US science spending squeezed

• Book ID: 104415405
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 844 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1369-7021
• DOI: 10.1016/s1369-7021(01)80153-x

✦ Synopsis

Of the science-based research that helps make the USA the economic engine that often propels the global economy, private industry accounts for almost two thirds, the other third being Federal government-funded. The budget recently requested for government spending in financial year 2002 offers broadly flat spending levels on R&D, with mixed news for materials research. Congress has yet to stamp its approval on these proposals and changes can be expected. Winners in the Bush administration's view should be the Department of Defense (up $14 billion) to fund programs including development of a national missile defense system, the National Institutes of Health (up $2.8 billion), the Department of Education (up $5 billion) and special emergency funding (up $5 billion). These departments account for virtually the entire increase of 6.1% (over last year) in R&D request, leaving other discretionary programs, with fiat or falling budgets. Materials science and technology could, however, find some hope in specific programs in these sectors.