1 TUFTS UPDATE MAY 31, 2018 PREPARED BY LEWIS-BURKE ASSOCIATES LLC Contents Introduction... Appropriations Updates... Senate Appropriations Committee Agrees to Top-Line Discretionary Spending Levels for All 12 Appropriations Bills... House Appropriations Committee Releases Interior and Environment Bill... House Appropriations Committee Approves Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill... Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2019 Agriculture Bill... House Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2019 Agriculture Bill... Senate Appropriations Committee Favorably Reports FY 2019 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill... House Appropriations Committee Favorably Reports FY 2019 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill... House Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Bill... Funding Opportunities... USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Releases RFA for Foundational and Applied Science Program... Department of Education Announces FY 2018 Title VI International Education Grant Programs... Department of Defense Releases FOA for the Minerva Research Initiative... Department of Defense NDEP Releases FOA on Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC)... Air Force Office of Scientific Research Releases FOA for University Center of Excellence in Assured Autonomy in Contested Environments... Department of Defense Solicits Proposals for BUILD Infrastructure Grant Program... Department of Education FY 2019 IES NCER and NCSER Grant Competitions Announced... Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity Releases BAA on Molecular Information Storage (MIST) Program...
2 Introduction This edition of the Tufts Washington Update provides summaries of May appropriations updates and funding opportunities. Faculty, staff, and researchers are welcome to schedule calls with the Lewis- Burke Tufts team or meet with the team when they visit Washington, DC. Contact Eliana Perlmutter, Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, at eliana@lewis-burke.com with any questions or comments related to the Update s content or for more information on updates and opportunities.
3 Appropriations Updates Senate Appropriations Committee Agrees to Top-Line Discretionary Spending Levels for All 12 Appropriations Bills On May 24, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 31-0 to approve discretionary funding levels for all 12 FY 2019 appropriations bills, called 302(b)s. This is in sharp contrast to the party-line vote of 29-22 in the House on May 23. Senate appropriators provided funding increases to health and education programs backed by Democrats by scaling back increases for border security, a new border wall with Mexico, and immigration enforcement proposed by the Trump Administration and supported by House Republicans. Overall, both the House and Senate complied with top line discretionary funding levels of $1.24 trillion set in the Bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2018 the two year budget deal that covered FY 2018 and FY 2019. Both the House and Senate also complied with top line non-defense and defense discretionary funding levels also set in the Bipartisan Budget Control Act, which includes an additional $18 billion above FY 2018 for both defense and non-defense spending. Unlike prior years, there are not major differences between the House and Senate in discretionary funding levels across most of the 12 appropriations bills. See the table below for a comparison. Appropriations Bills FY 2018 FY 2019 House FY 2019 Senate Agriculture $23.3 billion $23.3 billion $23.3 billion Commerce-Justice-Science $59.6 billion $62.5 billion $63 billion Defense $589.5 billion $606.5 billion $607.1 billion Energy-Water $43.2 billion $44.7 billion $43.8 billion Financial Services $23.4 billion $23.4 billion $23.7 billion Homeland Security $47.7 billion $52.5 billion $48.3 billion Interior-Environment $35.3 billion $35.3 billion $35.9 billion Labor-HHS-Education $177.1 billion $177.1 billion $179.3 billion Legislative Branch $4.7 billion $4.9 billion $4.8 billion Military Construction-VA $92 billion $96 billion $97.1 billion State-Foreign Operations $42 billion $46 billion $46.4 billion Transportation-HUD $70.3 billion $71.8 billion $71.4 billion Total $1.208 trillion $1.244 trillion $1.244 trillion However, the main point of contention will be over funding for homeland security versus health and education programs. The House plan would provide a $4.8 billion, or 10 percent, boost to the Department of Homeland Security, while keeping the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill flat. Instead the Senate would give Homeland Security a more modest $611 million increase over FY 2018 and give a larger $2.2 billion boost to health and education programs. Final funding allocations are likely to be closer to the Senate plan because of the 60 vote threshold needed to advanced spending legislation in the Senate. [Back to Top]
4 House Appropriations Committee Releases Interior and Environment Bill On May 21, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee released the fiscal year (FY) 2019 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill which provides funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the National Endowments for the Arts (NEA) and Humanities (NEH), among other agencies. A full Committee markup was scheduled to consider this bill on May 22 but is now postponed until after Congress returns following the Memorial Day recess. Overall, the House bill totals $35.3 billion, flat relative to the enacted level from the FY 2018 omnibus appropriations bill passed in March of this year. The House bill would provide increases for USGS, NEA, and NEH compared to the FY 2018 enacted levels and would decrease funding for the EPA, though this cut would be far less than proposed in the President s FY 2019 budget request. The Committee again rejected the Administration s proposed elimination of the NEH and NEA and would instead