Introduction

The 118^th Congress is engaged in a range of legislative activities focused on the U.S. research and development (R&D) enterprise, in particular federal R&D programs and policies, including authorizations, appropriations, and oversight. The federal government has played an important role in supporting R&D efforts that have led to scientific breakthroughs and new technologies, from jet aircraft and the internet to communications satellites, shale gas extraction, and defenses against disease. Beyond agency mission objectives and policies to promote the competitiveness of the United States in the global economy, executive and legislative branch decisions about the prioritization of R&D have recently been driven by federal budget caps, both in the context of the entire federal budget as well as among competing needs within the federal R&D portfolio.

The U.S. government supports a broad range of scientific and engineering R&D. Its purposes include addressing national defense, health, safety, the environment, and energy security; advancing knowledge generally; developing the U.S. scientific and engineering workforce; and strengthening the capacity of U.S. institutions and firms to conduct cutting-edge scientific research and develop innovative technologies; and enhancing the global competitiveness of U.S. institutions and firms. Most of the R&D funded by the federal government is performed in support of the unique missions of individual funding agencies.

The federal R&D budget is an aggregation of the R&D activities of these agencies. There is no single, centralized source of R&D funds. Agency R&D budgets are developed internally as part of each agency's overall budget development process. R&D funding may be included either in appropriations accounts that are entirely devoted to R&D or in accounts that also include funding for non-R&D activities. Agency budgets are subjected to review, revision, and approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and become part of the President's annual budget submission to Congress. The federal R&D budget is then calculated by aggregating the R&D activities of all federal agencies.

Congress plays a central role in defining the nation's R&D priorities as it makes decisions about the level and allocation of R&D funding—overall, within agencies, and for specific programs. As Congress acts to complete the fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations process, it faces two overarching issues: the amount of the federal budget to be spent on federal R&D and the prioritization and allocation of the available funding.

This report begins with a discussion of the overall funding level of R&D in President Biden's FY2024 budget request, followed by analyses of requested R&D funding in selected agency and department budgets and for selected multiagency initiatives; these include analyses of the budget by agency; by character of R&D work; and by a combination of the two perspectives. The remainder of the report discusses and analyzes the R&D budget requests of selected federal departments and agencies that collectively account for approximately 99% of total federal R&D funding.

Selected terms associated with federal R&D funding are defined in the text box on the next page. The Appendix lists the primary CRS experts on R&D funding for the agencies covered in this report.

The President's FY2024 Budget Proposal

On March 9, 2023, President Biden released his proposed FY2024 budget, which includes $209.7 billion for R&D for FY2024, an increase of $8.9 billion (4.4%) above the FY2023 enacted level of $200.8 billion.⁴ Adjusted for inflation to FY2024 dollars, the President's FY2024 R&D proposal represents a constant-dollar increase of 2.4% above the FY2023 actual level.⁵

The President's proposal includes continued R&D funding for existing single-agency and multiagency programs and activities, as well as new initiatives. This report provides government-wide, multiagency, and individual agency analyses of the President's FY2024 proposal as it relates to R&D and related activities. The government-wide analysis in this report is based on data from OMB that includes advance appropriations (already enacted) for FY2024, as well as new funding requested for FY2024; with a few exceptions,⁶ the individual agency analyses that follow are based on agency budget justifications and do not include advance appropriations. More information will become available as the House and Senate act on the President's budget request through appropriations bills.

Federal R&D Funding Perspectives

Federal R&D funding can be analyzed from a variety of perspectives that provide different insights. The following sections examine the data by agency, by the character of the work supported, and by a combination of these two perspectives.

Federal R&D by Agency

Congress makes decisions about R&D funding through the authorization and appropriations processes primarily from the perspective of individual agencies and programs. Table 1 provides data on R&D funding by agency for FY2022 (actual), FY2023 (estimate), and FY2024 (request).⁷

Under the FY2024 request, eight federal agencies would receive approximately 97% of total federal R&D funding: the Department of Defense (DOD), 45.8%; Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), primarily the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 24.3%; Department of Energy (DOE), 11.5%; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 6.7%; National Science Foundation (NSF), 4.4%; Department of Commerce (DOC), 2.1%; Department of Agriculture (USDA), 1.7%; and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 0.8%. This report provides an analysis of the R&D budget requests for these agencies, as well as for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of the Interior (DOI), Department of Transportation (DOT), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

With the exception of the DOC, DHS, and the Department of Education (ED), all federal agencies would see their R&D funding increase under the President's FY2024 request compared with their FY2023 estimated levels. The agencies with the largest R&D funding increases (measured in dollars) in the FY2024 request compared with FY2023 estimated levels are DOD (up $3.132 billion), HHS (up $2.778 billion), NSF (up $1.328 billion), and DOE (up $1.002 billion). DOC R&D funding would decline by $726 million (down 14.2%), ED by $19 million (down 5.4%), and DHS by $9 million (down 1.4%). See Table 1.

The agencies with the largest percentage increases in R&D funding in the FY2024 request compared with the FY2023 estimated level are DOI (up 16.9%), NSF (up 16.6%), and DOT (up 10.3%). See Table 1.

Federal R&D by Character of Work, Facilities, and Equipment

Federal R&D funding can also be examined by the character of work it supports—basic research, applied research, or development—and by funding provided for construction of R&D facilities and acquisition of major R&D equipment. (See Table 2.) President Biden's FY2024 request includes $48.607 billion for basic research, an increase of $1.032 billion (2.2%) above the FY2023 estimated level; $52.672 billion for applied research, an increase of $2.516 billion (5.0%); $101.697 billion for experimental development, an increase of $5.912 billion (6.2%); and $6.747 billion for R&D facilities and equipment, a decrease of $547 million (-7.5%).

