objects or bodies in motion. As such,
mechanical engineering has a presence from the nano- to galactic scales. This reflects the fact that mankind
is actively engaged in exploration and design across this entire spectrum. The
function of this chapter is to provide the reader with a sense of the major activity
areas in which mechanical engineering R&D may be found and trends in funding
within these areas. In this regard, programs and initiatives may be highlighted
that are not specifically mechanical engineering focused. It is important to note
therefore that the funding requests discussed in this chapter represent potential
sources of funding for mechanical engineers; they do not represent the state of
federal funding specifically for mechanical engineering alone. In addition, it
is important to keep in mind that only sources of R&D funding have been identified.
Funding for application and missions involving mechanical engineering, such as
the space shuttle, do not lie within the purview of this analysis. Where possible,
these distinctions have been highlighted. Department of
Defense (DOD) The
FY 2008 President’s budget request for DOD Science and Technology (S&T) accounts
is $10.8 billion, which is a $2.5 billion or 19.1 percent reduction from FY 2007.
While the reduction reflects removal of congressional earmarks by the Administration
in this year’s budget request, this does not account for the entirety of the reduction.
The total FY 2008 DOD budget request, which does not include
the anticipated supplemental appropriations for war fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, is $481.4 billion. The S&T portion, then, represents 2.2 percent of
DOD’s total budget request. S&T in FY 2008 would be 0.3 percent less than
the entire DOD request in comparison to its relative amount in FY 2007. S&T
funds support Basic Research (“6.1”), Applied Research (“6.2”), and Advanced Technology
Development (“6.3”) at DOD and all three accounts are expected to decrease under
the FY 2008 President’s budget request. Basic Research would see a reduction of
$136 million or 8.7 percent to $1.4 billion. Applied Research would be reduced
by $973 million or 18 percent to $4.4 billion. Advanced Technology Development
is slated to receive the largest dollar amount decrease, $1.4 billion or 22.3
percent; the FY 2008 request is $5.0 billion.
The Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA) would decrease by 1 percent to $3.1 billion for FY 2008.
The budgets for the University Research Initiative (URI) programs that support
graduate education in Mathematics, Science, and Engineering would see a 14 percent
reduction to $246 million. Department of
Energy (DOE) The
Department’s budget for FY 2008 reflects priorities to funding basic scientific
research, achieving breakthroughs in advanced energy technologies, and maintaining
commitments to a robust nuclear security program. In particular, increases in
DOE research programs reflect an interest in spurring technological innovation
through the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) and commercializing new,
cleaner energy technologies through the Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI). Mechanical
engineering related R&D lies primarily in four offices: Office of Science,
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Nuclear Energy,
Science and Technology (NE) and Office of Fossil Energy. Within
the Office of Science, there are three programs in which mechanical engineering
related R&D typically occurs. These are Basic Energy Sciences (BES; $1.5 billion),
Advanced Scientific Computing and Research (ASCR; $0.3 billion), and Fusion Energy
Sciences (FES; $0.4
billion). All three of these programs would experience increases under the FY
2008 budget request. Programs
within EERE involving mechanical engineering R&D include Biomass and Bio-refinery
Systems R&D ($179.3 million), Wind and Solar Energy ($40.1 million and $148.3
million respectively), Hydrogen Technology ($213 million), and Vehicle, Industrial
and Building Technologies ($176 million, $46 million and $86 million respectively).
The FY 2008 request again calls for phasing out hydropower and geothermal technology.
Congress had appropriated $5 million and $1 million in FY 2006 and 2007, respectively.
Most programs in EERE would decrease in FY 2008 with the exception of Biomass
and Bio-refinery Systems which would increase by $2.3 million or 1.3 percent.
