[Budget of the United States Government]
[VI. Investing in the Common Good: Program Performance in Federal Functions]
[14. General Science, Space, and Technology]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
14. GENERAL SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY
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Table 14-1. FEDERAL RESOURCES IN SUPPORT OF GENERAL SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY
(In millions of dollars)
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Estimate
Function 250 1997 -----------------------------------------------------------
Actual 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
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Spending:
Discretionary Budget Authority.......... 16,641 17,914 18,459 18,479 18,735 18,977 19,091
Mandatory Outlays:
Existing law.......................... 25 40 37 37 34 31 31
Tax Expenditures:
Existing law............................ 1,075 2,555 1,440 1,055 905 820 795
Proposed legislation.................... ........ 365 802 608 261 124 49
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Science and technology are the principal agents of change and
progress, with over half of the Nation's economic productivity in the
last 50 years attributable to technological innovation and the science
that supported it. Appropriately enough, the private sector makes many
investments in technology development. The Federal Government, however,
also has a role to play--particularly when risks are too great or the
return to companies is too small.
Within this function, the Federal Government supports areas of
science at the cutting edge, through the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the
Department of Energy (DOE) science programs. The activities of these
agencies contribute to greater understanding of the world we live in,
ranging from the edges of the universe to the smallest imaginable
particles, and to new knowledge that may or may not have immediate
applications to improving our lives. Because the results of basic
research are unknowable in advance, the challenge of developing
performance goals for this area is formidable.
Each of these agencies has a tradition of funding high-quality
research and contributing to the Nation's cadre of skilled scientists
and engineers. To continue this tradition, and as a general goal for
activities under this function, at least 80 percent of the research
projects \1\ will be reviewed by appropriate peers and selected through
a merit-based competitive process.
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\1\ Measured by the amount of funds allocated, not the number of
projects.
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An important Federal role in this area is to construct and operate
major scientific facilities and capital assets for multiple users. These
include telescopes, satellites, oceanographic ships, and particle
accelerators. Many of today's fast-paced advances in medicine and other
fields rely on these facilities.
As general goals:
Agencies will keep the development and upgrade of these
facilities on schedule and within budget, not to exceed 110
percent of estimates.
In operating the facilities, agencies will keep the operating
time lost due to unscheduled downtime to less than 10 percent
of the total scheduled possible operating time, on average.
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The budget proposes $18.5 billion to conduct these activities. The
Government also seeks to stimulate private investment in these
activities through over $2 billion a year in tax credits and other
preferences for research and development (R&D).
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The budget proposes $12.3 billion for NASA activities in this
function. While NASA's funding represents just 12 percent of total
Federal funds for R&D, NASA serves as the lead Federal agency for R&D in
civil space activities, working to expand frontiers in air and space to
serve America and improve the quality of life on Earth. NASA pursues
this vision through balanced investment in space science, Earth science,
space transportation technology, and human exploration and development
of space.
The 1999 goals for these enterprises follow.
Space Science programs, for which the budget proposes $2.1 billion,
are designed to enhance our understanding of how the universe was
created, the formation of planets, and the possible existence of life
beyond Earth. NASA has enjoyed major successes of late, including the
landing on Mars with Mars Pathfinder.
NASA space science will successfully launch its four planned
spacecraft missions--Mars 98 lander, Stardust, and two
Explorer missions--within 10 percent of its schedule and
budget.
NASA space science will increase its contribution to the
general knowledge base and to education, as reflected by its
contributions to a college space science textbook, to a level
at least equal to the 1996 level of 27 percent.
The NASA Advisory Council will rate all near-term space
science objectives as being met or on schedule. Examples of
objectives include: investigate the composition, evolution and
resources of Mars, the Moon, and small solar system bodies
such as asteroids and comets; identify planets around other
stars; and observe the evolution of galaxies and the
intergalactic medium.
Earth Science programs, for which the budget proposes $1.4 billion,
focus on increasing our understanding of the total Earth system and the
effects of natural and human-induced changes on the global environment
through long-term, space-based observation of Earth's land, oceans, and
atmospheric processes. NASA will launch the first in a new series of
Earth Science spacecraft in 1998.
NASA Earth Science will successfully launch its four planned
spacecraft missions--Quikscat, the Advanced Land Imager, a
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, and the
Shuttle Radar Topography mission--within 10 percent of its
schedule and budget.