Federal Role in U.S. R&D by Character of Work

A primary policy justification for public investments in basic research and incentives for private sector research (e.g., tax credits) is the view that, absent such policies, the private sector tends to underinvest in basic research from a societal perspective. The usual argument for this view, which is widely held by economists, is that the social returns (i.e., the benefits to society at large) exceed the private returns (i.e., the benefits accruing to the private investor, such as increased revenues or higher stock value). Other factors that may inhibit corporate investment in basic research include long time horizons for achieving commercial applications (diminishing the potential returns due to the time value of money), high levels of technical risk and uncertainty, shareholder demands for shorter-term returns, and asymmetric and imperfect information.

The federal government is the nation's largest supporter of basic research, funding 40.0% of U.S. basic research in 2021 (the most recent year for which comprehensive data are available). Business funded 36.3% of U.S. basic research in 2021, with universities, state governments, and other nonprofit organizations funding the remaining 23.7%.⁸ For U.S. applied research, business is the primary funder, accounting for an estimated 58.4% in 2021, while the federal government accounted for an estimated 31.1%. State governments, universities, and other nonprofit organizations funded the remaining 10.5%. Business also provides the vast majority of U.S. funding for development. Business accounted for 87.1% of development funding in 2021, while the federal government provided 11.6%. State governments, universities, and other nonprofit organizations funded the remaining 1.3% (see Figure 1).⁹

Figure 1. Composition of U.S. Basic Research, Applied Research, and Development by Funding Sector, 2021

Source: CRS analysis of National Science Foundation, National Patterns of R&D Resources: 2020-2021 Data Update, NSF 23-321, Tables 7-9, January 4, 2023. Notes: Components may not add to total due to rounding. Data are preliminary and may be revised.

Federal R&D by Agency and Character of Work Combined

Federal R&D funding can also be viewed from the combined perspective of each agency's contribution to basic research, applied research, development, and facilities and equipment. Table 3 lists the three agencies with the most funding in each of these categories as proposed in the President's FY2024 budget. The overall federal R&D budget reflects a wide range of national priorities, including supporting advances in spaceflight, developing new and affordable sources of energy, and understanding and deterring adversaries. These priorities and the mission of each individual agency contribute to the composition of that agency's R&D spending (i.e., the allocation of R&D funding among basic research, applied research, development, and facilities and equipment).

In President Biden's FY2024 budget request, HHS, primarily NIH, would account for more than half (47.7%) of all federal funding for basic research. HHS would also be the largest federal funder of applied research, accounting for about 51.7% of all federally funded applied research in the President's FY2024 budget request. DOD would be the primary federal funder of experimental development, accounting for 85.5% of total federal development funding in the President's FY2024 budget request. DOE would be the primary federal funder of R&D facilities and equipment, accounting for 64.0% of total federal R&D facilities and equipment funding in the President's FY2024 budget request.¹⁰

Multiagency R&D Initiatives

For many years, presidential budgets have reported on multiagency R&D initiatives. Often, they have also provided details of agency funding for these initiatives. Some of these efforts have a statutory basis—for example, the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) program, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), and the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). These programs generally produce annual budget supplements identifying objectives, activities, funding levels, and other information, usually published shortly after the presidential budget release.¹¹ Other multiagency R&D initiatives have operated at the discretion of the President, without a specific statutory mandate, and may be eliminated at the discretion of the President. President Biden's FY2024 budget is largely silent on funding levels for these efforts and whether any, or all, of the nonstatutory initiatives will continue. Some activities related to these initiatives are discussed in agency budget justifications and may be addressed in the agency analyses later in this report. This section provides available multiagency information on these initiatives and will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program¹²

Established by the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-194), the NITRD program coordinates unclassified federal networking and information technology R&D investments in areas such as supercomputing, high-speed networking, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, software engineering, and information management. The NITRD National Coordination Office (NCO) coordinates the information technology R&D activities of 24 federal agency members and more than 45 other participating agencies with program interests and activities in information technology R&D. NITRD efforts are further coordinated by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) NITRD Subcommittee.¹³

P.L. 102-194, as reauthorized by the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2017 (P.L. 114-329), requires the director of the NITRD NCO to prepare an annual report to be delivered to Congress along with the President's budget request. This annual report, often referred to as a budget supplement, is to include, among other things, detailed information on the program's budget for the current and previous fiscal years and the proposed budget for the next fiscal year. The latest annual report was published in November 2022 and related to the FY2023 budget request.

The President's FY2023 budget request for federal agencies' NITRD-related R&D was $9.6 billion, up $7.8 billion (23.1% from the FY2022 request level). The increase of $1.8 billion was a result of DOD, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), reporting numbers in AI for this reporting cycle. Additionally, DARPA reported numbers in Electronics for Networking and Information Technology (ENIT) for FY2023 that were not reported for FY2022.

Additional information on the NITRD Program can be obtained at https://www.nitrd.gov.

Climate Change-Related Research and Development

The President's budget proposes "a total climate innovation investment" of $16.5 billion for FY2024. Analytical Perspectives, which accompanies the President's budget, includes proposals for climate science (the USGCRP); clean energy and climate technology and infrastructure; CHIPS Act climate priorities; and nature-based solutions. While Analytical Perspectives identifies activities and funding proposals for certain components of the request, the itemization is limited. The majority of proposed funding would be for clean energy technology R&D totaling $11.3 billion; in past years, most of the clean energy and climate technology R&D has been appropriated to DOE. The climate-related proposal associated with the CHIPS Act includes more than $2.5 billion for DOE for nuclear energy, in the Office of Science and the Office of Nuclear Energy.¹⁴

U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)

The USGCRP coordinates and integrates federal research and applications to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change. The program seeks to advance global climate change science and to "empower the nation and the world to anticipate and respond to urgent risks of climate and global change by creating and providing accessible, usable knowledge."¹⁵ In FY2022, 10 departments and agencies received appropriations for their USGCRP participation.¹⁶ USGCRP efforts are coordinated by the NSTC Subcommittee on Global Change Research. Each agency develops and carries out its activities as its contribution to the USGCRP, and funds are appropriated to each agency for those activities; those activities may or may not be identified as associated with the USGCRP in agency budget justifications or other program materials available publicly. Complementing USGCRP activities are many federal climate change or global change-related activities with programmatic missions, not predominantly scientific. These are reported separately in budget justifications.