provide a $2 million increase for each agency. The Committee also rejected the significant cut proposed by the Administration to USGS by instead providing an increase in the bill. U.S. Geological Survey The House bill would provide the U.S. Geological Survey with $1.16 billion, which is $18.8 million, or 1.6 percent above the FY 2018 level, and $307.6 million or 35.8 percent above the President s FY 2019 budget request. The bill would fund the Natural Hazards account at $170.1 million, or 4.8 percent below the current enacted level and 45.0 percent above the budget request. This reduction comes from the Volcano Hazards program that received one-time infrastructure funding last fiscal year. The ShakeAlert earthquake early warning (EEW) program enjoys bipartisan support, evident in the Committee s rejection of the Administration s proposed elimination of this program for FY 2019. In the bill, ShakeAlert would receive $16.1 million, an increase of $3.2 million relative to the FY 2018 enacted level, for continued development and expansion of EEW for the West Coast. An additional $5 million in onetime infrastructure funding would also be included to fund the buildout of this EEW system. The Committee would provide a $3.2 million increase to the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) and would additionally provide $5 million to address ANSS deferred maintenance and modernization. The House bill would provide flat funding for the Global Seismographic Network, rather than the 25.8 percent cut requested by the Administration. The Committee also recommends a $1.2 million increase to the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources program that, in part, would support restoring cooperative agreements with academic institutions. The bill would protect the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers, previously named Climate Science Centers, from a 48.7 percent cut proposed by the Administration for FY 2019 and would instead provide flat funding. This differs from last year when the Committee accepted the Administration s proposed deeps cut to these centers and returns to the trend from prior years when the House Interior Subcommittee has championed this program. Like last year, the Committee would protect funding for the Water Resources Research Act program that supports the Water Resource Research Institutes and would provide flat funding of $6.5 million, despite the proposed elimination in the budget request. The report also rejects the Administration s
5 proposed cuts to Research and Development to Advance Water Science, previously known as the National Research Program, which supports research at the Water Science Centers. Within the Ecosystems mission area, the Committee would increase funding for the Invasive Species Program by $1.2 million or 6.9 percent. Funding for the Cooperative Research Units (CRUs) would increase by $1.9 million or 11 percent. The report language states that the increased CRU funding is intended to allow for "critical vacancies at research institutes to be filled expeditiously. The Committee also notes that they expect the CRUs to coordinate with the Fish and Wildlife Service on new research projects. Additionally, the Committee encourages USGS to hold a collaborative forum on Great Lakes ecosystem science with stakeholders, including academia, to identify gaps and priorities. The bill would increase funding for the National Cooperative Geological Mapping Program by $1 million. The Committee would provide $5.8 million in additional funds for continued development of the ground system of the Landsat 9 land remote sensing satellite and $11.9 million for maintenance, hardware, and software updates. The report states continued support for the Environmental Health program that was proposed for elimination in the President s budget request. Environmental Protection Agency The House bill would provide the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with $7.96 billion, a decrease of $100 million or 1.2 percent below the FY 2018 enacted level but $1.81 billion or 29.5 percent above the request. In keeping with the previous year s House mark, the explanatory statement includes language that would limit the Administration s ability to undertake substantial reprogramming of existing agency activities without approval from the Committee. The inclusion of this language is a response to the President s FY 2018 and FY 2019 requests, both of which proposed drastic cuts to EPA and major office closures. The EPA Science and Technology account (S&T) would receive $643.8 million in FY 2019, a reduction of $62.7 million or 8.9 percent below the FY 2018 enacted level but $194.8 million or 43.4 percent above the President s request. The cut relative to FY 2018 would be spread evenly across most S&T programs, with the exception being a 9.5 percent increase to Operations and Administration to support the Administration s efforts to reorganize the S&T workforce through voluntary buyouts, separation agreements, and program reassignments. The total S&T allocation would also include a $15.5 million transfer from the Hazardous Substance Superfund account to support ongoing relevant research. In keeping with the FY 2018 omnibus, the House bill would explicitly include funding for the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, though the amount is unspecified. STAR is EPA s primary mechanism for funding external research, but the program has received declining budgets since 2002. The Administration proposed to eliminate STAR outright in its FY 2018 and FY 2019 budget requests. As in past years, $4.1 million would be allocated to support water quality and availability research by nonprofit organizations. These National Priorities grants would be independent of STAR, and priority would be given to research proposals that include a national scope and a 25 percent match. The report language directs EPA to strive to award grants in as large an amount as is possible to achieve the most scientifically significant research.
