Trends in Geosciences R&D Funding

Matt HourihanSeptember 16, 2014for the Geosciences Congressional Visits Day

AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Programhttp://www.aaas.org/program/rd-budget-and-policy-program

BCA takes effect: first year of caps

Sequestration kicks in (delayed and reduced by the American Taxpayer Relief Act)

Yearlong budget warfare resolved by Bipartisan Budget Act (restores some funding in FY14, sets table for FY15)

The Fiscal Context for FY 2015 Congress keeps (partially) restoring funding

FY15: 25% reduction in cuts

Discretionary spending cap is only 0.2% above FY14 Very little room in the discretionary budget for any sort

of program growth

President’s budget released in March Appropriators have made some progress, but things

have stalled

Program Notes: USGS

President’ s request: 4% boost Fracking, environmental health,

climate-related research, invasive species

Appropriations: sub-inflation overall Except natural hazards

Current discretionary approps are 8.2% (Senate) and 9.1% (House) below FY 2005 levels But R&D estimates are about

level

Program Notes: NSF GEO

President’ s request: Divisions virtually flat across the board Research v.

infrastructure: different changes in different divisions

Appropriations: very limited changes GEO excluded from 3%

research increase in House

Program Notes: NASA Earth Science

President’ s request: 3.1 percent reduction Reductions: GPM, SMAP, OCO-2 entering

operation; ICESat-II launch under review Funding ramp-up for decadal and

Venture missions

Approps: $82 million separates House and Senate

Senate: $62 million above request (roughly flat from FY14) Increases for PACE mission, Landsat

successor, Jason-3 and DSCOVR

House: $20 million below request (4.2 percent below FY14) ROAM funding reduced

Program Notes: NOAA and DOE SC

NOAA OAR: ~7% boost sought overall by Administration Primarily due to ~20% boost for climate-related research. BUT: Climate research cut by ~24 percent below FY14 levels in

House Senate: smaller increases for climate research, ocean

exploration

NOAA weather satellites: boosts granted for GOES-R, JPSS

DOE Science: climate modeling?

Up Next

Continuing resolution?

Lame duck omnibus?

FY 2016 and beyond – back to post-sequester levels

What it all means: very tight fiscal room, broad-based growth unlikely But growth in targeted programs?

For more info…

mhouriha@aaas.org

202-326-6607http

://www.aaas.org/program/rd-budget-and-policy-program