The Global Change Research Act of 1990 (GCRA, P.L. 101-606) requires each federal agency or department involved in global change research to report annually to Congress on each element of its proposed global change research activities, as well as the portion of its budget request allocated to each element of the program.¹⁷ The President is also required to identify those activities and the annual global change research budget in the President's annual budget request. The President's budget requests for years later than FY2017 do not report these budget data required by the GCRA, although some agencies report their contributions in their budget justifications to Congress.

In addition, in most of the 20 years prior to FY2018, language in appropriations laws required the President to submit a comprehensive report to the appropriations committees "describing in detail all Federal agency funding, domestic and international, for climate change programs, projects, and activities … including an accounting of funding by agency."¹⁸ The USGCRP reports, pursuant to the GCRA, enacted and proposed budgets by agency each fiscal year, along with agency descriptions of major programs and initiatives, in a publication entitled Our Changing Planet.

For additional information on the earlier climate change budget cross-cuts, see CRS Report R43227, Federal Climate Change Funding from FY2008 to FY2014, by Jane A. Leggett, Richard K. Lattanzio, and Emily Bruner. Additional USGCRP information can be obtained at http://www.globalchange.gov.

National Nanotechnology Initiative

Launched in FY2001, the NNI is a multiagency R&D initiative to advance understanding and control of matter at the nanoscale, where the physical, chemical, and biological properties of materials differ in fundamental and sometimes useful ways from the properties of individual atoms or bulk matter.¹⁹ In 2003, Congress enacted the 21^st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (P.L. 108-153), providing a legislative foundation for some of the activities of the NNI. NNI efforts are coordinated by the NSTC Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET). For FY2022, the President's request included NNI funding for 18 federal departments and independent agencies and commissions with budgets dedicated to nanotechnology R&D. The NSET includes other federal departments and independent agencies and commissions with responsibilities for health, safety, and environmental regulation; trade; education; intellectual property; international relations; and other areas that might affect or be affected by nanotechnology.

P.L. 108-153 requires the NSTC to prepare an annual report to be delivered to Congress at the time the President's budget request is sent to Congress. This annual report, often referred to as a budget supplement, is to include detailed information on the program's budget for the current fiscal year and the program's proposed budget for the next fiscal year, as well as additional information and data related to the performance of the program. The latest annual report was published in February 2023 and related to the FY2023 budget request. President Biden requested $1.989 billion for NNI research in FY2023, a decrease of $374 million (15.8%) from the estimated FY2022 level.²⁰

For additional information on the NNI, see CRS Report RL34401, The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Overview, Reauthorization, and Appropriations Issues, by John F. Sargent Jr. Additional NNI information can be obtained at http://www.nano.gov.

FY2024 Appropriations Status

The remainder of this report provides a more in-depth analysis of R&D in 12 federal departments and agencies that, in aggregate, receive nearly 99% of total federal R&D funding. Agencies are presented in order of the size of their FY2024 R&D budget requests, with the largest presented first.

Annual appropriations for these agencies are provided through 9 of the 12 regular appropriations bills. For each agency covered in this report, Table 7 shows the corresponding regular appropriations bill that provides primary funding for the agency, including its R&D activities.

Because of the way that agencies report budget data to Congress, it can be difficult to identify the portion that is R&D. Consequently, R&D data presented in the agency analyses in this report may differ from R&D data in the President's budget or otherwise provided by OMB.

Funding for R&D is often included in appropriations line items that also include non-R&D activities; therefore, in such cases, it may not be possible to identify precisely how much of the funding provided in appropriations laws is allocated to R&D specifically. In general, R&D funding levels are known only after departments and agencies allocate their appropriations to specific activities and report those figures.

As of the date of this report, neither the House nor Senate has acted on any of the nine appropriations bills that provide R&D funding.

In addition to this report, CRS produces individual reports on each of the appropriations bills and for a number of federal agencies. These reports can be accessed via the CRS website at http://www.crs.gov/iap/appropriations. Also, the status of each appropriations bill is available on the CRS web page "Appropriations Status Table," available at http://www.crs.gov/AppropriationsStatusTable/Index.

Department of Defense²¹

The mission of the Department of Defense (DOD) is to provide "the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security."²² Congress supports DOD R&D activities through the department's Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) funding. These funds support the development of the nation's future military hardware and software and the science and technology base on which those products rely.

Most of what DOD spends on RDT&E is appropriated in Title IV (Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation) of the annual defense appropriations bill. Title IV RDT&E funds support activities such as R&D performed by academic institutions, DOD laboratories, and companies, as well as test and evaluation activities at specialized DOD facilities.

RDT&E funds are also appropriated in other parts of the bill, including Title V (Revolving and Management Funds) and Title VI (Other Department of Defense Programs). For example

• The Defense Health Program (DHP) supports the delivery of health care to DOD personnel and their families. DHP funds (including RDT&E funds) are requested through the Defense-wide Operations and Maintenance request. The program's RDT&E funds support congressionally directed research on breast, prostate, and ovarian cancer; traumatic brain injuries; orthotics and prosthetics; and other medical conditions. Congress appropriates funds for this program in Title VI.
• The Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction Program supports activities to destroy the U.S. inventory of lethal chemical agents and munitions to avoid future risks and costs associated with storage. Funds for this program are requested through the Defense-wide Procurement request. Congress appropriates funds for this program in Title VI.
• The National Defense Sealift Fund supports procurement, operation and maintenance, and R&D associated with the nation's naval reserve fleet as well as a U.S.-flagged merchant fleet that can serve in times of need. In some fiscal years, RDT&E funding for this effort is requested in the Navy's Procurement request and appropriated in Title V.

For more than a decade, RDT&E funds were requested and appropriated as part of DOD's separate funding to support efforts in what the George W. Bush Administration termed the Global War on Terror (GWOT) and what the Obama and Trump Administrations referred to as Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). In appropriations bills, the term Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terror (OCO/GWOT) was used. Typically, the RDT&E funds appropriated for OCO activities were directed toward specified Program Elements (PEs) in Title IV. President Biden's FY2024 request does not include separate OCO/GWOT funding.

For FY2024, the Biden Administration is requesting $145.0 billion for DOD's Title IV RDT&E program elements, $5.3 billion (3.8%) above the FY2023 enacted level (excluding $455.3 million in supplemental funding associated with the war in Ukraine). (See Table 8.) In addition, the FY2024 request includes $931.8 million in RDT&E through DHP (down $2.1 billion, -69.4%, from FY2023), $1.0 billion in RDT&E through the Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction Program (up $27.4 million, 2.8%, from FY2023), and $3.4 million for the Inspector General for RDT&E-related activities (up $1.5 million, 82.4%, from FY2023). The FY2024 budget includes no RDT&E funding via the National Defense Sealift Fund (the same as FY2023).

DOD RDT&E funding can be characterized organizationally (See Table 8). Each military department requests and receives its own RDT&E funding. So, too, do various DOD agencies (e.g., the Missile Defense Agency and DARPA); these are aggregated in the Defense-wide account.

DOD RDT&E funding can also be characterized by budget activity, i.e., the type of RDT&E supported. The budget activities designated as 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 (basic research, applied research, and advanced technology development, respectively) constitute what is called DOD's Science and Technology (S&T) program and represent the more research-oriented part of the RDT&E program. Budget activities 6.4 and 6.5 focus on the development of specific weapon systems or components for which an operational need has been determined and an acquisition program established. Budget activity 6.6 provides management support, including support for test and evaluation facilities. Budget activity 6.7 supports the development of system improvements in existing operational systems. A new budget activity, 6.8, was added in the FY2021 budget and supports software and digital technology pilot programs.²³ Note that OMB data on R&D funding exclude budget activities 6.7 and 6.8.

Many congressional policymakers are particularly interested in DOD S&T program funding, since these funds support the development of new technologies and the science that underlies them. Some in the defense community see ensuring adequate support for S&T activities as imperative to maintaining U.S. military superiority into the future. The knowledge generated at this stage of development may also contribute to advances in commercial technologies. The FY2024 request for Title IV S&T funding is $17.8 billion, $4.6 billion (-20.5%) below the FY2023 enacted level. The proposed FY2024 cuts in S&T are spread across a variety of program elements in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Defense-wide accounts. The Army would see the largest cut to its S&T budget in both percentage and dollars (-41.9%, $2.1 billion) followed by the Space Force (-23.4%, $241.5 million), Navy (-23.1%, $805.1 million), Air Force (-15.8%, $544.2 million) and Defense-wide (-9.7%, $920.6 million).

Within the S&T program, basic research (6.1) receives special attention, particularly by the nation's universities, as over half of DOD's basic research budget is spent at universities. The Biden Administration is requesting $2.5 billion for DOD basic research for FY2024, $439.3 million (-15.0%) below the FY2023 enacted level. Among the proposed cuts to basic research in FY2024 are the University Research Initiatives program elements in the Army ($31.5 million, -29.4%), Navy ($51.0 million, -34.6%), Air Force ($23.8 million, -11.6%) and Space Force ($30.0 million, -100%).

While DOD is not the largest federal funder of basic research, it is a substantial source of federal funds for university R&D in certain fields, such as aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering (62%); electrical, electronic, and communications engineering (58%); industrial and manufacturing engineering (55%); mechanical engineering (48%); computer and information sciences (47%); materials science (43%); and metallurgical and materials engineering (41%).²⁴

Department of Health and Human Services

The mission of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is "to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans ... by providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services."²⁵ This section focuses on HHS R&D funded through the National Institutes of Health, an HHS agency that accounts for nearly 97% of total HHS R&D funding.²⁶ Other HHS agencies that support R&D include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and Administration for Children and Families (ACF); additional R&D funding is attributed to departmental management.²⁷

National Institutes of Health²⁸

NIH is the primary agency of the federal government charged with performing and supporting biomedical and behavioral research. It also has major roles in training biomedical researchers and disseminating health information. The NIH mission is "to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability."²⁹ The agency consists of the NIH Office of the Director (OD) and 27 institutes and centers (ICs). Of these, 24 ICs and OD manage research programs. Each IC plans and manages its own research programs in coordination with OD. FY2022 appropriations established a new entity that has been placed within NIH: the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) as discussed further in this report.

According to NIH, about 10% of the NIH budget supports intramural research projects conducted by the nearly 6,000 NIH federal scientists, most of whom are located on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. All 25 research ICs have intramural research programs of varying sizes. More than 84% of NIH's budget goes to the extramural research community in the form of grants, contracts, and other awards.³⁰ This funding supports research performed by more than 300,000 nonfederal scientists and technical personnel who work at more than 2,800 universities, hospitals, medical schools, and other research institutions.³¹

Funding for NIH comes primarily from the annual Labor, HHS, and Education (LHHS) appropriations act, with an additional amount for Superfund-related activities at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences from the Interior/Environment appropriations act.³² Those two appropriations acts provide NIH's discretionary budget authority. In addition, NIH has received mandatory funding of $150 million annually that is provided in Public Health Service Act (PHSA) Section 330B, for the Special Diabetes Program for type 1 diabetes, most recently extended through FY2023 by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260; Division BB, Title III). NIH also receives some funding under unique transfer authorities (the PHS Evaluation set-aside)³³ and budget enforcement rules (21^st Century Cures Act Innovation account).³⁴

As shown in Table 9, separate appropriations are provided to 24 of the 27 ICs, as well as to OD, the Innovation Account (established by the 21^st Century Cures Act in 2016, P.L. 114-255), and an intramural Buildings and Facilities account. The other three centers, which perform centralized support services, are funded through transfers from the other ICs.

