FY 1998 NSF Budget Request: Engineering, Geosciences, U.S. Polar Programs

This FYI briefly summarizes the FY 1998 budget requests for the Engineering Activity, the Geosciences Activity, and U.S. Polar Programs of the National Science Foundation. Quotations are from NSF’s FY 1998 budget request to Congress. Note that dollar figures in this series of FYIs are not adjusted for inflation.

ENGINEERING ACTIVITY:

“The FY 1998 Budget Request for Engineering is $360.47 million, an increase of $12.53 million, or 3.6%, over the FY 1997 Current Plan of $347.94 million.” The Engineering Activity budget request, 18 pages in all, is divided into the following six subactivities:

-Bioengineering and Environmental Systems: Up $1.85 million, or 7.0%, to $28.34 million.
-Chemical and Transport Systems: Up $1.29 million, or 3.2%, to $42.13 million.
-Civil and Mechanical Systems: Up $1.73 million, or 3.4%, to $53.10 million.
-Design, Manufacture, and Industrial Innovation: Up $4.27 million, or 4.5%, to $99.55 million.
-Electrical and Communication Systems: Up $2.12 million, or 5.1%, to $43.47 million.
-Engineering Education and Centers: Up $1.27 million, or 1.4%, to $93.88 million.

The budget request states that Research Project Support would increase 3.6% to $329.28 million, expanding “support for cross-disciplinary research focused on cutting-edge technologies including:"

Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence: “The FY 1998 targeted efforts are in the areas of systems and network level research on optical and wireless technologies; integrating real-time sensing, communications, and control methodologies for next generation engineering systems; and characterizing and adapting biological learning and adaptation mechanisms to artificial systems.”

Nanotechnology: “Increased funding will permit investigation of new aerosol, colloid, thermal, self-assembly, plasma or combustion approaches, and will stimulate development of new modeling and experimental tools.”

Plasma Science and Engineering: “Increased support for participation is a joint NSF-DOE initiative addressing fundamental issues in plasma science and engineering. ENG participation is very broad-based, in response to opportunities afforded by new investigative techniques and tools, and the need for more fundamental knowledge as underpinning for the many applications of plasmas in modern technology.”

Next Generation Biomedical Technologies: “Includes research on biomedical fluid mechanics, biomaterials for medical implants, and artificial tissues and organs.”

Neuromorphic Systems: “These needs include developing machines with the senses of vision, hearing, touch, and smell and overcoming current technical limitations in machine perception and recognition capabilities.”

Technologies That Avoid Environmental Harm: “Research can lead to the development of environmentally conscious materials and manufacturing processes that emphasize pollution avoidance and the minimization of energy and materials waste.”

Civil Infrastructure Systems: “Research will focus on the developing life-cycle design, performance, management and investment approaches for civil infrastructure systems. Special emphasis will be given to research addressing the complex and integrated infrastructure needs of the urban metropolis.”

GEOSCIENCES ACTIVITY:

This is a distinct activity, separate from the Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and Engineering budgets. The budget request, 11 pages in all, states: “The FY 1998 Budget Request for the Geosciences Activity (GEO) is $452.61 million, an increase of $6.54 million, or 1.5%, over the FY 1997 Current Plan of $446.07 million.”

The Geosciences Activity is divided into three subactivities:

-Atmospheric Sciences: Up $0.85 million, or 0.6%, to $151.32 million.
-Earth Sciences: Up $1.36 million, or 1.5%, to $95.13 million.
-Ocean Sciences: Up $4.33 million, or 2.1%, to $206.16 million.
The request notes: “Almost two-thirds of GEO’s funding is directed toward research projects support in all GEO disciplinary areas.... Although some GEO-sponsored research projects are firmly rooted in a single discipline, an increasing percentage are multidisciplinary efforts drawing on the talents and perspectives of several researchers, who together provide valuable knowledge about the complex interactions among different facets of the integrated earth system.”

Research Project “Priorities for FY 1998 include increased support for the U.S. Weather Research Program, the National Space Weather Program, Research Experiences for Undergraduates, and several programs associated with the U.S. Global Change Research Program, including Earth System History, Global Tropospheric Chemistry, and Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics. Support will be maintained for ongoing programs in coastal ocean processes and environmental geochemistry and biogeochemistry.”

U.S. POLAR PROGRAMS:

This is a separate program from those previously described. The 11 page section states: “The FY 1998 Budget Request for U.S. Polar Programs is $228.53 million, an increase of $4.53 million, or 2.0%, over the FY 1997 Current Plan of $224.0 million. There are two major budget categories: U.S. Polar Research Programs and U.S. Antarctic Logistical Support Activities.

Funding for U.S. Polar Research Programs, which funds “both Arctic and Antarctic research, as well as operations and science support,” would be up $4.53 million, or 2.8%, to $165.93 million, Within this research budget, support for the U.S. Arctic Research Program would increase $1.70 million, or 5.6% to $32.20 million.. Emphasis would be on: “Continued support for the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic (SHEBA) Ocean Project;" “support for the integration of research findings across disciplines, and for the development of models to address the issue of natural or human-induced changes and their implications for resource management and change in the Arctic system;" and large interdisciplinary studies, including “special opportunities such as the dual-use Navy Arctic submarine research cruises and on a pilot program for winter-over science capability at Summit, Greenland.” U.S. Antarctic Research Grants Program support would increase $1.70 million, or 5.6% to $32.20 million. Special emphasis would placed on “support for the sourthern oceans component of the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS), a cooperative effort with the Geosciences Activity,” “the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) program,” and, “in earth sciences, support for the Cape Roberts drilling program.”

Funding for U.S. Antarctic Logistical Support Activities would remain level at $62.60 million.

A future FYI will describe the budget request for improvements at the South Pole Station.