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| Electrotechnology-Related Research in the FY 2000 Budget
Raymond Paul, IEEE |
HIGHLIGHTS
INTRODUCTION This chapter presents a broad survey of the President's FY 2000 budget request for electrotechnology-related research and development. The federal government invests in a wide range of research and development activities including electric power, electronics, energy efficiency, communication and information technologies, aerospace, intelligent highway systems, telemedicine, and medical devices. This chapter has been prepared primarily on the basis of the budget figures provided by the federal departments and agencies on or after the release of the President's budget. It focuses on the Administration's proposed FY 2000 funding levels for notable electrotechnology R&D programs at the Departments of Defense (DOD), Energy (DOE), Commerce (DOC), and Transportation (DOT), the National Science Foundation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) DOD is a major source of funding for electrotechnology-related research, particularly in the areas of command, control and communications (C3), high-performance computing and networking, avionics and guidance systems, and advanced weapons technologies. DOD relies on advanced technologies to provide superior intelligence and force multipliers necessary to ensure rapid military victories with minimal casualties. In addition, electrotechnology research in such areas as radar, digital computers, semiconductors, lasers, fiber optics, satellites, navigation systems, space launch vehicles, and telemedicine has a high degree of commercial relevance to the civilian sector. Defense Technology Base funding (i.e., basic and applied research) is also a major source of support for university research and education programs, particularly in the engineering, mathematics, and computer sciences. The Administration has expressed its concern over the current personnel and operations conditions at DOD, and these concerns are reflected in the budget for FY 2000. According to the funding analysis that accompanies DOD's FY 2000 budget proposal, total DOD research funding is slated to decline by 7.7 percent to $35.1 billion (see Table II-2). The bulk of the cuts would be in weapons development activities. The Engineering and Manufacturing Development defense-wide budget activities would decrease approximately 35 percent, with the largest reductions in the activities of the Joint Theater Air and Missile Defense Organization. Agency-wide, the FY 2000 DOD R&D budget request reflects an increasing emphasis on "information superiority" and the integration and interoperability of command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities across the services and with allies. Another priority is cost-reduction through application of enhanced manufacturing technology (ManTech) and greater reliance on commercial electronics, software, advanced computing, communications, and advanced medical technologies. Recent "hacking" into the Pentagon has also prompted increased funding for protection of DOD computer systems and networks. The Army's R&D budget request would decrease by 23 percent to $1.19 billion, with an 11 percent increase to Basic Research ($200.8 million) alongside cuts of 20 percent or more to Applied Research ($511.3 million) and Advanced Technology Development ($483.6 million). The $712.1 million Technology Base budget includes requests for Defense Research Sciences ($137.4 million), Sensors and Electronic Survivability ($18.7 million), Electronic Warfare Technology ($16.2 million), Modeling and Simulation Technology ($27.9 million), Electronics and Electronic Devices ($22.3 million), C3 Technology ($19.7 million), Computer and Software Technology ($2.2 million), Artificial Intelligence ($1.2 million) and Advanced C3 Technology ($20.1 million). The Army Advanced Technology Development request includes funding for Advanced Tactical Computer Science and Sensor Technology ($18.5 million) and Joint Tactical Radio ($15.6 million). The Navy's R&D request for basic research would rise to $376 million from $362 million. Applied research would decrease $43 million to $524 million, with the largest reductions in the areas of Ship, Submarine and Logistics Technology, Materials, Electronics, and Computer Technology. Programs in Advanced Technology Development receiving major reductions of 20 to 70 percent include Precision Strike and Air Defense Technology; Surface Ship and Submarine Advanced Technology Demonstration; and Command, Control and Communications. The Air Force's R&D request declines 2.1 percent with Basic Research remaining flat ($209.5 million) and an $85 million reduction in Applied Research ($507 million). The $717.1 million Technology Base budget includes requests for Defense Research Sciences ($209.5 million), Aerospace Flight Dynamics ($63.3 million), and C3 ($46.4 million). Notable reductions in the Air Force's Advanced Technology Development request include a 20 percent reduction for Advanced Materials for Weapons Systems to $25.8 million, and a 51 percent reduction in Space and Missile Rocket Propulsion ($11.2 million). In addition, within defense-wide funding, the Engineering and Manufacturing Development Activities would increase 31 percent with missile technology leading the way. Funding for the Theater High-Altitude Area Defense System would start at $577.5 million. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) budget would increase slightly to $2 billion. However, some of the electrotechnology programs would be reduced, including the Materials and Electronics Activities with a planned 16 percent reduction to $235.2 million. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) DOE's FY 2000 budget would provide for an overall R&D funding level of approximately $7.5 billion, representing a significant increase from FY 1999 (see Table II-11). For the first time, non-defense activities would receive more funding than defense activities at the agency. Much of the increase is associated with research in energy efficiency, renewable energy, stockpile stewardship, and environmental quality programs. During consideration of the FY 1999 budget, Congress changed the name of DOE's Office of Energy Research to the Office of Science. Research in Engineering and Geosciences would be de-emphasized, and Energy Biosciences research would increase slightly from the FY 1999 level because of increased funding for the Climate Change Technology Initiative and other climate change initiatives. While Basic Energy Sciences (BES) would see significant growth due to increased construction funding for the Spallation Neutron Source, increases for High Energy and Nuclear Physics would not keep pace with inflation, and funding for Fusion Energy Sciences would remain flat. The Scientific Simulation Initiative (SSI), DOE's contribution to the multi-agency IT2 initiative, would be funded at $70 million and focus on creating a new generation of computer simulation and modeling tools. The Energy Science request would provide $214 million in funds for the Spallation Neutron Source within a BES request of $888 million (up 11.6 percent), and $248 million in construction funding for the National Ignition Facility. Fusion Energy Sciences funding would stay flat at the FY 1999 appropriation of $222.6 million. Also within the Office of Science, the Biological and Environmental Research account would get $411.2 million, down 5.8 percent. Computational and Technology Research would go up 26.3 percent to $198.9 million, a result of the IT2 initiative. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) NSF's R&D activities would increase 6.5 percent to $2.9 billion (see Table II-7). The Administration's emphasis on the IT2 initiative and the prime role to be carried out by NSF are reflected in the 41.5 percent increase the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) would receive ($423 million). Another $36 million would enhance supercomputer infrastructure in the academic research and education communities. A new program called Integrative Activities would be created to support a group of science and technology centers to explore interdisciplinary research problems and to support innovated efforts to integrate research and education. NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) NASA's R&D activities would increase slightly to $9.8 billion (see Table II-12). Research activities related to the International Space Station would comprise approximately 25 percent of these funds. Space and Earth Science would increase 3.7 percent to $2.2 billion and 3.2 percent to $1.5 billion, respectively. Among the programs that would receive increases are the Earth Observing System (up $32 million to $663.2 million), Earth Probes Development (up $28.5 million to $138.2 million), and Supporting Research and Technology (up 22 percent to $1.2 billion). However, these increases would be countered by steep reductions to Aerospace Technology Programs. Activities in this account, which would be reduced by 25 percent to $1 billion, primarily fund aeronautics R&D and new space vehicles development. The decrease would be due to the elimination or reduction of several programs including High Speed Research and Advanced Subsonic Technology. A couple of new programs would be funded, including Aviation Safety at $60 million and Ultra Efficient Engine Technology at $50 million. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (DOC) In FY 2000, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) would be funded at $735 million, an increase of 14.6 percent. The program that would receive the largest increase is the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) with a proposed 20.9 percent increase to $238 million to enable a new general and several focused program competitions, with an emphasis on partnerships and small/mid-sized firms. ATP has slowly regained the confidence of many members of Congress and appears no longer to be in danger of elimination. Current focused programs include component-based software, digital data storage and digital video, microelectronics and photonics manufacturing, and health care information infrastructure. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program would receive $99.8 million, a $7 million decrease that reflects the shifting of MEP center operating costs from the federal government to center partners. Funding for NIST Measurement and Standards Laboratory programs would grow 3.4 percent to $284 million and fund new initiatives to remove international trade barriers, improve U.S. representation in the international standards setting process, and improve security of critical infrastructure systems including communications and information. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (DOT) DOT's FY 2000 $1.23 billion R&D budget request includes an emphasis on application of electrotechnologies to the transportation infrastructure to help address problems of insufficient capacity, congestion, competition for space, and degradation of the environment. Key programs include a $271 million request for development and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems such as en route travel information and electronic tolls; $10.4 million for the Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System (NDGPS) to provide navigation and timing accuracy for the nation's surface intermodal transportation network, and $185 million for the Free Flight Phase One program to provide scheduling and capacity benefits to aviation users by taking advantage of advanced technology. | |