President Biden's FY2024 budget request proposes an NIH total program level of $48.598 billion, an increase of $920 million (1.9%) from FY2023 enacted levels. The proposed FY2024 program level would provide (see Table 9):

• $46.317 billion in discretionary LHHS budget authority (nontransfer);
• $1.948 billion in PHS program evaluation transfers;
• $83 million for the Superfund research program and related activities from Interior/Environment appropriations; and
• $250 million in proposed funding for the mandatory type 1 diabetes research program.³⁵

Under this request, almost all existing IC accounts would receive no changes in funding compared with FY2023 enacted levels (see Table 9), except for the National Cancer Institute ($503 million increase; 6.9%), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke ($16 million increase; 0.6%), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences ($25 million increase; 2.7%), the National Institute of Mental Health ($200 million increase; 8.5%), and the Office of the Director ($251 million increase; 9.5%). (The National Institute of General Medical Sciences would be flat-funded when taking into account proposed PHS evaluation tap transfers.) The Innovation Account would receive the full amount authorized to be appropriated: $407 million.³⁶

The FY2024 budget request also proposes $2.5 billion for ARPA-H, an increase of $1 billion from the FY2023 enacted level.³⁷ Accounting for the ARPA-H funding, the FY2024 request includes a total program level of $51.098 billion for both NIH and ARPA-H, a proposed increase of $1.92 billion (3.9%) from the FY2023 enacted level.

The budget request also proposes $2.69 billion in new mandatory appropriations for pandemic preparedness, to be made available for five years. Accounting for this proposed mandatory funding, NIH and ARPA-H would receive a total FY2024 program level of $53.788 billion, a $4.610 billion (9.4%) increase from FY2023 enacted. (CRS follows conventions used in the budget request documents and treats the pandemic preparedness proposed funding as a non-add within the request.) The pandemic preparedness proposal generally did not designate specific amounts for NIH ICs, but describes a number of activities the new funding would support, including vaccine and therapeutic development, expanding laboratory capacity, and developing next-generation diagnostics.³⁸

The Administration estimates that the proposed FY2024 funding level would support 44,410 research project grants, an increase of 790 from FY2023 enacted, with a total of 10,414 new and competing grants.³⁹ With respect to specific research areas and initiatives, some selected funding requests include:⁴⁰

Cancer Moonshot: $716 million total for the Cancer Moonshot initiative at the National Cancer Institute, an increase of $500 million over FY2023 enacted. This research would support the President's goal of reducing the cancer death rate by half within 25 years and improving the lives of people with cancer and cancer survivors.

"All of US" Precision Medicine Initiative and Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN): An additional $462 million to continue these two initiatives authorized by the 21^st Century Cures Act.

Opioids, stimulant, and pain research: $1.8 billion within NIH, the same level as FY2023 enacted.

Impact of climate change on human health: Increase of $25 million.

Department of Energy⁴¹

The Department of Energy (DOE) was established in 1977 by the Department of Energy Organization Act (P.L. 95-91), which combined energy-related programs from a variety of agencies, particularly defense-related nuclear programs that dated back to the Manhattan Project. Today, DOE conducts basic scientific research in fields ranging from nuclear physics to the biological and environmental sciences; basic and applied R&D relating to energy production and use; and R&D on nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation, and defense nuclear reactors. The department has a system of 17 national laboratories around the country, mostly operated by contractors, that together account for about 40% of all DOE expenditures.

The Administration's FY2024 budget request for DOE includes about $22.252 billion for R&D and related activities, including programs in three broad categories: science, national security, and energy. This request is about 8.6% more than the comparable enacted FY2023 amount of $20.489 billion. (See Table 10 for details.)

The request for the DOE Office of Science is $8.800 billion, an increase of 8.6% from the FY2023 appropriation of $8.100 billion. Funding would increase for all of the office's major research programs. An increase of $247 million (32.4%) for Fusion Energy Sciences would include an additional $104 million for public-private partnerships and an additional $91 million for materials research and fusion nuclear science. An increase of 58.1% for Isotope R&D and Production would aim to support domestic supply chains for critical isotopes.

The request for DOE national security R&D is $6.074 billion, an increase of 2.0% from $5.954 billion in FY2023. In the Weapons Activities account, the request for Stockpile Research, Technology, and Engineering includes an increase of $190 million for Assessment Science (largely for construction of facilities at the Nevada National Security Site) and an increase of $75 million for Studies and Assessments to assess future weapon concepts for the nuclear stockpile.

The request for DOE energy R&D is $7.377 billion, an increase of 14.6% from $6.434 billion in FY2023. Funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy R&D would increase overall by 32.3%, including increases in nearly all major research areas. Notably, wind energy R&D would almost triple ($385 million requested, up from $132 million in FY2023) and $35 million would support assessment of options for the establishment of a new national laboratory, likely at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), or a consortium of such institutions. Support for Nuclear Energy would decrease by 11.9%. The Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E), which is intended to advance high-impact energy technologies that have too much technical and financial uncertainty to attract near-term private-sector investment, would receive $650 million (up 38.3%).

National Aeronautics and Space Administration⁴²

NASA was created in 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Act (P.L. 85-568) to conduct civilian space and aeronautics activities. NASA has research programs in planetary science, Earth science, astrophysics, heliophysics, the biological and physical sciences, aeronautics, and astronaut health and performance, as well as development programs for future human spacecraft and for multipurpose space technology such as advanced propulsion systems. In addition, NASA operates the International Space Station (ISS) as a facility for R&D and other purposes.

The Administration is requesting $27.185 billion for NASA in FY2024. This would be 6.3% more than the FY2023 level of $25.573 billion.⁴³ For a breakdown of these amounts, see Table 11. About half of NASA funding supports R&D. Some accounts (such as Science and Space Technology) fund R&D almost exclusively, while others (such as Exploration and Space Operations) fund a mix of R&D, testing and demonstration, operations, and other activities. The table indicates the estimated R&D share of each account, based on OMB data for the FY2024 request. Those shares may be different for FY2023 and for FY2024 appropriations provided by Congress.