6 The report accompanying the bill contains several specific directives related to S&T programs including: $81.8 million for Air and Energy; $113.9 million for Chemical Safety and Sustainability, including $21.4 million for computational toxicology and $16.3 million for endocrine disruptor research; and $94.6 million for Safe and Sustainable Water Resources, including a mandate that EPA coordinate with other Federal agencies on research activities related to enhanced aquifer recharge (EAR) and advancing EPA s understanding of toxins associated with harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes and coastal and inland waters. The report includes language encouraging EPA to expand its research collaborations with institutes, foundations, and universities that would leverage scientific expertise. Additionally, as stated by the Committee in the report, topics for consideration as part of EPA s FY 2020 budget request could include, but are not limited to, toxicity testing that does not rely on animal subjects, EAR, measurement and capture of methane or other emissions, treatment of water used in oil and gas operations, and novel drinking water filtration and desalination. Lastly, the bill would direct EPA to support a Water Security Test Bed for pursuing research aimed at mitigating threats to drinking water sources and infrastructure. National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts For FY 2019, the House would provide both the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) $155 million each, an increase of just over $2 million, respectively. This marks the second year in a row that Congress has rebuffed the President s budget request, which proposed the elimination of both agencies. As in FY 2018, the Committee writes in the accompanying report that it commends the NEH for supporting programs that benefit wounded warriors and veterans. It also commends NEH for supporting cultural preservation for Native American and American Indian communities, as well as its partnerships with Tribal communities. Regarding NEA, the Committee voices its broad bipartisan support for NEA s participation in the National Initiative on Arts in the Military, which centers around arts therapy for veterans and their families, and specifically draws attention to NEA s art therapy work at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The Committee also praises NEA for its commitment to broad and far-reaching initiatives that address underserved communities across the country. In addition, the report language supports NEA s continuing efforts for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) education initiatives. Notably, the Committee reiterates that NEA grant funding is strictly prohibited for individual artists.
7 Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill, FY 2019 As released by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior-Environment on 5/21/2018 U.S. Geological Survey (in thousands of $) FY 2018 Enacted FY 2019 Request FY 2019 House House v. FY 2018 Enacted House v. FY 2019 Request USGS, total 1,148,457 859,680 1,167,291 18,834 (1.6%) 307,611 (35.8%) Natural Hazards 178,613 117,302 170,108-8,505 (4.8%) 52,806 (45.0%) Earthquake Hazards 83,403 50,999 83,403 -- 32,404 (63.5%) Global Seismographic 6,653 4,937 6,653 -- 1,716 (34.8%) Network Ecosystems 157,732 96,131 157,748 16 (0.01%) 61,617 (64.1%) Land Resources 152,499 103,242 158,299 5,800 (3.8%) 55,057 (53.3%) National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers Energy, Minerals, and Environmental Health 25,335 12,989 25,335 -- 12,346 (95.0%) 102,838 84,105 106,900 4,062 (3.9%) 22,795 (27.1%) Water Resources 217,554 164,922 231,123 13,569 (6.2%) 66,201 (40.1%) Water Resources Research Act 6,500 0 6,500 -- 6,500 (N/A) Core Science Systems 116,302 92,278 119,102 2,800 (2.4%) 26,824 (29.1%) Science Support 102,828 89,250 103,628 800 (0.8%) 14,378 (16.1%) Facilities 120,091 112,450 120,383 292 (0.2%) 7,933 (7.1%) Environmental Protection Agency (in thousands of $) FY 2018 Enacted FY 2019 Request FY 2019 House House vs. FY 2018 Enacted EPA, total 8,058,488 6,145,887 7,958,488-100,000 (1.2%) Science and 706,473 448,965 643,763-62,710 Technology (8.9%) House vs. FY 2019 Request 1,812,601 (29.5%) 194,798 (43.4%)
8 National Endowment for the Humanities & National Endowment for the Arts (in thousands of $) FY 2018 Enacted FY 2019 Request FY 2019 House House vs. FY 2018 Enacted House vs. FY 2019 Request NEH, total 152,848 42,307 155,000 2,152 (1.4%) 112,693 (266.4%) Research Programs 15,000 0 15,000 -- 15,000 (N/A) Education 12,750 0 12,750 -- 12,750 Programs Federal/State Partnerships 47,200 0 48,730 1,530 (3.2%) 48,730 NEA, total 152,849 28,949 155,000 2,151 (1.4%) 126,051 (435.4%) Grants 72,419 0 72,419 -- 72,419 (N/A) State and Regional Partnerships 48,280 0 50,431 -- 50,431 (N/A) Sources and Additional Information: The House Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, and a press release with selected details can be found at https://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?documentid=395297. The accompanying report is available at http://www.lewisburke.com/sites/default/files/draft_house_interior_report.pdf. [Back to Top] House Appropriations Committee Approves Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill On May 17, the House Appropriations Committee approved its fiscal year (FY) 2019 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill by a party line vote of 32-19. As previously reported, the bill would provide a total of $62.5 billion in discretionary funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Economic Development Administration (EDA), and Department of Justice (DOJ) among other programs. The total allocation--$2.9 billion more than the House CJS Appropriations Subcommittee received in FY 2018 would support large increases to NASA, NSF, and DOJ while also accommodating an additional $2 billion for the Census Bureau as the agency ramps up to the 2020 Census. These increases would be offset by significant reductions to NOAA and NIST and flat funding for EDA. As part of its consideration of the bill, the House Appropriations Committee released its report containing more details and direction to the agencies on CJS programs. In keeping with the previous year, the House bill would largely ignore many of the spending cuts proposed in the Administration s budget request, including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), minority-
