The below dashboard compares White House, House, and Senate spending proposals for science and technology programs in FY 2021. It will be updated regularly as the funding debate unfolds over the spring and summer. Click on different tabs to see how different agencies are faring to date, and mouse over for more detail. And stay tuned for further R&D budget news and updates from AAAS and ScienceInsider.
How It Works: In the typical budget process, the White House requests funding levels for each agency and program first. Congress then follows with a set of twelve appropriations bills from the House and Senate, who initially work separately. Eventually, legislators in the two chambers negotiate a final agreement for each bill, which is then signed by the President to become law.
The dashboard is set up to compare funding changes proposed by the White House, recommended by the House and Senate, and (eventually) enacted in a final compromise. The data for each account will be regularly updated over the course of the year as different spending bills move through the process, including any amendments.
Major funding accounts and programs for most science agencies are included. Mousing over individual data points will show additional information, including:
- What It Funds: A short description of what's included in each account.
- Current and Proposed Budget Authority: The current year's funding (FY 2020) and recommended funding for next year (FY 2021).
- Net Changes: In dollar amounts and percentages.
- Notes: Additional details or information beyond basic numbers.
The final tab shows aggregate data on R&D totals as estimated by AAAS, including basic and applied research, development, and facilities, and the distribution among agencies. This tab will be updated with House and Senate figures once each chamber has introduced all twelve bills, to make sure any comparisons are apples-to-apples. Note that the figures in this tab are only estimates generated from agency and OMB data and appropriations documents.