The FY2024 request for Science is $8.261 billion, an increase of 6.0% from $7.795 billion in FY2023. A requested 12.7% increase for Earth Science includes $323 million to initiate a system of four satellites known as the Earth System Observatory, based on recommendations from the 2018 National Academies decadal survey of Earth science.⁴⁴ A requested increase of 5.7% for Planetary Science includes $210 million for Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor (up from $90 million in FY2023) and $949 million for Mars Sample Return (up from $822 million in FY2023).

The FY2024 request for Aeronautics is $996 million, an increase of 6.5% from $935 million in FY2023. The bulk of the proposed increase would be for Advanced Air Vehicles, supporting additional R&D on sustainable aviation fuels, composite aircraft manufacturing, and other topics.

The FY2024 request for Space Technology is $1.392 billion, an increase of 16.0% from $1.200 billion in FY2023. In the Technology Demonstration program, the request proposes $120 million for space nuclear technologies, including $35 million for nuclear propulsion (versus $110 million for nuclear thermal propulsion and $15 million for nuclear electric propulsion in FY2023).

The FY2024 request for Deep Space Exploration Systems (currently Exploration) is $7.971 billion, an increase of 6.7% from $7.469 billion in FY2023. Within this account, the request for Common Exploration Systems Development includes $1.225 billion for the Orion crew capsule (down from $1.339 billion in FY2023) and $2.506 billion for the Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket (SLS, down from $2.600 billion in FY2023). As the Orion and SLS programs mature, they are focusing more on testing and production of flight hardware, with less R&D content than in previous years. The proposed 24.4% increase for Artemis Campaign Development would support continued development of the Gateway platform in lunar orbit ($914 million) and the lunar Human Landing System ($1.881 billion, up from $1.486 billion in FY2023).

In the Space Operations account, requests for R&D-related activities include $1.303 billion for the ISS; $101 million for the Commercial Crew program (in Space Transportation); $154 million for the Human Research Program (in Space and Flight Support); and $228 million for Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Development (up from $224 million in FY2023). Commercial crew transport activities have largely transitioned from development to operations (which is funded separately, but also in Space Transportation). SpaceX launched its first post-certification crewed flight to the ISS in November 2020; a crewed test flight of Boeing's competing crew transport system is planned for July 2023.

National Science Foundation⁴⁵

NSF supports basic research and education in the nonmedical sciences and engineering. Congress established the foundation as an independent federal agency in 1950 to "promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes."⁴⁶ The NSF is a major source of federal support for U.S. university research, especially in the social sciences, mathematics, and computer science. It is also responsible for significant shares of the federal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education program portfolio and federal STEM student aid and support.

NSF has six appropriations accounts: Research and Related Activities (RRA, the main research account), STEM Education (EDU, the main education account),⁴⁷ Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC), Agency Operations and Award Management (AOAM), the National Science Board (NSB), and the Office of Inspector General (OIG). Appropriations are generally provided at the account level, while program-specific direction may be included in appropriations acts, or accompanying conference reports or explanatory statements.

Funding for R&D is included in the RRA, EDU, and MREFC accounts. (The RRA and EDU accounts also include non-R&D funding.) Together, these three accounts comprise over 95% of the total requested funding for NSF. Actual and estimated R&D obligations for each account are known after NSF allocates funding appropriations to specific activities and reports those figures.⁴⁸ The budget request specifies R&D funding for the conduct of research, including basic and applied research, and for physical assets, including R&D facilities and major equipment. Funding amounts for FY2022 actual, FY2023 estimated, and FY2024 requested levels are reported by account, including amounts for R&D conduct and physical assets where applicable, in Table 12.

Funding for NSF for FY2023 was enacted on December 29, 2022.⁴⁹ Additionally, NSF received $1.04 billion in supplemental appropriations through Division N (Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023) of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328). Within supplemental amounts, $821 million was specified for RRA and $217 million for EDU.⁵⁰ Total FY2023 estimated amounts reported by NSF include supplemental appropriations.⁵¹ In this analysis, FY2023 estimated amounts⁵² are compared with FY2024 requested amounts, which are reported by account and for R&D conduct and facilities and equipment in Table 12.

Overall. The Administration is requesting $11.3 billion for the NSF in FY2024, $1.44 billion (15%) more than the FY2023 estimated amount. The request would increase budget authority in each of the three R&D accounts relative to the FY2023 estimated level: RRA by $1.20 billion (15%), EDU by $73.2 million (5.3%), and MREFC by $117 million (63%). Overall, NSF estimates that, under the FY2024 request, agency-wide funding rates for competitive awards (i.e., the percentage of submitted proposals that are successfully awarded funding after competitive review) would increase slightly from 27% to 28%, with an estimated 12,900 awards.

For FY2024, $9.32 billion is requested for R&D activities, a $1.34 billion (17%) increase from FY2023 estimated funding for R&D. R&D activities account for approximately 82% of NSF's total funding. The total request for R&D activities includes $8.64 billion (93%) for the conduct of R&D, and $679 million (7%) for R&D facilities and major equipment. Of funding requested for the conduct of R&D, 82% is requested for basic research, and 18% for applied research. Overall funding for R&D facilities and major equipment supports not only the construction and acquisition phases, funded through MREFC ($305 million requested), but also planning, design, and post-construction operations and maintenance, funded through RRA ($374 million requested).

Research. The Administration seeks $9.03 billion for RRA in FY2024, a $1.20 billion (15%) increase compared with the FY2023 estimated funding. Within the RRA account, the FY2024 request includes $8.28 billion for R&D, an increase of $1.10 billion (15%) compared with the FY2023 estimated amount. Of this amount, the majority ($7.90 billion, 95%) is requested for the conduct of research, including $6.78 billion for basic research and $1.12 billion for applied research.

