In Perspective: FY 2015 S&T Budget Outcomes

FYI’s review of the FY 2015 appropriations cycle is complete. See Latest Congressional Budget Action - FY 2015 for appropriations outcomes for federal science agency and department programs providing significant support for physical sciences and STEM education.

Congress and the Obama Administration crafted the FY 2015 budgets under very tight constraints. Total discretionary spending rose just 0.2 percent over last year.

FY 2015 funding rose for some S&T line items tracked by FYI and fell for others. Percentage changes are as compared to FY 2014 funding, as follows.

NASA Aeronautics: Up 15.0
DOE SC Advanced Scientific Computing: Up 13.2
NNSA Naval Reactors: Up 12.7
NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service: Up 6.8
DOD Advanced Technology Development: Up 6.4
NASA Exploration: Up 5.9
DOD: Defense-wide (DARPA) S&T: Up 5.4
DOD Basic Research: Up 5.2
NNSA Weapons Activities: Up 5.2
USGS Natural Hazards: Up 5.2
DOE Office of Science (DOE SC) Nuclear Physics: Up 4.6
NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research: Up 4.6
DOD: Army S&T: Up 4.1
NIST Scientific and Technical Research and Services: Up 3.8
NASA Space Technology: Up 3.5
Total DOD S&T Programs: Up 3.4
USGS Climate and Land Use Change: Up 3.0
USGS Ecosystems: Up 2.8
DOD: Navy S&T: Up 2.6
Total NSF: Up 2.4
Total NOAA: Up 2.3
NSF Education and Human Resources: Up 2.3
NSF Research and Related Activities: Up 2.2
Total NASA: Up 2.1
NASA Education: Up 2.1
Department of Education Mathematics and Science Partnerships: Up 2.0
NOAA National Weather Service: Up 1.9
USGS Water Resources: Up 1.9
NASA Science: Up 1.8
Total NNSA: Up 1.8
TOTAL NIST: Up 1.6
NASA Space Operations: Up 1.3
Total USGS: Up 1.3
DOE SC Basic Energy Sciences: Up 1.2
NIH: National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering: Up 1.2
USGS Energy, Minerals and Environmental Health: Up 0.9
Total NIH: Up 0.5

Increase in total discretionary spending for FY 2015: Up 0.2 percent

Total DOE Office of Science: essentially no change
NSF Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction: essentially no change
USGS Facilities: essentially no change

DOD Applied Research: Down 0.8
DOD: Air Force S&T: Down 1.1
USGS Core Science Systems: Down 1.5
NOAA National Ocean Service: Down 2.8
DOE SC Biological and Environmental Sciences: Down 2.9
NIST Industrial Technology Services: Down 3.4
DOE SC High Energy Physics: Down 3.8
USGS Science Support: Down 4.6
DOE SC Fusion Energy Sciences: Down 7.4
NIST Construction of Research Facilities: Down 10.2
NNSA Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation: Down 17.3

A similar listing for the Obama Administration’s FY 2015 request sent to Congress in March is here: “FY 2015 S&T Administration Budget Requests: The Ups and Downs”