The significant increases in funding for R&D programs called for in President Clinton's FY 1999 budget proposal are encouraging, but uneven and heavily dependent upon revenues from an undetermined tobacco settlement, according to a preview of the annual budget analysis released today by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
The AAAS analysis raises concerns about the source of the increases slated for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other R&D funding agencies. A major portion would come from the Research Fund for America, which will be built from tobacco settlement revenues. If a settlement is not reached, the White House may have to propose alternate funding sources for the increases, and may be forced to dip into the budget surplus, go beyond the spending caps, or reallocate money intended to fund other programs.
Another concern in the report is that the bulk of the increases in the President's proposal will support health and life science programs. According to the AAAS analysis, these programs often depend upon the research successes in the physical sciences, engineering and mathematics -- areas which are not slated for major increases. Increases in nondefense R&D are concentrated among only three agencies -- NIH, NSF, and the Department of Energy (DOE).
The AAAS analysis indicates that the President's budget request includes a 2.2 percent or $1.7 billion increase for R&D over the current FY 1998 funding level. After adjusting for inflation, the request represents a slight overall increase of less than one percent. In 1999, nondefense R&D would increase by 5.1 percent to $37.4 billion, while defense R&D would decrease by 0.3 percent to $40.3 billion.
"While the proposal is a positive one, and we are optimistic about it, it's neither balanced or straightforward," said Al Teich, director of the AAAS Science and Policy programs. "Despite strong expressions of support for R&D from Congress and the White House, there are no guarantees on the final outcome. Between tobacco and highways, there are just too many variables this year."
The full AAAS report, AAAS Report XXIII: Research and Development FY 1999, will be presented at the 23rd Annual AAAS Colloquium on Science and Technology Policy, April 29-May 1 at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington. Teich will present the preview analysis on April 22 at a forum sponsored by AAAS and the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP) -- a joint committee of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. The April 22 forum will feature a discussion of the COSEPUP report, Observations on the FY 1999 Federal Science and Technology Budget, which will be included in the full AAAS report.
AAAS is the world's largest federation of scientists with 143,000 members and nearly 300 affiliated science and engineering societies. It also publishes the journal Science and administers EurekAlert! (www.eurekalert.org), the online news service featuring the latest developments in science, medicine, and technology.
Full
Preview
Selected Excerpts:
- Highlights
- Table
1. R&D in the FY 1999 Budget by Agency
- AAAS Analysis of the Projected Effects of the President's FY 1999 Budget on Federal R&D