9 serving, and scientific research programs at both NSF and NASA. The bill would also maintain level funding for several agencies and programs that the Administration proposed to terminate entirely including EDA, NOAA Coastal Zone Management Grants, and the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program at NIST. While many of the major programs of relevance to the research community enjoy bipartisan support, the markup featured Democratic objections to proposed cuts to NOAA as well as consideration and debate over several amendments related to gun control, immigration, and the Russia investigation. These efforts, which included an attempt to restore funding to NOAA s climate science research and coastal resilience grants, were not successful. As previously reported, the House bill would provide the following funding levels: NSF would be funded at $8.17 billion, $408 million above the FY 2018 omnibus level. The Research and Related Activities (R&RA) account would be funded at $6.6 billion, $317 million above the FY 2018 level. The Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction Account would be increased by $85 million for a total of $268 million. NASA would receive $21.5 billion, an increase of $810 million or 3.9 percent above the FY 2018 enacted level. Within this amount, the Science Mission Directorate would receive $6.68 billion, an increase of $459 million and 7.4 percent above FY 2018. The bill would also embrace the Administration s proposal to eliminate the Space Technology Mission Directorate and reorient agency-wide technology activities toward solely human spaceflight endeavors. NOAA would be provided with $5.2 billion for FY 2019, a $751 million decrease compared to the FY 2018 enacted level of $5.9 billion. The bulk of the reduction would impact the Procurement, Acquisition and Construction (PAC) accounts, though Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) would also incur a substantial cut. NIST would be funded at $985 million, a reduction of $214 million compared to the FY 2018 omnibus level. Core research activities would be funded at $720 million, a slight reduction of 0.6 percent from FY 2018. The Hollings MEP program would be flat-funded while the Manufacturing USA program would be reduced by $10 million for a total of $5 million. EDA would receive $302 million, which is the same as the FY 2018 enacted level. Moreover, the bill would maintain level funding for the popular Regional Innovation Strategies Program. The President s budget proposed eliminating the agency outright. DOJ would receive $31.1 billion, an $805 million increase above the FY 2018 enacted level. Within this amount, the bill would provide increased funding for Research, Evaluation, and Statistics (RES) within DOJ s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and designate specific funding for research on domestic radicalization and evidence-based intervention strategies; building police-community trust; offender reentry programs; and violence against women. Below are additional details on the House CJS bill and the corresponding Committee report. Specific funding information is available in the charts following the narrative. National Science Foundation The House CJS bill would provide the National Science Foundation (NSF) with $8.17 billion, $408 million, or 5.2 percent above the FY 2018 level and $703 million above the president s FY 2019 budget request.
10 The NSF increase would be the largest for the foundation in both dollar and percentage terms since 2010. The report notes that the funding amount shows the Committee s support of science, the academic community, and the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, astronomers, and engineers across the country. The Committee underscores the importance of basic research that both improves the lives of Americans and expands our understanding of the Earth, the depths of our oceans, our Solar System, the Universe, and oceans on other planets. NSF must redouble its important efforts thus far to ensure that this funding is invested wisely to improve our way of life and expand our knowledge base. NSF s Research and Related Activities (R&RA) account would be funded at $6.65 billion, 5.0 percent above the FY 2018 level and $501 million above the FY 2019 request. As in previous years, the report highlights support for NSF infrastructure investments and directs NSF to support research infrastructure assets (including for astronomy, research vessels, and the national high-performance computing centers) at no less than FY 2018 levels. As in the FY 2018 report, the FY 2019 report reiterates the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (AICA) language regarding transparency and accountability of the NSF merit review process. AICA directs NSF to justify how awards address the statutory mission of