DOE
also requested significantly greater amounts for nuclear energy. Overall Nuclear
Energy R&D, as part of Energy Supply and Conservation, will increase significantly
for the second year by 60.6 percent to $567.7 million above FY 2007. This includes
a $152 million or 83 percent increase to $395 million in the Advanced Fuel Cycle
Initiative. Nuclear Power 2010, Generation IV and Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative
would increase above FY 2007 appropriated levels as well, to $114.0 million, $36.1
million and $22.6 million in FY 2008. Under
the FY 2008 budget request, the Office of Fossil Energy would see a 9.2 percent
increase over FY 2007 appropriations to $863 million. Within the Office of Fossil
Energy, Fossil Energy R&D programs would decrease by $25.2 million or 4.3
percent in FY 2008 as a result of eliminating research funding for oil and natural
gas research. Funding for research on new coal technologies would see a large
increase of $73.6 million or 17.7 percent above FY 2007 to $426.6 million. Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) The
total FY 2008 budget request for DHS is $46.4 billion, an 8 percent increase over
the FY 2007 appropriation. The FY 2008 budget is centered around five themes: protecting the nation from dangerous people,
protecting the nation against dangerous goods, protecting critical infrastructure,
building a nimble emergency response system, and strengthening DHS management
and unity. The
DHS R&D portfolio request would be reduced for the second straight year, falling
2.7 percent to $978 million. R&D is divided between the Domestic Nuclear Detection
Office (DNDO, $320 million) and the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T,
$658 million). The
overall budget for the Science and Technology Directorate would decline 18 percent
from $973 million to $799 million. Precise comparisons with last year’s budget
are difficult, as a number of major program items were re-organized, eliminated,
or moved to different directorates. The biological and chemical countermeasures
activities would fall 27 percent to $229 million. Work on explosive countermeasures
would fall 39 percent to $64 million in FY 2008. The University Programs Fellowship
Programs request would decline by $10 million to $39 million. The only item within
the S&T Directorate to receive an increase was the new “Innovation” budget
for advanced technologies, which would rise from $38 million in FY 2007 to $60
million next year, an increase of 37 percent. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) The
FY 2008 budget request for EPA is $7.2 billion, a slight decrease from the FY
2007 request of $7.3 billion. The Agency’s Science and Technology account would
fall from $788 million in last year’s request to $754.5 million in FY 2008, a
reduction of $33.8 million. Areas
involving mechanical engineering related R&D are
highlighted in Table 2. Overall ME-related R&D would increase slightly from
$230 million to $234 million, a 1.7 percent increase. This would be primarily
because of a $3.5 million increase in funds for clean air research, a program
which will consolidate the former Air Toxics Research and National Ambient Air
Quality Standards programs. Sustainability Research would also increase from the
FY 2007 request by $1.1 million to $22.5 million. Fellowships effectively would
remain at the same level of $8.4 million. Climate Change Research at EPA would
fall to $16.9 million, a decrease of $1.7 million below the FY 2007 request. National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) NASA’s
budget request for FY 2008 is $17.3 billion, an increase of 3.1 percent over the
$16.8 billion request for FY 2007. The Vision for Space Exploration continues
to be the leading priority reflected in NASA’s request. Mechanical
engineering-related research is primarily conducted in the Aeronautics Research
Mission Directorate (ARMD) and in the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate
(ESMD). Aeronautics research would decrease for the third consecutive year. The
FY 2008 request for NASA contains $554.0 million for aeronautics technology, an
increase of $24.7 million from the FY 2007 request. This would include $74.1 million,
a decrease of $28.1 million below the FY 2007 budget request, for the Aviation
Safety and Security Program; $98.1 million for the Airspace Systems Program, a
reduction of $21.9 million from the FY 2007 request; $293.4 million for Fundamental
Aeronautics, a decrease of $153.8 million from the FY 2007 budget request; and
the Aeronautics Test Program with a request of $88 million in FY 2007. By
comparison, the FY 2006 appropriated amount for aeronautics technology was $893