NASA will obtain new data on precipitation, land surface, and
climate, and will deliver the data to users within five days.
NASA's Advisory Council will rate all near-term earth science
objectives as being met or on schedule. Examples of objectives
include: observe and document land cover and land use change
and impacts on sustained resource productivity; and understand
the causes and impacts of long-term climate variations on
global and regional scales.
Space Transportation Technology programs, for which the budget
proposes $400 million, work with the private sector to develop and test
experimental launch vehicles that cut the cost of access to space.
The X-33 program will begin flight tests in 1999 and
demonstrate, by year-end, key technologies to cut the cost of
space transportation. These technologies will be directly
scaleable to the mass fraction (less than 10 percent empty
vehicle weight) required for future reusable launch vehicles
and meet the following operational requirements: flights
faster than Mach 13; 48-hour and seven-day ground turnarounds;
and 50-person maintenance crews.
The X-34 program will perform 25 flight tests in one year,
starting no later than March 1999, to demonstrate the
operational parameters of future reusable launch vehicles.
These parameters include:
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recurring costs under $500,000; 24-hour ground turnarounds;
safe abort landings; landings in cross winds up to 20 knots;
and flights through rain and fog.
Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) programs, for which
the budget proposes $5.8 billion, focus on human space exploration. In
1997, HEDS programs supported the successful launch of eight Space
Shuttle flights, a continuous U.S. presence on the Russian Mir space
station, and continued construction of the International Space Station.
In 1998, assembly of the International Space Station will begin in Earth
orbit.
For 1999, the performance goals include the following:
NASA will successfully complete Phase 2 (the first ten
assembly flights) of the International Space Station within
performance, schedule, and budget targets.
NASA will ensure that space shuttle safety, reliability and
cost will improve, by achieving seven or fewer flight
anomalies per mission, successful on-time launches 85 percent
of the time, and a 13-month flight manifest preparation time.
NASA will expand human presence and scientific resources in
space by increasing the amount of crew time in orbit to 185
weeks.
NASA-supported scientific research in life and microgravity
sciences will broaden, as indicated by a rise in the number of
resulting journal publications to 1,600.
National Science Foundation
NSF-supported activities have led to breakthroughs and advances in
many areas, including superconducting materials, Doppler radar, the
Internet and World Wide Web, medical imaging systems, computer-assisted-
design, genetics, polymers, plate tectonics, and global climate change.
While NSF represents just three percent of Federal R&D spending, it
supports nearly half of the non-medical basic research conducted at
academic institutions. NSF also provides 30 percent of Federal support
for mathematics and science education. NSF programs involve over 25,000
senior scientists; 50,000 other professionals, graduate students, and
undergraduate students; and 120,000 K-12 teachers.
The budget proposes $3.7 billion in 1999 for NSF, which it would
invest in four key program functions:
Research Project Support: Over half of NSF's resources support
research projects performed by individuals and small groups,
instrumentation, and centers.
An independent assessment will judge NSF's portfolio of
research programs to have the highest scientific quality and
an appropriate balance of projects characterized as high-risk,
multidisciplinary, or innovative.
NSF will ensure that all of its new announcements of research
opportunities and proposal solicitations will contain an
explicit statement encouraging proposers to integrate their
research activities with improving education or public
understanding of science.
NSF will increase the percentage of competitive awards going
to new investigators to at least 30 percent, a 2.6-percent
rise over a baseline of 27.4 percent.
Facilities: Facilities such as observatories, particle accelerators,
research stations, and oceanographic research vessels provide the
platforms for research in fields such as astronomy, physics, and
oceanography. About 20 percent of NSF's budget supports large, multi-
user facilities required for cutting-edge research. NSF facilities will
meet the function-wide goals to remain within cost and schedule, and to
operate efficiently.
Education and Training: Education and training activities, accounting
for 20 percent of NSF's budget, revolve around efforts to improve
teaching and learning in science, mathematics, engineering, and
technology at all education levels. Education and training projects
develop curriculum, enhance teacher training, and provide educational
opportunities for students from pre-K through undergraduate degrees. NSF
also contributes to the education of future scientists and engineers by
supporting graduate students and postdoctoral programs.
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Over 80 percent of schools participating in a systemic
initiative program will: 1) implement a standards-based
curriculum in science and mathematics; 2) further professional
development of the instructional workforce; and 3) improve
student achievement on a selected battery of tests, after
three years of NSF support.