NSF, [1] and to provide award abstracts that can be easily understood by the public. AICA also directs NSF to demonstrate how the broader impacts of projects address: U.S. economic competitiveness, health and welfare of the American public, U.S. national defense, partnership between academia and industry, and development of the U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. In new House guidance for FY 2019, the report would also: Support NSF s Windows on the Universe big idea for multi-messenger astrophysics, urge NSF to carry out recommendations from recent decadal surveys, and direct NSF to articulate a plan to ensure public access in future large optical observatories; Support NSF s plans for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernization for Science program and direct NSF to keep the Committee informed on the status; Direct the Geosciences Directorate to support and enhance its new program with NOAA s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. This partnership is also referenced in the NOAA section of the report, but it is unclear to what program the language refers; Support the budget request level of $75 million for the Major Research Instrumentation program; Direct NSF to continue to fund the Plant Genome Research Program and continue its focus on research related to crops of economic importance; Recommend NSF support midscale experimental research capabilities to fill gaps at the frontiers of science and engineering, including for research to support high energy laser technologies; Encourage the Industrial Innovation and Partnerships Division to continue support for research related to the U.S. steel industry; and Commend NSF on its investments in high-performance and quantum computing and require NSF to update the Committee on its high-performance computing investment plans. Note that these last two items have previously appeared in Senate CJS Committee reports. Several items were also repeated from previous House CJS appropriations reports, which would: [1] NSF Statutory Mission: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsf14002/pdf/02_mission_vision.pdf
11 Note the Committee s continued support for neuroscience research; Direct NSF to support the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) at the FY 2018 level of $171 million, which is $11 million above the president s budget request; Direct the Astronomical Sciences Division to continue to support existing astronomy observatories at no less that FY 2018 levels and report any infrastructure divestment before taking action; Support Computer Information Science and Engineering (CISE) collaboration with Education and Human Resources (EHR) to continue support for computer science education in Pre-K 12; and Provide the requested $48 million for the International Ocean Drilling Program and support the goal of operating five JOIDES Resolution research missions per year. Unlike the FY 2018 report, no language is included related to marine seismic research. The language change comes after NSF recently announced its planned divestment from the seismic research vessel Marcus Langseth as recommended by the 2015 ocean sciences decadal survey. The Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) account would be funded at $268 million, $85 million or 47 percent above the FY 2018 level and $173 million above the FY 2019 request. Unlike previous years, the Committee would support construction of three Regional Class Research Vessels, providing $127 million, $98 million over the request. The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) would be funded at $124 million, $75 million above the request level. This level of funding would cover LSST construction estimates for FY 2019, FY 2020, and part of FY 2021. The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) would continue to receive support at the requested level. Education and Human Resources (EHR) would be supported at $902 million, level with FY 2018 and $29 million above the FY 2019 request. Within this amount, the report would: Direct NSF to continue to award grants to support STEM education authorized under the STEM Education Act of 2015, including those related to developing innovations in mentoring, training and apprenticeships. The 2015 Act authorized NSF s informal education portfolio and defined STEM to explicitly include computer science. Urge NSF to fund Discovery Research PreK-12 awards more equitably with respect to age distribution to allocate more funding to research focused on early childhood. Note the important role of Hispanic Serving Institutions and the Hispanic Serving Institutions program and direct NSF to demonstrate a $50 million investment in the program by September 30, 2019. Congress has previously provided NSF with a total of $45 million for the program over FY 2017 and FY 2018 appropriations that has not yet been awarded. NSF requested $5 million for the program in FY 2019, so the $50 million investment would be made by awarding all previous funding plus the $5 million requested for FY 2019. Provide no less than the FY 2018 levels for Advanced Technological Education and the NSF Innovation Corps programs; Provide no less than $35 million for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Undergraduate Program, $46 million for the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program, and $14 million for the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program; Provide $64.5 million for the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, $3 million above the FY 2017 level and $17.5 million above the request. The FY 2018 level for this program is not yet available.
