AAAS R&D Program - R&D in the FY 2009 Budget

Home

About AAAS

Advanced search

R&D Budget and Policy Program

R&D IN THE FY 2009 BUDGET

Current Headlines

2009 Budget Proposes Physical Sciences and Development Increases, Flat Funding for Biomedical Research

On February 4, President Bush released his proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2009. The $3.1 trillion budget projects a deficit exceeding $400 billion next year, despite excluding most 2009 war costs and holding domestic spending flat. Within a flat domestic budget, the 2009 budget continues to propose large increases for the three physical sciences agencies in the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI), increases for human spacecraft development, flat funding for biomedical research in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and mostly increases in other parts of the federal research and development (R&D) portfolio but cuts to key environmental and agricultural R&D agencies. Defense R&D would continue to increase, and next year defense basic research in the physical sciences would share in the gains. Despite tough budget conditions, the overall federal investment in R&D would increase $4.9 billion or 3.5 percent to $147.4 billion, driven primarily by increases in development funding. The federal investment in basic and applied research would fall 0.3 percent to $57.3 billion in 2009 as proposed gains in the ACI agencies would be offset by cuts in other agencies' research funding, primarily cuts in congressional earmarks. Federal research funding would fall for the fifth year in a row in real dollars.

As in past years, it seems highly unlikely that Congress would grant large increases for some R&D programs while agreeing to eliminate or slash funding for popular domestic programs as the President proposes. So Congress once again faces tough dilemmas as it considers the President's budget.

The newly published AAAS Report XXXIII: Research and Development FY 2009 is a comprehensive analysis of R&D in the proposed federal budget for FY 2009. The report, an annual effort produced in collaboration with nearly 20 science and engineering associations, is now available on the AAAS R&D web site and in print. The 280-page report, including nearly 40 tables and 25 chapters on R&D by agency, theme, and discipline, is an authoritative reference on R&D in the budget. The AAAS Analysis of R&D in the FY 2009 Budget is available with highlights of R&D in the President's proposed FY 2009 budget, budget proposals for the major R&D funding agencies, historical trends, impacts on key scientific areas, and the outlook for these proposals in the upcoming appropriations process. A 16-page summary of the report is available as the AAAS Analysis of R&D in the FY 2009 Budget. More detailed analyses of FY 2009 funding proposals are also available below.

- Revised April 18, 2008

R&D in the FY 2009 Budget Request

The complete book is now available on line.

AAAS Report XXXIII: Research and Development FY 2009
April 18, 2008 - Full Text On Line

Our annual report on R&D in the federal budget is now available on line. The full text of the 280-page report, including nearly 40 tables, is available in HTML and PDF formats. This reference work provides a comprehensive analysis of R&D in the President's budget for FY 2009, including specialized analyses by theme, major agency, and discipline. A 16-page summary containing highlights from this book is available as an analysis of R&D in the FY 2009 budget. For more information on R&D in the FY 2009 budget, see the FY 2009 R&D page (below).
Buy now (Non-Member; $19.95):

Buy now (AAAS Member; $15.96):

March 7 - AAAS Analysis of R&D in the FY 2009 Budget

"2009 Budget Proposes Physical Sciences and Development Increases,
Flat Funding for Biomedical Research" (HTML)

(PDF version - 16 pp)

All figures in this analysis are revised from the February Preliminary Analysis (see below). This analysis is a preview of the forthcoming AAAS Report XXXIII: Research and Development FY 2009, a comprehensive look at the President's budget for R&D in FY 2009. Further details on R&D in the FY 2009 budget are available below.
Table 1. R&D in the FY 2009 Budget by Agency (revised 3/08)
Table 2. Research in the FY 2009 Budget by Agency (revised 3/08)
Table 3. Major Functional Categories of R&D in the FY 2009 Budget (revised 3/08)
Table 4. Homeland Security R&D (revised 3/08)
Table 5. R&D by Appropriations Subcommittee (revised 3/08)
Table 6. Interagency Science and Technology Initiatives (preliminary 2/08)
Table 7. "FS&T" in the FY 2009 Budget by Agency (2/08)

Links to agency FY 2009 budget documents (updated)

February 7 - AAAS Preliminary Analysis of R&D in the FY 2009 Budget

(HTML) - (PDF version - 16 pp)

All figures in this analysis are preliminary and were updated in March by the AAAS Analysis above.