million. It should be noted that the FY 2008 budget reflects new cost simplifications
that significantly reduce Center overhead and infrastructure allocated to Aeronautics. However,
reductions in the request for ESMD in FY 2008 to $3.9 billion are specifically
intended to prevent further delays in the Vision for Space Exploration. NASA requested
$646.1 million for the Exploration Systems Research and Technology (ESRT) program
in FY 2007, but ESRT was combined with several other programs and renamed Advanced
Capabilities. The FY 2008 NASA request proposes $855.8 million for Advanced Capabilities,
which consist of the Lunar Human Research Program (LPRP), Exploration Technology
Development Program (ETDP), and Human Research Program (HRP). Prometheus
Power and Propulsion, which focuses on the development of nuclear propulsion techniques,
would be a project under ETDP. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) The
President’s budget request for NIST in FY 2008 is $640.7 million. If funded as
requested, this would result in a decrease of $36.3 million, or 5.4 percent, from
the FY 2007 joint funding resolution (P.L. 110-5). Mechanical engineering research
and development activities within the NIST budget request may be found in two
areas: the NIST laboratory portion of the Scientific and Technical Research Services
(STRS), and Industrial Technology Services (ITS). STRS provides the measurement
and standards infrastructure to support advances in technology and manufacturing.
ITS consists of the Advanced Technology Program (ATP)
and the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (HMEP). The
total FY 2008 budget request for STRS is $508.6 million. This represents a $66.6
million or 15.0 percent increase from FY 2007. Additionally, NIST will fund several
new initiatives in the areas of nanotechnology, climate change, quantum science,
earthquakes, and resilient structures through STRS to help support the U.S. scientific and industrial communities keep pace with
fast-breaking developments. The
ITS FY 2008 budget request contains a 74.7 percent decrease from FY 2007. This
is primarily due to the fact that the 2007 resolution provides $78.9 million for
the ATP. Funding for ATP was not included in either of the President’s FY 2007
or 3008 budget requests. The FY 2008 budget request for Hollings Manufacturing
Extension Partnership (MEP) is $46.3 million, 55.7 percent less than in FY 2007.
National Institutes
of Health (NIH) The
total FY 2008 NIH budget request is $28.8 billion. This is just $329 million less
than the $29.1 billion finalized in the FY 2007 joint resolution. The majority
of NIH institutes and centers will see flat funding in FY 2008; however the total
number of new Research Project Grants (RPGs) is expected
to increase. Because
of the highly multidisciplinary nature of health related research including the
increasing role of engineers in medical research, mechanical engineering research
funding comes from virtually all of the institutes comprising the NIH. The importance
of engineering to the health sciences was one of the drivers for creating the
NIH Roadmap for Biomedical Research and the Common Fund. In FY 2008, the NIH Roadmap
would receive $486 million, reflecting a 0.7 percent increase over the FY 2007
joint funding resolution. The
NIH Roadmap initiative is inherently coupled with the mission of the National
Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). NIBIB’s
mission is to improve health by leading the development and application of emerging
and breakthrough technologies based in the biological, physical, and engineering
sciences. The President’s FY 2008 budget requests $300 million for NIBIB, an increase
of $4 million or 1 percent. NIBIB Extramural Research would increase by 0.7 percent
to $271 million while intramural research would decline by 1.0 percent to $9.1
million. The breakdown for extramural and intramural research within NIBIB is
reflective of NIH’s push to fund extramural research.
NIBIB’s Research Management and Support request is $15.9
million, an increase of 1.2 percent. One
of the key linkages between the Roadmap and NIBIB is molecular libraries and imaging;
a component of the New Pathways to Discovery Initiative. NIBIB funds will support
the Applied Science and Technology (AST) program, which support the development
and application of innovative technologies, methods, products, and devices for
research and clinical application that transform the practice of medicine. Additionally,
NIBIB will support the Discover Science and Technology (DST) program, which is
focused on the discovery of innovative biomedical engineering and imaging
princip |