12 Encourage NSF to form partnerships with HSIs and HBCUs with respect to cybersecurity research. The report additionally directs NSF to work with the academic community along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), NIST, and other relevant agencies to identify best practices for data and intellectual property security and protection related to NSF-funded research and facilities. NSF would be required to provide a report on implementation of this directive with 180 days of enactment. National Aeronautics and Space Administration The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) would receive $21.5 billion, an increase of $810 million or 3.9 percent above the FY 2018 enacted level and $1.6 billion or 8 percent above the Administration s FY 2019 request. The bill embraces the Administration s proposed restructure and reorientation of agency-wide technology activities towards solely human spaceflight endeavors. The legislation would also adopt NASA s proposal to engage in cross-directorate activities aimed at prioritizing future human exploration of the lunar environment. The Science Mission Directorate would receive $6.68 billion, an increase of $459 million or 7.4 percent above FY 2018. The entirety of the increase would go to planetary and astrophysics missions and research. $2.75 billion would be provided to the Planetary Science Division (PSD), an increase of $530.6 million above FY 2018 and $523.8 million above the request a new high for the Division. Unlike in previous House reports, an amount for Planetary Research and Analysis is not specified but NASA is directed to include sufficient funding in future requests. For PSD s principal investigator (PI)-led, competitive Discovery and New Frontiers mission lines, $335.8 million and $130.2 million would be appropriated, respectively, in line with the Administration s request. Supportive language on existing New Frontiers missions (Juno, New Horizons, and OSIRIS-Rex) is also included. The bill would provide $650 million for the Mars Exploration Program (MEP), flat relative to FY 2018 but an increase of $48.5 million over the request. This amount would encompass funding needed for both the Mars 2020 rover and NASA s planned sample return mission. The report does not address the aging fleet of orbital platforms and their role in relaying data from an increasing number of missions on the Martian surface. NASA would be directed to provide a report on the matter and how potential upgrades to this orbital architecture fit within Mars 2020 and sample return. Outer Planets and Ocean Worlds would receive $760.9 million. The Europa Clipper and Lander missions would be funded at $545.5 million and $195 million, respectively, and the report directs NASA to include five-year budget profiles for both missions in future requests. Additionally, the target launch dates 2022 for Clipper and 2024 for Lander and statutory obligations associated with the missions are referenced in the legislative text and throughout the relevant sections in the report. $210.2 million would be provided for Planetary Science Technology and include funding for the Mars 2020 rover helicopter ($10 million), icy surface technology and testbed ($35 million), and plutonium-238 production ($81.8 million). A new emphasis would be placed on partnering with NOAA s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research and associated vessels to inform the understanding of analogs of extremophiles on Earth and possible life in the solar system. The bill would embrace the Administration s proposed shift in prioritization towards research and exploration of the lunar environment as part of its Lunar Discovery and Exploration program within the
13 Science Mission Directorate. $200 million would be allocated for the Future Lunar initiative, which would support a mix of commercial lunar payload services; science instrument development; small satellite development; and long-duration lunar rover development. Per the report, activities in this area would be directed to align with decadal recommendations and other past and future reports related to lunar research, including the National Academies 2007 report The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon. Additional language is included that urges NASA to utilize public-private partnerships in lunar lander technology maturation to support a broad array of lunar activities, including those with science applications. Lastly, efforts to detect, characterize, and mitigate the threat of Near-Earth Objects are prioritized by the Committee, with a $10 million increase to the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) for the Near-Earth Object Camera (NEOCam). Supportive language is also included relative to PDCO s other major programs, the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) and Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) missions. The bill would provide $1.029 billion to the Astrophysics Division (APD), an increase of $178.6 million or 21 percent above FY 2018. As requested by the Administration, $83.4 million would be provided for Astrophysics Research and Analysis. The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) would be funded at $85.2 million, flat relative to FY 2018. The mission has undergone recent scrutiny by some leaders in the astrophysics community due to controversial language in the FY 2018 omnibus Explanatory Statement that had the effect, in NASA s view, of prohibiting a senior review of SOFIA until the 2030s. The provision in the House FY 2019 mark is similarly proscriptive. $150 million would be allocated for the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), the same amount appropriated for FY 2018. The mission was proposed for cancellation by the Administration due to unforeseen cost growth and followed concerns reported late last year by an independent team of experts chartered by NASA to review the mission in its early development phase. Within the amount provided for WFIRST, the bill would allocate $20 million the same as FY 2018 to support the development of a Starshade that would accompany the telescope and allow for the detection of Earthlike planets beyond the Solar System. The report provides at least $10 million for NASA, in partnership with private sector and philanthropic organizations, to conduct a search for technological signatures of extraterrestrial life. This provision is similar to language in the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee s National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 5503). $304.6 million would be provided for the James Webb Space Telescope, the same as the request and $229.1 million below FY 2018. The report acknowledged and issued a stern warning to NASA in light of significant issues with integration and testing of the spacecraft that have contributed to a delay in the mission and a likely breach in its statutory cost cap of $8 billion. The Earth Science Division (ESD) would receive $1.9 billion in FY 2019, a decrease of $21 million or 1.1 percent from the FY 2018 and an increase of $115.8 million or 6.5 percent above the request. The bill would fully fund the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Mission (NISAR, $131.9 million). Notable to the research community, language is included that would urge NASA to compete future medium and large missions that address the 2017 decadal recommendations. Under the previous arrangement, only smaller missions were open to competitive opportunities. $25 million would be provided for ESD s SmallSat constellation activities. Lastly, the bill would not address NASA s planned cancellation of the