NSF will fund intensive professional development experiences
for at least 75,000 pre-college teachers.
Administration and Management: NSF does not operate programs or
laboratories; rather, the agency supports research and education
activities, conducted primarily at colleges and universities, selected
through a competitive, merit-based process.
Performance goals for 1999 include:
processing 70 percent of grant proposals within six months of
receipt, and
publishing 95 percent of program announcements at least three
months before proposals are due.
Department of Energy
DOE provides major scientific user facilities and sponsors basic
scientific research in specific fields, such as high energy and nuclear
physics and materials, chemical, biological, and environmental sciences.
It supports over 60 percent of federally-funded research in the physical
sciences.
The budget proposes $2.5 billion for DOE science programs, which
include high energy and nuclear physics, basic energy sciences,
biological and environmental research, and computational technology
research. These programs support scientific facilities for high energy
and nuclear physics, and also support the research performed by the
users of the facilities. They also provide and operate synchrotron light
sources, neutron sources, supercomputers, high-speed networks, and other
instruments that researchers use in fields ranging from biomedicine to
agriculture, geoscience, materials, and physics. These state-of-the-art
scientific facilities provide the cutting edge experimental and
theoretical techniques that provide insights into dozens of
applications, and they are available, on a competitive basis, to
researchers funded by NSF, other Federal agencies, and public and
private entities. DOE's facilities will meet the function-wide goals to
remain within cost and schedule, and to operate efficiently.
The 1999 goals for these programs follow.
Basic Energy Sciences (BES) supports basic research in the natural
sciences for new and improved energy techniques and technologies, and to
understand and mitigate the environmental impacts of energy
technologies.
BES will start construction of the Spallation Neutron Source
to provide beams of neutrons used to probe and understand the
physical, chemical, and biological properties of materials at
an atomic level--leading to better fibers, plastics,
catalysts, and magnets and improvements in pharmaceuticals,
computing equipment, and electric motors.
An independent assessment will judge BES research programs to
have high scientific quality.
Computational Technology Research (CTR) performs long-term
computational, technology, and advanced energy projects research through
an integrated program in applied mathematical sciences, high performance
computing and communications, information infrastructure, advanced
energy projects research, and laboratory technology research.
CTR will complete prototype development of the ``virtual
lab'' approach and implement at least three program trial
applications.
Users will judge that computer facilities and networks have
met 75 percent of their requirements.
Biological and Environmental Research (BER) provides fundamental
science to develop the knowledge to identify, understand, and anticipate
the long-term health and environmental consequences of energy
production, development, and use.
BER will complete sequencing of 40 million subunits of human
DNA to submit to publicly accessible databases.
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BER will complete 70 percent of the genetic sequencing of
over 10 additional microbes with significant potential for
waste cleanup and energy production.
High Energy and Nuclear Physics (HENP) strives to deepen
understanding of the nature of matter and energy at the most fundamental
level, as well as understanding of the structure and interactions of
atomic nuclei.
An independent assessment will judge HENP research programs
to have high scientific quality.
HENP will begin operating the B-factory at the Stanford
Linear Accelerator Center, the Main Injector for the Tevatron
at Fermilab, and the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at
Brookhaven National Laboratory, and will deliver on the 1999
U.S./DOE commitments to the international Large Hadron
Collider project. These facilities will provide cutting-edge
scientific capabilities to further study the fundamental
constituents of matter. For example, the B-factory will
illuminate the basic question of why matter exists in the
universe.
Tax Incentives
Along with direct spending on R&D, the Federal Government has sought
to stimulate private investment in these activities with tax
preferences. The law provides a 20-percent tax credit for private
research and experimentation expenditures above a certain base amount.
The credit, which was extended in 1997, is due to expire on June 30,
1998. The President proposes to extend it for one year--that is, through
June 1999. Under current law, the credit will cost $2.1 billion in 1998
and $860 million in 1999.
A permanent tax provision also lets companies deduct, up front, the
costs of certain kinds of research and experimentation, rather than
capitalize these costs; this tax expenditure will cost $580 million in
1999. Finally, equipment used for research benefits from relatively
rapid cost recovery; the cost of this tax preference is calculated in
the tax expenditure estimate for accelerated depreciation of machinery
and equipment.