The FY 2004 request of $496.8 million for the National Institute of
Standards and Technology represents a significant decline of 27.0% from
the FY 2002 appropriations and of 14.0% from the FY 2003 request. This
year's request would provide funding for new initiatives in homeland
security and economic growth, while terminating the Advanced Technology
Program and halting federal funding for Manufacturing Extension Partnership
centers after the first six years, continuing a policy announced in
last year's request.
NIST's budget is divided into three separate appropriations: Scientific
and Technical Research and Services, Industrial Technology Services,
and Construction of Research Facilities. The requests are described
below, with explanatory quotes from NIST budget documents. Because the
FY 2003 appropriations process has not been completed, one way to look
at the FY 2004 request is to compare it to the appropriation for FY
2002, which is final, to see how funding would change over the two-year
period.
The SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL RESEARCH AND SERVICES (STRS) appropriation
includes NIST's in-house Laboratories and the Baldrige National Quality
Program:
NIST LABORATORIES: $381.8 million; up 18.8% from FY 2002 appropriation;
down 3.7% from FY 2003 request
The request for the NIST Laboratories includes $27.7 million for new
initiatives as follows:
- $10.3 million for homeland security measurements and infrastructure
in such areas as nuclear, radiological, biowarfare and other terrorist
threats ($5.3 million); lessons learned from the World Trade Center
collapse investigation ($4 million); and biometric identification systems
($1 million).
- $9.2 million to "support and enhance" programs in nanotechnology
($5.2 million); quantum computing ($3 million); and health care quality
assurance ($1 million).
- $6.7 million for the Advanced Measurement Laboratory ($5.5 million
for equipment and $1.2 million for operation and maintenance).
- $1.5 million for time-scale dissemination backup elements.
The BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY PROGRAM would receive $5.8 million.
The INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES (ITS) appropriation comprises
the Advanced Technology Program, a cost-shared competitive grant program
with industry for early-stage, high-risk R&D, and the Manufacturing
Extension Partnership, a network of centers that provide technical assistance
to small and medium manufacturers. The always-controversial Advanced
Technology Program has been a target of many termination attempts by
the House, but each time the Senate has restored its funding.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM (ATP): $27 million; down 85.4% from
FY 2002 appropriation; down 75.0% from FY 2003 request
The ATP request is intended to cover "administrative and other
expenses needed to terminate" the program. According to the budget
documents, "While this program has been well run and effective,
scarce resources are needed for higher priority programs." A senior
OMB official stated that Congress's failure to enact Administration-proposed
reforms of the ATP in 2002 contributed to the Administration's decision
to terminate the program.
MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP (MEP): $12.6 million; down
88.2% from FY 2002 appropriation; down 2.3% from FY 2003 request
The MEP request maintains the policy, put forward in the FY 2003 request,
"of funding the partnership according to its original plan, which
called for the phase-out of federal monies to MEP centers after six
years of funding. MEP central coordination activities and the federal
share of the two centers less than seven years old would be funded."
The request for CONSTRUCTION OF RESEARCH FACILITIES (CRF) is
$69.6 million.
According to NIST budget documents, "these actions" in the
request "are consistent with the President's emphasis on shifting
scarce resources to reflect higher-priority national needs. Investment
of limited NIST resources in the laboratory programs and facilities
will have the greatest impact on strengthening homeland security and
fostering innovation that leads to economic growth."
Details of the FY 2004 request for NIST and supporting materials can
be found at http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/budget_2004.htm.
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