14 Pre-Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem (PACE); Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) Pathfinder; Deep Space Climate Observatory instruments (DSCOVR); or Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) missions. These were proposed for elimination in the FY 2018, but funding was restored in the omnibus. It is anticipated the Senate will include language in its mark that would provide funding for these missions. Little direction is provided for the Heliophysics Division (HPD) which would receive $688.5 million. This amount is flat relative to FY 2018 and $2.2 million below the Administration s request. The report specifies that $26 million be made available for continuing science operations and data archiving for the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS). As noted above, the legislation endorses the Administration s proposed elimination of the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) as an independent directorate. In its place, $900 million would be provided for the new Exploration Research and Technology account. Although STMD would be formally eliminated, the House bill would retain many of the same technology development activities with cross-agency applications currently housed within it while explicitly recognizing the NASA-wide uses of the new Directorate s activities. This includes funding for satellite servicing (RESTORE-L, $130 million); solar electric propulsion with noted uses for robotic missions ($52 million); nuclear thermal propulsion ($150 million); and SmallSats with an emphasis on increased communications capabilities ($25 million). The bill would provide $715 million for Aeronautics, an increase of $30 million above the FY 2018 omnibus and $81.1 million or 12.8 percent above the request. The report notably sets aside $60 million for hypersonics research and encourages NASA to invest in extramural research in propulsion, materials, thermal management, and entry, descent, and landing. NASA would also be encouraged to partner with relevant Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories on battery storage research for electric flight applications. The bill reiterates support in the FY 2018 House CJS report and FY 2018 omnibus for NASA to expand its partnerships with academia under the University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) contract mechanism. This model is commonly used by the Department of Defense (DOD) to tackle engineering challenges not easily executed by the government. The bill would provide Education with $90 million, once again rejecting the Administration s proposal to eliminate the office entirely. The Committee would maintain investments in Space Grant ($40 million), EPSCoR ($18 million), and the Minority University Research and Education Program (MUREP) ($32 million). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Overall, the Committee would provide the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with $5.2 billion, which is a $750.7 million decrease compared to the FY 2018 enacted level. The Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction (PAC) account would absorb the bulk of the proposed decrease, with an overall $696 million cut for the account and $444.9 million decrease proposed for the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) within PAC. The Operations, Research and Facilities (ORF) account would receive a $62.7 million cut compared to the omnibus level.
15 The report begins with strong language in support of extramural research, which states that the Committee continues to believe that NOAA benefits from collaboration with academia. Despite language that is meant to repudiate the FY 2019 budget request, the House bill would still cut Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) by $45 million and the Climate Research program by $59.4 million, compared to the FY 2018 enacted levels. OAR programs that were proposed for elimination in the President s budget request would receive increases, including a $3.5 million for Sea Grant and a $2 million increase for the National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERRS), as compared to the FY 2018 enacted level. OAR Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) would receive the largest increase in OAR, $11.5 million or 31.5 percent compared to the omnibus level. The report recommends that no less than $7 million support partnerships with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and academia to support associated science through peer-reviewed processes for ocean exploration in unknown regions. Moreover, the Committee expects NOAA to expand exploration workshops and partner with universities to increase capacity for deep-water Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to expand capabilities and develop a program that also involves collaboration with the Department of Defense. The report also recommends NOAA launch a new prize competition to support ocean acidification research. With respect to Cooperative Institutes (CIs), the report directs the NOAA Research Council to submit a report to the Committee that includes an assessment of NOAA s requirements and capabilities for research in [deep water issues and their effect on the US coastline] and how to leverage external partners. The National Ocean Service (NOS) would receive an overall cut of $8.5 million compared to the omnibus level, with flat funding of $75 million for the NOS Coastal Zone Management Grants. In contrast to the FY 2018 omnibus which provided a total of $30 million through a new National Oceans and Coastal Security Fund (Title XI) to support coastal resilience grants, the House bill did not provide any funding for this account. The bill would provide an increase of $7 million for the Coastal Science and Assessment competitive grants and the report directs this increase for research on harmful algal blooms (HAB). Additionally, it recommends that NOAA partner with the Department of Homeland Security on HAB research. The National Weather Service (NWS) would maintain flat funding compared to the FY 2018 enacted level. The report indicates that $6 million would be provided for hydrology and water resource programs at the National Water Center and directs collaboration with external academic partners. Despite an overall decrease for NESDIS PAC, there would be increases for programs that continue to increase in priority like the Space Weather Follow-On activities, which would receive a $1.46 million increase for a total of $10 million compared to the FY 2018 enacted. However, the bill would provide the FY 2019 requested levels, which represents decreases compared to the FY 2018 enacted levels, for: Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) at $572.2 million, a decrease of $203.5 million; the Polar Follow-On (PFO) at $305.8 million, a decrease of $114 million; and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R series (GOES-R) at $408.4 million, a decrease of $110 million. The Committee would also provide $6 million to continue efforts of the Commercial Weather Data Pilot Program and encourages NOAA to consider successful data or services projects as part of the Agency s observation architecture. National Institute of Standards and Technology In the House CJS bill, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) would receive $985 million, which is 17.8 percent below the FY 2018 enacted level, but 56.6 percent above the President s
