SBIR Extended Until July 31
This week, Congress passed H.R. 1541, a continuing resolution
that extends the SBIR program in its current state until July 31,
2009. The extension provides another four-month window for the two
chambers to develop a compromise toward full
reauthorization.
The 100-word resolution extends all other programs within the Small Business Administration that were set to expire Friday, March 19, including the National Women’s Business Council, the HUBZone Program, and the Federal and State Technology Partnership Program (which has not received an appropriation for several years).
return to the top of the pageFY09 Federal Budget Boosts Science, TBED
Many agencies may see Congress passing their annual appropriations bill six months into the fiscal year as worth the wait, given the increases most science, technology and economic development supporting programs experienced. While some budget bump ups are modest, accommodating little more than inflation and Congressional earmarks, others should result in more grants flowing to researchers, universities, small businsses, and TBED organizations. SSTI has prepared summaries below of selected programs that may be of interest to Digest subscribers.
Department of Agriculture
The enacted budget funds the Department of
Agriculture (USDA) at $106 billion for FY09, with increases
over FY08 funding for several programs related to TBED. Most of the
USDA appropriation, $86.6 billion, is reserved for
mandatory spending programs such as food and nutrition assistance
and farm commodity programs. The remaining $19.4 billion is
appropriated for discretionary spending, including most USDA
research and TBED-related programs.
Most USDA programs related to TBED and traditional economic development are administered through Rural Development, which received $2.7 billion, an increase of $398 million over FY08. The Rural Development’s Rural-Business Cooperative Service, which administers loan subsidies and grants, is funded at $132 million. Funded programs include:
Rural Development’s Rural Economic Development Loans Program received $4.4 million for Rural Cooperative Development Grants and $2.6 million for appropriate technology transfer in rural areas. The budget also provides $5 million for the Rural-Business Cooperative Service’s Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP). Value-Added Producer grants, which support planning activities and working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable energy, received $3.9 million in FY09.
USDA’s Rural Utilities Service, in addition to providing electricity, water and waste disposal services to rural areas, also supports the expansion of telecommunications networks and high-speed digital resources. TBED-related programs within the Rural Utilities Service include:
Funding for three of the four major research organizations of USDA have had their funding level increased over FY08.
The Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CRSEES) partners with colleges and universities to conduct research, education and outreach activities. The CRSEES appropriation in FY09 is $1.2 billion, up $38.3 million over the previous year. Research programs supported with this funding include:
USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and disseminates the information. ARS was appropriated $1.2 billion in FY09, including $1.5 million to develop Ug99-resistant wheat varieties and $1 million to improve monitoring diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment and prevention of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). An additional $1.35 million is targeted for research on food allergies.
The Economic Research Service (ERS) budget grew by $2.1 million for FY09 to $79.5 million. ERS is a primary source of economic information and research in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The bill directs the service to add to its research portfolio a study of the factors contributing to a continued decline in the basis for crops. ERS also is encouraged to work in collaboration with the Agricultural Marketing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Food and Nutrition Service and other agencies to study government policies to support local food markets.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture such as the production and supplies of food and fiber, prices paid and received by farmers, farm labor and wages, farm finances, chemical use, and changes in the demographics of U.S. producers. The service received $151.6 million in FY09, down $10.6 million from the previous year. Much of this reduction is due to a $14.7 million cut in funding for the Census of Agriculture. The census is conducted every five years and the 2007 version was support by an additional appropriation in FY08.
return to the top of the pageDepartment of Commerce
The FY09 enacted budget provides $9.3 billion for the Department
of Commerce, up $1.6 billion over FY08. Much of this additional
funding will support the 2010 U.S. Census and not TBED-related and
research activities.
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) FY09 allocation is $272.8 million. This is about $7 million less than the enacted amount in FY08 for salaries, expenses and programs, though EDA also received an additional $500 million in FY08 emergency appropriations. EDA oversees programs to generate jobs, help retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial and commercial growth in economically distressed areas of the United States. EDA assistance is available to rural and urban areas of the Nation experiencing high unemployment, low income, or other severe economic distress. Individual spending allocations at EDA include:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve quality of life. NIST is allocated $819 million for FY09, a $63.2 million increase over FY08.
NIST’s industrial technology services, which include much of its TBED-related investments, received $175 million, up $20.2 million over FY08. Programs within this allocation are:
NIST’s scientific and technical core programs were appropriated $472 million, including $8.5 million for the Baldrige National Quality Program. The program administers the Baldrige National Quality Award, which recognizes U.S. organizations for their achievements in quality and performance and raises awareness about the importance of quality and performance excellence as a competitive edge. NIST is directed to devote resources to its Measurement and Standards for Climate Change program and its Office of Law Enforcement Standards, as well as printed electronics research.
The bill also includes $172 million for the construction of research facilities through NIST, including $30 million for competitive research building construction grants.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) received $4.4 billion in FY09 of which $3 billion supports operations, research and facilities, which includes most of NOAA’s research activities. These activities include:
The National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) received $39.2 million for FY09. NTIA is the executive branch agency principally responsible for advising the president on telecommunications and information policies. Of the FY09 funding, $20 million is reserved for public telecommunications facilities, planning and construction. Former President Bush’s budget request had proposed terminations of the public telecommunications program.
The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is funded at $29.8 million for FY09. MBDA works with minority entrepreneurs who wish to grow their businesses in size, scale and capacity. The Economic and Statistics Administration, which includes the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), received $90.6 million for FY09. The agency provides broad and targeted economic data, analyses and forecasts for use by Government agencies, businesses and others, as well as develops domestic and international economic policy.
The budget of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will be offset entirely through fee collection. USPTO receives $2 million in the budget but is expected to collect $2.1 million in fees.
return to the top of the pageDepartment of
Defense
The enacted FY09 Appropriations bill authorizes $512 billion for
the Department of Defense (DoD) base as well as $66 billion for
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Defense Advance Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) received $3.1 billion, an increase from the 2008
appropriation of $2.95 billion.
Defense Basic Research is funded at $1.8 billion, a 13 percent increase above the FY08 appropriation. For overall Science & Technology (S&T) programs, the enacted budget allocates $13.5 billion, an increase of 6 percent. S&T programs include defense-wide and military service funding for 6.1 basic research, 6.2 applied research, and 6.3 advanced technology development.
The FY09 enacted funding for DoD departments is as follows:
Army
Navy
Air Force
Defense-wide
DoD programs of interest to the TBED community include:
Department of Education
The Department of
Education’s FY09 total budget appropriation is $66.5
billion.
The FY09 education budget includes specialized funding toward a few
K-12 math and science programs:
Other key budget issues include:
Several of the student aid programs proposed for elimination by the Bush Administration survived, including:
Department of Energy
The FY09 budget provides $27 billion for the Department of Energy (DOE), a nine
percent increase over the FY08 enactment. The bill includes
significant increases for the Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy (EERE), the Office of Science and the
Office of Fossil Energy and
reduced funding for nuclear energy programs through the Office of Nuclear Energy.
EERE received $1.9 billion in FY09, $206 million more than FY08. Much of that total is to support the commercialization of energy technologies targeted by the Advanced Energy Initiative, launched by former President Bush in 2006. EERE is responsible for research, development and deployment of energy efficiency and clean power technology and practices. Energy technologies targeted in this funding include:
Other areas of research funded through EERE include:
EERE’s Weatherization Assistance, Training and Technical Assistance program received $200 million for grants, training and assistance. The State Energy program was appropriated $50 million, including $25 million for competitive energy projects. Remaining EERE funding supports program direction and support, facilities and infrastructure, federal emergency management programs, the International Renewable Energy Program, the Renewable Energy Production Incentive, tribal energy activities, and congressionally-directed projects.
The FY09 budget provides $4.7 billion for the department’s Office of Science, a $755 million increase over FY08. The appropriations committee summary states that this funding supports 2,600 new research jobs within the office. Funding technology areas include:
DOE received $15 million to fund the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) in FY09. Though Congress authorized the agency in 2007, no funds were appropriated in FY08. The remaining Office of Science funding supports laboratory infrastructure, safeguards and security, workforce development, program direction and congressionally-directed projects.
The FY09 budget provides $876 million for the Office of Fossil Energy, $133 million more than in FY08. This funding includes:
The remaining funding for the Office of Fossil Energy support program direction, plant and capital equipment, fossil energy environmental restoration, special recruitment programs, cooperative R&D and congressionally-directed projects.
Despite the overall increase in appropriations for DOE, support for nuclear energy activities through DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation program is lower than it was in FY08. Funding for nuclear energy totals $792 million, $170 million less than was enacted in the previous year.
return to the top of the pageDepartment of Homeland Security
The Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) was one of three federal agencies whose
budget was enacted in September 2008. Since the department’s
funding was finalized last year, only minimal funding is provided
in the current bill.
