Combing through the 2009 federal science budget, few bright spots emerge. One plus is the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Directorate, slated to receive $759 million, a 19% increase over FY2008. Within that unit, Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems which includes bio-optics programs would receive $173 million, a 32% increase over FY2008. The Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation which supports interdisciplinary, high-risk research would receive $4 million. Overall, NSF is in line to receive $6.85 billion.

At DOE’s Office of Science, life-sciences research is slated to receive $568 million, a 4% increase over FY2008. Overall, the Office of Science is requesting $4.72 billion.

NIST’s entire R&D FY2009 request comes in at $546 million, a nearly 5% jump from FY2008. As noted by AAAS, the increases would go only to NIST’s intramural laboratories and intramural construction, and would be offset by steep cuts in NIST’s external programs.

While funding for NIH, falls short in the budget, other programs that may gain during this cycle include basic and advanced research for bioterrorism preparedness ($4.3 billion) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority for R&D on biomedical countermeasures, which will see a $250 million allocation (FY2008).

REFERENCE

www.aaas.org/spp/rd/fy09.htm