16 budget request. A majority of the proposed decrease in funding from the FY 2018 level is in the constructions of research facilities. The bill and accompanying report provide limited detail and only highlight two of NIST s research efforts, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program and textile research. Related to windstorm impact, the bill would encourage NIST to support extramural research to increase the resiliency of buildings and communities when faced with multi-hazard risk. The bill would also encourage NIST to work with existing nationally designated windstorm testing facilities at academic research institutions to test large-scale structures and models. The bill would also encourage NIST to continue pursuing textile research and manufacturing. Rejecting the proposal in the President s budget request to eliminate the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, the bill would provide the program with $140 million, the same as in FY 2018. As in prior years, the House would require a report on the program s efficiency, and the amount of funding that remains at NIST headquarters. The Committee would provide only $5 million for coordination activities of Manufacturing USA, which is $10 million below the President s budget request. The bill would eliminate the Urban Dome and Lab-to-Market programs but does not adopt the proposed reduction to the forensic science program. Economic Development Administration The Economic Development Administration (EDA) would receive $301.5 million in FY 2019, which is the same as the FY 2018 enacted level. This allocation runs counter to the President s FY 2019 budget request, which proposed eliminating the agency outright. Moreover, the bill would maintain flat funding for virtually all of the agency s key initiatives that support programs to advance public works projects and stimulate innovation-based economic growth. Notably, the bill would maintain flat funding for the Regional Innovation Program (RIP). RIP is a popular initiative that has provided support for universities and research institutes to develop and scale-up commercialization centers through i6 Challenge grants and to cultivate funding campaigns for promising startups through Cluster Grants for Seed Capital Funds. The explanatory statement also encourages EDA to leverage RIP funding to promote the development of regional innovation clusters that focus on advanced wood products. Finally, the bill encourages EDA to support the development and execution of strategies for economic growth in coal mining communities, and increase assistance to communities affected by nuclear power plant closures Department of Justice The Department of Justice (DOJ) would receive $31.1 billion for FY 2019, an increase of nearly $805 million above the FY 2018 enacted level. The bill would include a 4.4 percent increase for DOJ s Research, Evaluation, and Statistics account in the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), including a 4.8 percent raise for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), DOJ s primary external research program that leverages university partnerships with the goal of strengthening science and enhancing justice. The bill also proposes research priority areas for the agency in FY 2019. These include studies to better understand the prevalence of human trafficking and effectiveness of the criminal justice system s response; the development of a comprehensive research initiative on campus sexual assault; in-depth research on opioid fatalities and trends in the distribution and use of illegally manufactured opioid
17 analogues; funding for NIJ awards related to human trafficking research; and the development of a report on the prevalence and broader impacts of cybercrimes. Significant funding would be provided in the bill for DOJ enforcement and grant assistance programs to combat the opioid epidemic, including $380 million to implement Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act programs. This would include support for state, local, and tribal governments to provide training for the administration of addiction prevention, education, and response initiatives. Among other provisions, the bill would support the development of evidence-based metrics to incentivize efficient linkages between responsible agencies and support groups, as well as a university-based program to provide forensic science training and continuing education for rural law enforcement. The bill does not specify a top-line funding amount for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office, which provides funding for hiring police officers and supports state and local programs to strengthen the relationship between police and communities they serve. The subcommittee report states that the legislation would provide sustained funding for the hiring program within COPS and indicates support for a provision in the Administration s budget request that proposed consolidating existing COPS initiatives with OJP and other titles at DOJ. During the subcommittee markup, Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY) stated that funding for the core COPS programs would be lowered in this bill by $36.5 million, and she criticized the majority for using budget gimmicks to reduce funding for COPS programs without explicitly stating it in bill text.[2] Criminal justice researchers often collaborate with the COPS Office and it is uncertain the extent to which consolidating COPS would affect these programs. House CJS Appropriations Bill, FY 2019 As reported by the House Appropriations Committee on 5/16/2018 National Science Foundation NSF, total Research and Related Activities Education and Human Resources Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction Agency Operation and Award Management National Science Board Office of Inspector General [2] FY 2018 Enacted 7,767,356 (in thousands of $) FY 2019 FY 2019 Request House 7,472,000 8,174,890 6,334,476 6,150,680 6,651,500 902,000 873,370 902,000 182,800 94,650 268,040 85,240 (46.6%) 328,510 333,630 333,630 4,370 4,320 4,370 5,120 (1.6%) -- 15,200 15,350 15,350 House vs. FY 2018 Enacted 407,534 (5.2%) 317,024 (5.0%) -- 150 (1.0%) House vs. FY 2019 Request 702,890 (9.4%) 500,820 (8.1%) 28,630 (3.3%) 173,390 (183.2%) -50 (1.2%) -- https://democrats-appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/lowey-statement-at-subcommittee-markupof-fy-2019-commerce-justice-science-and