Among the few provisions related to DHS in the finalized budget bill is an extension of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction of Proliferation and Terrorism through next year, transferring $1.1 million from the Department of Defense appropriation for its continuance.
The FY09 appropriation passed last year funded DHS at $41.2 billion, including $933 million for the Science and Technology Directorate. This funding level represents a $102 million increase for Science and Technology over FY08. Within the directorate, $800 million funds R&D, Acquisitions and Operations. Research funding includes:
The Science and Technology Directorate's Office of Innovation received $33 million to develop domestic security technologies. DHS's university programs were appropriated $50 million, including $33 million to fund Centers of Excellence. The budget includes a $58 million increase for laboratory facilities over FY08, bringing its funding to $162 million.
return to the top of the pageDepartment of Housing and
Urban Development
The FY09 enacted budget includes $38.6 billion for the
Department of Housing and Urban Development, a $2.1 billion increase
over the 2008 appropriation. The Office of Policy Development and
Research (PD&R) received $18.1 million for personnel
compensation and benefits. The FY09 budget includes $58 million
($6.5 million increase) for Research and Technology
contracts, grants, and expenses of programs of research and studies
related to housing and urban problems.
The Community Development Fund received $3.9 billion in FY09 ($34 million above the FY08 appropriation) with $3.6 billion earmarked for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Within this account, $165 million is slated for the Economic Development Initiative (EDI) to finance a variety of targeted economic investments. Additionally, $19.5 million is earmarked for Neighborhood Initiatives. The goal of this program is to improve the conditions of distressed and blighted areas and neighborhoods, to stimulate investment, economic diversification, and community revitalization in areas with population outmigration or a stagnating or declining economic base, and to determine whether housing benefits can be integrated more effectively with welfare reform initiatives.
The FY09 budget provides $6 million ($1.5 million increase) for the Community Development Loan Guarantee program for costs associated with the Section 108 Loan Guarantees.
For competitive economic development grants for Brownfields Redevelopment projects, $10 million is allocated – the same as last fiscal year.
Rural Housing and Economic Development received $26 million in FY09, $9 million above the 2008 appropriation. Of this amount, $5 million is specified to promote economic development and entrepreneurship for federally recognized Indian Tribes through activities including the capitalization of revolving loan programs and business planning and development.
return to the top of the pageDepartment of Labor
The FY09 omnibus awards $15.3 billion to the Department of Labor, a 4.1 percent
increase over the previous fiscal year.
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) received $9.4 billion, a 4.8 percent increase from FY08. About $2.97 billion supports grants to states for training and employment services. These state grants are divided between $862 million for adult training, $924 for youth activities, and $1.18 billion for training dislocated workers. Of the $489 million appropriated for federal training and employment service programs, $283 million is allocated for the dislocated workers assistance national reserve.
State unemployment insurance and employment services received $3.69 billion through the Unemployment Trust Fund in the Employment Security Administration Account, an 8.1 percent increase.
The Job Corps program, assisting 16 to 24 year olds with vocational and academic training, received $1.68 billion in FY09 – a 4.6 increase from FY08 – with $1.54 billion going towards operations and $115 million for the construction, rehab, or acquisition of Job Corps Centers. The funds allow the existing 122 Job Corps centers to continue, as well as opening centers in Florida and Wisconsin in FY09, and the preparation of centers to open in Iowa and New Hampshire in FY10 and Wyoming in FY11.
return to the top of the pageDepartment of Transportation
The FY 2009 Department of
Transportation’s (DOT) total budgetary resources are
$67.2 billion. Funding for the NextGen technology is more than
doubled, providing $688 million for the transformation from
radar-based to satellite-based air traffic systems to help meet
the nation’s rapidly growing demand for air travel
The FY09 enacted funding for all research, engineering and development at the Federal Aviation Administration is $171 million, to be derived from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and to remain available until September 30, 2011.
The FY09 budget request for the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) includes $12.9 million for RD&T. RITA advances innovative transportation technologies emphasizing work in alternative fuels in support of national economic and environmental priorities. RITA also leads DOT’s Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) activities.
Under the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), up to $429.8 million has been appropriated for research and development. In FHWA’s budget request, $110 million is provided for the Research and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) program, now managed by RITA, to continue work on 10 major initiatives and supporting technology transfer activities. Key among the initiatives is Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII), which continues development of enabling wireless platform to connect vehicles-to-vehicles and vehicle-to-infrastructure, along with safety and mobility applications.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received $105.5 million in Trust Funds for Highway Safety Research and Development activities to reduce highway fatalities, prevent injuries, and significantly reduce their associated economic toll.