Compared with the FY2023 estimated amounts, the FY2024 request includes funding increases for all 11 RRA subaccounts. This includes a request of $1.84 billion for the newly created Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP), meant to "advance use-inspired, solutions-oriented research and innovation in key technology focus areas"; accelerate the translation of research to market; and catalyze partnerships across academia, industry, government, investors, and civil society.⁵³ The FY2024 request also includes $281 million for the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), a $25.7 million (10.1%) increase compared with FY2023 estimated funding.

Education. The FY2024 request for the EDU account is $1.44 billion, $73.2 million (5.3%) more than the FY2023 estimated amount. By program division, in terms of percent, the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM (EES) would receive the largest increase, $68.6 million (26.6%) over FY2023; in terms of dollars, the Division of Graduate Education (DGE) would receive the largest increase, $78.1 million (16.1%) over FY2023.⁵⁴ The Division of Undergraduate Education would receive a decrease of $19.3 million (-6.9%) from FY2023.

Within EDU, requested funding for R&D is $718 million, which is $119 million (20%) more than the FY2023 estimated funding amount and accounts for approximately 8% of the agency's total R&D request. All of the requested funding would support the conduct of R&D, including $270 million for basic research and $448 million for applied research.

Construction. The MREFC account supports large construction projects and larger mid-scale research infrastructure, with all of the funding supporting R&D facilities. The construction phases of such large-scale projects tend to span multiple years; therefore, NSF provides out-year estimates of funding for major facilities for the duration of the anticipated timeline, which are updated annually. This section of the analysis includes comparisons with FY2024 requested funding for specific projects, based on these projections. The Administration is seeking $305 million for MREFC in FY2024, $117 million (63%) more than the FY2023 estimated amount.

Requested MREFC funding would support continued construction on three ongoing major facility projects:

• the Antarctic Infrastructure Recapitalization program (AIR; $60.0 million requested, equal to the FY2023 estimated amount);⁵⁵
• upgrades to the High Luminosity-Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC; $38.0 million requested, up $5 million (15%) from the FY2023 estimated amount);⁵⁶ and
• the Vera C. Rubin Observatory ($7.61 million requested for the final year of construction, down $7.39 million (-49%) from the FY2023 estimated amount).⁵⁷

NSF is requesting $93 million to initiate construction of a Leadership-Class Computing Facility (LCCF), which is currently in the final design phase. The LCCF is "envisioned as a distributed facility that will provide unique computational and data analytics capabilities, as well as critical software and services, for the nation's science and engineering research community."⁵⁸ The anticipated funding amount and construction timeline is $520 million to $620 million from FY2024 through FY2027.⁵⁹

Additionally, $105 million is requested for Mid-scale Research Infrastructure Track 2 projects (those projects with funding amounts in the $20 million to $100 million range), an increase of $28.8 million (38%) from the FY2023 estimated amount.⁶⁰

Other Initiatives. The FY2024 NSF budget request includes funding for multiple agency-wide investments, including cross-cutting research topics, as well as multiagency initiatives.⁶¹ This funding is included in multiple NSF appropriations accounts, and R&D amounts are not separately provided.

For FY2024, NSF requests funding for various administration priority areas and cross-cutting research topics. Requested funding amounts for each research area compared with the FY2023 estimated amounts include the following:⁶²

• Advanced Manufacturing: $454 million requested, up $99.5 million (28%) from FY2023.
• Advanced Wireless: $179 million requested, up $25.2 million (16%) from FY2023.
• AI: $796 million requested, up $133 million (20%) from FY2023.
• Biotechnology: $470 million requested, up $85.3 million (22%) from FY2023.
• Quantum Information Science (QIS): $333 million requested, up $65.9 million (25%) from FY2023.
• Microelectronics and Semiconductors: $210 million requested, up $57.4 million (38%) from FY2023.
• Clean Energy Technology: $551 million requested, up $78.6 million (17%) from FY2023.

The budget request also includes funding for multi-agency initiatives. The NNI would receive $428 million, $46.7 million (12%) more than the FY2023 estimated amount. The NITRD program would receive $2.28 billion, an increase of $396 million (21%). The USGCRP would receive $1.05 billion, $203 million (24%) more than the FY2023 estimated amount.

Department of Agriculture⁶³

USDA was created in 1862 to support agricultural research in an expanding, agriculturally dependent country. Today, USDA conducts intramural research at federal facilities with federally employed scientists, and supports extramural research at universities and other facilities through competitive grants and capacity (formula-based) funding. The breadth of contemporary USDA research spans traditional agricultural production practices, as well as organic and sustainable agriculture, bioenergy, nutritional needs and food composition, food safety, animal and plant health, pest and disease management, economic decisionmaking, and other social sciences affecting consumers, farmers, and rural communities.

The four agencies of USDA's Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area carry out the Department's research and education activities.⁶⁴ These agencies are the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the principal intramural research agency; the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the principal extramural research agency; the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), which undertakes a variety of surveys to capture relevant data; and the Economic Research Service (ERS), which applies economic analysis to a wide range of topics related to food and agriculture. In addition to the four REE agencies, the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS), a staff office within the Office of the Under Secretary for REE, coordinates science activities across the department.

USDA's FY2023 enacted discretionary appropriations and the Administration's FY2024 budget request for the four REE agencies and OCS are discussed below, with funding amounts presented in Table 13. In annual agriculture appropriations acts, Title I (Agricultural Programs) provides regular discretionary appropriations for USDA, including the REE agencies and OCS. REE agencies and programs receive additional funding from sources other than this title, including discretionary funding from Title VII (General Provisions) of annual agriculture appropriations acts, mandatory funding authorized by the 2018 farm bill (P.L. 115-334), nonfederal matching contributions, and private donations and grants.⁶⁵ Funding from these other sources is discussed separately in the text, and is not presented in Table 13.

