The 2012 budget for research and development reveals a slight shift in priorities, as funding for energy and environmental research has increased but funding for R&D at the Defense Department and NASA has been cut.
Overall, the 2012 R&D budget was set at $142 billion, a decline of 1.3 percent, or $1.9 billion from last year, according to a new analysis by the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program. The AAAS is an international non-profit aimed at advancing science, according to the organization’s website.
“It’s no doubt a tough fiscal environment, but the fact that we actually see some fairly sizeable increases in certain research areas suggests persistent support for science and innovation even now,” said Matt Hourihan, director of the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program, in a statement.
Defense R&D decreased this year by $2.5 billion or 3.2 percent, the AAAS found. However, basic defense research, development, testing, and evaluation will increase 8.7 percent from 2011, and applied research will rise by 5.6 percent. That gain is “dwarfed by billions of dollars in cuts to operational systems development and classified programs, among other areas," the AAAS said in a statement.
Non-defense R&D increased by 0.5 percent, or $293 million, compared with 2011. R&D funding at the National Institutes of Health declined slightly, with a $56 million decrease in its $30.2 billion budget. Big cuts are in store for NASA, with a decline of $647 million (6.6 percent) and education, with a $12 million cut (3.7 percent).
Some of the biggest gains in this year’s R&D budgets are:
- Energy Department — will receive a R&D budget increase of 8 percent, or $821 million.
- National Science Foundation — R&D will rise 3.1 percent or $165 million.
- Commerce Department — R&D budget increases 12.7 percent or $158 million. Most of this funding will go to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
- Environmental Protection Agency — will receive an R&D boost of 12.1%, or $68 million.
