President Obama is looking to inject extra money into federal research and development, with a proposed $140.8 billion total, including $857 million toward the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The proposed NIST funding is an increase of $106.2 million from FY 2012, with $81 million of the new funding headed toward NIST’s Scientific and Technical Research and Services (STRS), which would grow 14 percent to $648 million.
“We want to work with the private sector to ensure U.S. manufacturers have the research support they need to make the best products in the world,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Patrick Gallagher. “Through our laboratory programs and our standards development efforts, we can help American industry be agile, innovative and competitive.”
The budget includes $10 million allocated to a National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to be housed at NIST, and $16.5 million to support the administration’s National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, which is managed by NIST. The center was developed to support cybersecurity activities in state and local governments, academia, the private sector and federal government. It will be a resource for developing, evaluating and transferring technology to the sectors, as well as researching cybersecurity threats and training workers.
Also, $1 billion of mandatory spending was requested for a "National Network for Manufacturing Innovation", as part of President Obama’s effort to revitalize U.S. manufacturing. It is intended to stimulate private sector research and development. "Advanced manufacturing in particular depends on a robust transfer of knowledge from research and development into industry," Gallagher said in Fierce Government.
Measurement science initiatives will get an additional $45 million for projects aimed at supporting biological products, nanomanufacturing and a national "Materials Genome Initiative." Four new centers, which will be selected through a competition, will share $20 million for fusing government, academic and private research.
The following links provide additional information about the NIST FY 2013 budget request:
Advanced Manufacturing Initiatives
Measurement Science and Standards in Support of Forensic Science
Measurement and Standards for Disaster Resilience and Natural Hazards Risk Reduction
Measurement Science to Support Advanced Communications Networks
National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace
