White House Issues Updated Research Priorities for 2006 Budget

With most of the 2005 budget a likely victim of Congressional inertia as the Oct. 1 fiscal year start date approaches, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of Management and Budget have set the 2006 process in motion by issuing a joint memorandum outlining the Administration's research priorities, should it be re-elected in November.

Homeland Security R&D remains the Administration's top research focus with space provided in the memo to single out several priorities areas:

• Enhancing prevention, detection, treatment, and remediation of nuclear, chemical and biological (particularly genetically modified) threats;
• Planning for and initiating recapitalization efforts to ensure continuing state-of-the-art capability to test and evaluate next-generation medical countermeasures;
• Enabling the development of a biosurveillance network integrating human, animal, plant and environmental surveillance and laboratory networks
• Addressing shortfalls in the development of new drugs and vaccines against foreign animal disease threats; and,
• Pursuing social and behavioral studies to anticipate, counter, and diffuse threats to our homeland security.

Five additional broad research priority categories were identified in the memo as well, although receiving less specific treatment. "Networking and Information Technology R&D" moved up to the second-highest priority compared to last year, trading places with the National Nanotechnology Initiative. Supercomputing and cyberinfrastructure R&D are identified as the highest priorities within the administration's Networking and Information Technology R&D program.

The nanotech discussion is colored with phrasing that highlights growing caution for the emerging field. "In order to ensure that nanotechnology research leads to the responsible development of beneficial applications, agencies also should support research on the various societal implications of the nascent technology. In particular, agencies should place a high priority on research on human health and environmental issues related to nanotechnology and develop, where applicable, cross-agency approaches to the funding and execution of this research."

A new emphasis area titled "Priorities of the Physical Sciences" suggests "Priority will be given to research that aims to close significant gaps in the fundamental physical understanding of phenomena that promise significant new technologies with broad societal impact....Priority will be given to those instrument- or facility- related investments with the greatest promise for the broadest scientific impact. Of particular interest are investments leading to the development of next-generation light sources."

"Biology of Complex Systems" and, "Climate, Water and Hydrogen Research" round out the list. Perhaps reflecting their lower emphasis within the Administration's research agenda, neither description provides significant insight into particular research priorities or thrusts.

The memo is available at: http://www.ostp.gov/html/m04-23.pdf