February 27, 2012 - IMM@BUCT

ment Science for Advanced Manufacturing
initiative would bring NIST and industry
together to identify important research areas
and to set standards in different manufacturing
sectors. A companion project,
the Advanced Manufacturing Technology
Consortia, would use its $21 million funding
to provide cost-sharing grants to industry
coalitions that are working to improve
manufacturing and address industrywide
research challenges.
The 2013 proposal also includes large,
one-time infusions to NIST for two mandatory
projects. The National Network for
Manufacturing Innovation would bring
$1 billion to the lab to help develop new
manufacturing technologies with broad applications.
This would be a joint project with
the Departments of Defense and Energy, as
well as the National Science Foundation.
Another $300 million, from the Wireless
Innovation Fund, would support development
of a reliable, secure broadband system
for first responders and other public safety
personnel.
NIST’s internal research labs would
receive substantial support as well, slated
for a 14.3% increase to $648 million in
2013. The Material Measurement Laboratory,
which includes much of the basic
chemistry research at NIST, would get a
17.4% boost to $125 million. Other labs that
would get double-digit increases are the
Center for Nanoscale Science & Technology,
up 21.5% to $40 million; the Information
Technology Laboratory, up 16.4% to $113
million; and the Engineering Laboratory,
up 15.3% to $85 million.
NOAA would receive a funding increase
of 3.1%, or $154 million, bringing its total
budget to $5.1 billion. But overall
funding for R&D at the agency
3.1%
NOAA
would drop 3.8%, to a proposed
2013 budget of $552 million.
The Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric
Research, which oversees some
of NOAA’s basic science, would receive a
funding increase of 7.6% to $414 million
in 2013. To balance this gain, several programs
would be cut or canceled.
The Administration continues to support
a proposed reorganization of the Department
of Commerce—although the 2013 budget
requests are presented for the current
agency structure. The reorganization would
consolidate six business and trade agencies
under a single Cabinet-level department
and move NOAA to the Department of the
Interior. None of the changes have been approved
by Congress yet. —ANDREA WIDENER
AGRICULTURE: RESEARCH
FUNDS DECLINE
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research
budget would take a hit under the
2013 proposed budget. USDA would receive
$2.7 billion for agricultural R&D, a decrease
of $59 million, or 2.2%, compared with 2012.
Four USDA agencies have jurisdiction
over research: the National Institute of
Food & Agriculture (NIFA), the Agricultural
Research Service (ARS),
the National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS), and the
Economic Research Service
(ERS).
NIFA, which funds extramural research,
would see its budget fall to $1.3 billion, a
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2.2%
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