IP: Gibbons on FY97 R&D Budget

[Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
Number 43: March 20, 1996


OSTP Director John Gibbons on FY 1997 R&D Budget Request


"I'll get right to be bottom line.  The President's FY 97 budget
marks the fourth consecutive year that President Clinton has called
for increases in science, technology, and education investments --
investments we need to carry us into the 21st century.  This budget
delivers on President Clinton's commitment to maintain critical
science and technology investments as a priority while balancing
the budget."
  -- John Gibbons, Assistant to the President for Science and
Technology


With this introduction, John Gibbons introduced the Clinton
Administration's FY 1997 budget request for science and technology
programs at a March 19 briefing.  And while most of his briefing
was a review of the S&T highlights of the budget request, Gibbons
was blunt in his appraisal of congressional actions during last
year, stating "With this budget, [the President] is saying again
that he will not back down in the face of myopic Congressional
proposals to slash R&D."


Over-all research funding would increase by 2%, or $1,229 million,
to $72,679 million under the administration's budget request.
(Since final appropriations have not yet been signed for some R&D
agencies, the FY 1996 basis represents the administration's best
approximation.)


Basic research funding would increase by 2%, or $268 million, to
$14,327 million.


Applied research funding would increase by 4%, or $622 million, to
$14,872 million.


Over-all civilian R&D would increase by 3%, or $1,057 million, to
$34,404 million.


Over-all defense R&D would increase 0.005%, or $172 million, to
$38,275 million.  Gibbons noted that the ratio between civilian and
defense R&D has not changed much in this budget request.


R&D support to universities would increase by 1%, or $155 million,
to $12,728 million.


Merit or peer reviewed R&D program funding would increase by 6%, or
$1,246 million, to $22,406 million. 


Over-all spending on facilities would increase by 45% under this
budget request.  It was explained that this is because of a change
in the way that facilities would be financed, with the requested
$1,742 million being used to provide more up-front funding for
facilities such as the DOE's RHIC and B-Factory.  Aircraft carriers
are now funded this way, as was as the replacement of a major radio
antenna at the Green Bank, WVA observatory.


Upcoming issues of FYI will provide details on the administration's
FY 1997 budget request for NSF, NASA, and the Department of Energy. 
See FYI #42 for the FY 1997 NIST budget request.


###############
Richard M. Jones
Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
fyi () aip org
(301) 209-3095
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