Agency Updates for FY 2009:

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture - "USDA Proposes Steep Cuts in R&D Funding (HTML)" (March 20) - (PDF version)

Dept. of Commerce - "NIST Labs Up, NIST External and NOAA R&D Down in 2009 Budget (HTML)" (March 10 revised March 21) - (PDF version)

Dept. of Defense - "DOD Requests More For Basic Research in 2009 (HTML)" (Feb. 12) - (PDF version)

Dept. of Energy - "Big Increase for DOE Office of Science Proposed (HTML)" (March 3) - (PDF version)

Dept. of Homeland Security - "DHS R&D Increases in 2009 Proposal (HTML)" (Feb. 20) - (PDF version)

Dept. of the Interior - "USGS Proposes Sharp Cuts in 2009 (HTML)" (March 3) - (PDF version)

Dept. of Transportation - "Big Increases for Aviation and Highway R&D in 2009 Budget (HTML)" (Feb. 13) - (PDF version)

Dept. of Veterans Affairs - "VA R&D Falls Slightly in 2009 Budget (HTML)" (Feb. 12) - (PDF version)

Environmental Protection Agency - "Another Decline for EPA R&D in 2009 (HTML)" (Feb. 20) - (PDF version)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration - "NASA Research Down, Spacecraft Funding Up in 2009 ( HTML)" (March 12) - (PDF version)

National Institutes of Health - "NIH Budget Flat in 2009 Proposal (HTML)" (Feb. 19) - (PDF version)

National Science Foundation - "NSF Enjoys Strong ACI Boost in 2009 Budget (HTML)" (Feb. 12) - (PDF version)

Tables on FY 2009 R&D Request by character of work (PDF):
(The tables and charts below marked preliminary will be revised in March and April.)

-Table. Total R&D by Agency (revised 3/08)
-Table. Basic Research by Agency (revised 3/08)
-Table. Applied Research by Agency (revised 3/08)
-Table. Research in the FY 2009 Budget (revised 3/08)
-Table. Development by Agency (revised 3/08)
-Table. Conduct of R&D by Agency (revised 3/08)
-Table. R&D Facilities and Capital Equipment by Agency (revised 3/08)

Agency tables and charts (from the forthcoming AAAS Report XXXIII: R&D FY 2009)

Historical Tables and Charts

-Chart. Defense and Nondefense R&D, 1955-2009 (preliminary 2/08) - Data Table
-Chart. Nondefense R&D by Function, 1955-2009 (preliminary 2/08) - Data Table

Other Tables

-Table. Major Functional Categories of R&D (revised 3/08)
-Table. R&D by Appropriations Subcommittee in the FY 2009 Budget (revised 3/08)
-Table. "Federal Science and Technology Budget" by Agency (2/08)
-Table. Interagency S&T Initiatives in the FY 2009 Budget (preliminary 2/08)
- - - Chart. Networking and IT R&D, FY 1992-2009 (preliminary 2/08)
- - - Chart. Nanoscale Science and Engineering, FY 1999-2009 (preliminary 2/08)
- - - Chart. Climate Change Science Program, FY 1997-2009 (preliminary 2/08)
- - - Table. Climate Change Technology Program Budget (9/07)
-Table. Federal Homeland Security R&D by Agency (revised 3/08)
- - - Chart. FY 2009 Homeland Security R&D by Agency (revised 3/08)
- - - Chart. Federal Homeland Security R&D, FY 2002-2009 (revised 3/08)

-Other Charts. The first pie chart shows that the top seven federal sponsors of R&D provide 96 percent of all federal support for R&D, with DOD the largest sponsor. The second pie chart shows that in basic research, NIH is by far the largest sponsor. For all research, the picture is similar. Another chart shows proposed changes for FY 2009 and the relative sizes of the R&D budgets in the seven largest agencies. The fifth chart shows the proposed R&D budget for FY 2009 by character of work; the character of work is quite different for defense and nondefense R&D. Development is by far the largest component of defense R&D; by contrast, basic research is the largest category in nondefense R&D. The remaining charts illustrate the tables above.

-Chart. FY 2009 R&D by Agency (revised 3/08)
-Chart. FY 2009 Basic Research by Agency (revised 3/08)
-Chart. FY 2009 Research by Agency (revised 3/08)
-Chart. R&D in the "Big Seven" Agencies, FY 2007-2009 (revised 3/08)
-Chart. Defense and Nondefense R&D by Character of Work, FY 2009 (revised 3/08)
-Chart. FY 2009 R&D by Function (revised 3/08)
-Chart. R&D by Appropriations Subcommittee FY 2009 (revised 3/08)

There is a chart comparing the FY 2009 request to FY 2008. The chart shows percentage changes between FY 2008 and FY 2009 for the 12 largest R&D funding agencies. The second chart shows the same changes, but excluding 2008 R&D earmarks.

-Chart. FY 2009 R&D Request, Percent Change from FY 2008 (revised 3/08)
-Chart. FY 2009 R&D Request, Percent Change from FY 2008 (excluding earmarks) (revised 3/08)

Back to R&D Home Page