[R&D Budget] AAAS R&D Budget Update

[Patrick Clemins]

FY 2011 Appropriations: Continuing Resolution Through Dec 3
The President signed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (H.R.3081)
( http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:h.r.3081: ) on the last
day of the fiscal year, September 30, to extend government operations
until December 3, 2010. This extension gives Congress two weeks
(Congress is not in session the week of Thanksgiving) after they return
from the November elections to enact the FY 2011 budget. However, with
an already full legislative calendar and only two of the twelve
appropriation bills through the House and no appropriation bills passed
by the Senate, another extension will probably be necessary to extend
government funding. The outcome of the elections will likely affect the
timing of action on the budget. If the Democrats retain control of both
chambers, there is a better chance for the budget to be finished by the
end of the calendar year. However, if the Republicans take control of
one or both chambers, they will likely delay action on the budget until
the new year when they can exercise their new majority.
 
Summaries of congressional action on the FY 2011 Budget and funding
tables are posted and regularly updated at
http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/fy2011/.
 
Congress Passes NASA Authorization Bill
Although the House Science and Technology Committee released compromise
language for the NASA Reauthorization bill last week, the House passed
the original Senate version, S.3729 (
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:s.3729: ), the evening of
Sept. 29, sending the bill to the President for his signature. The bill
as passed authorizes NASA funding for three years; extends the life of
the International Space Station by five years to 2020; lays out a
transition to commercial cargo and crew services for near-earth orbit;
funds an additional Shuttle mission; and invests in a heavy-lift vehicle
program that will make use of expertise from the Constellation and
Shuttle programs.  The bill contains many of the initiatives included in
the controversial NASA budget request, but, in general, implements them
at a more cautious pace. 
 
SBIR/STTR Programs Extended Through January 31, 2011
The President signed S.3839 (
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:s.3839: ) on September 30
to extend the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small
Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through January 31, 2011.
These programs require agencies with a significant extramural R&D
portfolio to award a percentage of those funds (currently 2.5% for SBIR
and 0.3% for STTR) to small business projects.
 
President Obama Proposes Permanent and Expanded R&D Tax Credit
In a speech at Cuyahoga Community College's West Campus outside
Cleveland, Ohio, President Obama announced his proposal for "a more
generous, permanent extension of the tax credit that goes to companies
for all the research and innovation they do." The President's proposal (
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/fact_sheet_re-credit_9-8-10.pdf
) would raise the base amount of credit from 14 to 17 percent for those
companies who choose to calculate their tax credit using the "simpler"
formula.
 
Report Released on the Recovery Act's Impact on Innovation
Vice President Joe Biden announced the release of a report titled "The
Recovery Act: Transforming the American Economy through Innovation" (
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/Recovery_Act_Innovation.pdf
) on August 24. The report highlights the impact of the $100 billion
investment in innovation in the Recovery Act.
 
R&D Budget and Policy Program's Twitter Feed
Stay on top of the FY 2011 budget process with Twitter updates from the
AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program. The new Twitter feed will not
replace this email list, but it does offer more frequent updates. 
Follow the R&D Budget and Policy Program now at
http://twitter.com/AAAS_RDBudget/ so you can be alerted when Congress
acts on the FY 2011 budget.
 

Patrick J. Clemins
Director, R&D Budget and Policy Program
American Association for the Advancement of Science
1200 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005
T: +1 202 326 6607
E: pclemins at aaas.org
W: http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/
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