The Federal Transit Administration received $67 million for transit research programs.
return to the top of the pageDepartment of the Treasury
The FY09 enacted budget provides $1.16 billion for the Treasury
Department, not including the IRS. Though the overall appropriation
for the department dropped, TBED-related funding increased.
Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI) program account received $107 million to be divided between its associated activities, up from $94 million in FY08. Of that amount $14.7 million may be used for administrative expenses, including the administration of the New Markets Tax Credit. Another $7.5 million may be used for CDFI direct loans. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed earlier this year, authorized $3 billion in tax credit authority under the New Markets Tax Credit program in addition to the $3.5 billion that had been approved already for 2009. Other CDFI programs include:
Environmental Protection
Agency
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), received $7.6 billion in FY09, $174 million
above the 2008 appropriation. Science and Technology
activities, including research and development activities, are
funded at $790 million in FY09, $30 million above the FY08
appropriation. Science and Technology programs include:
Climate Change programs received $232 million in FY09, $39 million above the 2008 level. The new appropriation includes:
No funding is included for Asia-Pacific Partnerships for developing energy and environmental strategies in partnership with Pacific Rim countries.
The FY09 Appropriations Act allocates $1.5 billion for Clean Drinking & Wastewater. These funds provide low-interest loans to help communities improve their drinking water and wastewater systems. This includes $689 million for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to ensure the nation’s waters meet the goals of the Clean Water Act; $829 million for the Drinking Water Revolving Fund to protect public health by improving drinking water systems; and $145 million for STAG grants for drinking and wastewater infrastructure systems.
To implement the Clean Air Act and reduce emissions from diesel engines, $224 million is allocated -- $7million above the 2008 appropriation. Additionally $815 million is included for cleaning up hazardous waste and toxic sites, including $605 million for the Superfund to clean up hazardous substances at more than 1,500 toxic waste sites, $112 million to inspect and clean up underground toxic spills, and $97 million for evaluation and cleanup of Brownfields, former industrial and commercial sites.
Other EPA programs of interest include:
NASA
NASA received $17.8 billion in FY09, a 2.2 percent increase from the previous fiscal
year’s amount of $17.2 billion. It is distributed as
follows:
Under the Science Directorate, $1.44 billion supports earth science projects, $1.33 billion goes to planetary missions, $1.2 billion is for astrophysics work (which includes $207 million for the Hubble telescope), and $606 million is allocated for research into stars. NASA’s Constellation program, which includes building the next generation of manned space vehicles, received $2.9 billion, the Space Shuttle program received $2.98 billion, and the International Space Station received $2.06 billion.
The Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP) leverages technology capabilities for NASA through joint partnerships with industry, academia, and national laboratories. Under the IPP budget, $118 million is targeted for SBIR, $14.1 million for STTR, and $24.1 million to develop technology transfer partnerships.
return to the top of the pageNational Science Foundation
In FY09, the National Science
Foundation received $6.49 billion, a 5.9 percent increase of
$363 million over FY08. More than three-fourths of the total
supports non-defense research and related activities, 13 percent
will be for education and human resources, and 2.3 percent of the
total is for major research equipment and facilities
construction.
While the omnibus bill does not specify the funds going towards the various research components within the NSF, it mentions by name certain projects and their levels of funding:
In the $845 million for education and human resources, some of the highlighted programs in the omnibus budget act include:
Regional Commissions and Authorities
Several regional commissions and authorities receive annual
federal appropriations for economic improvement activities within
specific geographic regions, including the Appalachian Regional
Commission, Delta Regional Authority and Denali Commission.
Small Business Administration
The enacted budget sets funding for the Small Business Administration (SBA) at
$546.6 million for FY09, excluding funds for the disaster loan
program. Most of SBA’s capital programs and its contracting
and counseling programs have had their appropriations boosted above
FY08 levels.
The budget act grants SBA the authority to back $17.5 billion in 7(a) loans and $7.5 billion in 504 loans to provide long-term capital for small businesses. SBA’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program, received authority to back $3 billion in investments in private equity funds. The Surety Bond Guarantee Fund, which guarantees bond for small contractors, received $2 million in funding to leverage $1 billion in surety bonds. SBA’s Microloan program was allocated $2.5 million to leverage more than $21 million in microloans to help provide entrepreneurs with access to small loans.
Other TBED-related SBA programs include:
State Science & Technology Institute
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