FY2023 enacted appropriations (P.L. 117-328, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023) provide a total of $3,825.7 million in discretionary spending for the REE activities through Division A (Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2022), Title I.⁶⁶ Title VII (General Provisions) of P.L. 117-328 provides an additional $9.4 million. The Administration is requesting a total of $4,195.7 million for REE activities in FY2024, a 9.7% increase ($370.0 million), including increases of 6% to 14% for each agency.

Agricultural Research Service

ARS is USDA's in-house basic and applied research agency, and has major responsibilities for conducting and leading the national agricultural research effort. ARS operates approximately 90 laboratories, with about 5,400 permanent employees, including approximately 2,000 research scientists.⁶⁷ ARS laboratories include a focus on efficient and sustainable food and fiber production, development of new products and uses for agricultural commodities, development of effective controls for pest management, and support of USDA regulatory and technical assistance programs. ARS also operates the National Agricultural Library (NAL). NAL is the world's largest agricultural research library, and is a primary information repository for food, agriculture, and natural resource sciences.

For FY2023, P.L. 117-328 provides $1,744.3 million for ARS salaries and expenses, and $74.3 million for buildings and facilities. For FY2024, the Administration is requesting $1,938.3 million for ARS salaries and expenses, an increase of $194.0 million (11.1%) above the FY2023 discretionary appropriation. This request includes increases of $215.5 million for high priority program initiatives, including $88.5 million for climate science research, and $83.0 million for clean energy research. The FY2024 request for buildings and facilities is $41.4 million, a decrease of $32.9 million (44.3%) from the FY2023 appropriation.

ARS continues to coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), which DHS is constructing to replace the outdated Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC).⁶⁸ In January 2019, USDA and DHS signed a Memorandum of Agreement to govern the transition of NBAF from DHS to USDA, with ownership to transfer upon its completion and commissioning.⁶⁹ USDA projects the transfer of the operations from PIADC to NBAF will be completed by December 2023, a date delayed from earlier projections, including delays resulting most recently from the COVID-19 pandemic.⁷⁰ For FY2024, the Administration is requesting a total of $13.0 million for NBAF within ARS salaries and expenses, and $10.6 million for NBAF within ARS buildings and facilities.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

NIFA is USDA's principal extramural research agency. It provides federal funding for research, education, and extension projects conducted in partnership with land-grant colleges and universities (LGUs), State Agricultural Experiment Stations, the Cooperative Extension System, other research and education institutions, private organizations, and individuals. NIFA partnerships include the three types of LGUs—1862 (original) Institutions, 1890 (historically Black) Institutions, and 1994 (tribal) Institutions—as well as other higher education institutions.⁷¹ Federal funds awarded through NIFA capacity (formula-based) and competitive grants enhance research capacity at these institutions.⁷² While NIFA is headquartered in Washington, DC, USDA relocated the majority of NIFA staff positions to Kansas City, MO, in 2019.⁷³

For FY2023, P.L. 117-328 provides $1,701.0 million in discretionary funds for NIFA activities. For FY2024, the Administration requests $1,868.5 million, an increase of $167.5 million (9.8%). In the explanatory notes for NIFA, the Administration proposes a change in appropriations language that would combine three separate NIFA funding accounts—for research and education, extension, and integrated activities—into one agency account that includes all programs.⁷⁴ The Administration argues that the existing three NIFA accounts are artifacts of the 1994 consolidation of two separate USDA agencies into the single agency now known as NIFA, and the subsequent establishment of an integrated activities program in 1998.⁷⁵ The Administration argues that consolidating the accounts would "mirror the organization as a National Institute with a unified mission and offer opportunities to streamline administration of funds."⁷⁶

Research and Education. The Hatch Act and Evans-Allen Act funds support capacity grants for research and education activities at 1862 and 1890 Institutions, respectively. For Hatch Act programs, the enacted P.L. 117-328 provides $265.0 million, and the Administration requests the same funding level for FY2024. For Evans-Allen programs, the FY2023 appropriation provides $89.0 million, and for FY2024 the Administration is requesting $98.0 million, a 10.1% increase. The McIntire-Stennis program funds capacity building for forestry research. For FY2023, P.L. 117-328 provides $38.0 million for this program, and the Administration requests the same funding level for FY2024.

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is USDA's flagship competitive research grants program, and currently represents about 26.2% of NIFA's total discretionary budget. The FY2023 enacted bill provides $445.0 million for AFRI, and the Administration is requesting $550.0 million for FY2024, a 23.6% increase. NIFA also funds the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. For FY2023, P.L. 117-328 provides $50.0 million for SARE, and the Administration is requesting $60.0 million for FY2024, a 20.0% increase.

Extension. Smith-Lever subsections 3(b) and 3(c) authorize capacity grants to 1862 Institutions to support cooperative extension. The FY2023 enacted appropriation provides $325.0 million for these programs, and the Administration requests the same funding level for FY2024. For extension capacity grants for 1890 Institutions, FY2023 appropriations include $72.0 million, and the Administration requests $76.0 million for FY2024, a 5.6% increase.

Smith-Lever Act 3(d) programs provide for competitive grants to LGUs to support cooperative extension. These programs include grants for food and nutrition education; new technologies for agricultural extension; federally recognized tribes; children, youth, and families at risk; and farm safety education. For FY2023, P.L. 117-328 appropriates $91.3 million for Smith-Lever 3(d) programs. For FY2024, the Administration is requesting $114.1 million. Of this total, $90.0 million would support the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), and $7.7 million would support the Federally-Recognized Tribes Extension Program.

Integrated Activities. Integrated activities are those activities that include some combination of teaching, education, and research. For FY2023, P.L. 117-328 provides $41.5 million for integrated activities, and the Administration requests the same funding level for FY2024.

Other appropriations. In addition to the sums discussed above, Title VII (General Provisions) of the enacted FY2023 agriculture appropriations bill includes $9.0 million for certain NIFA programs and activities. These include appropriations for continuation of a pilot program to enhance farming and ranching activities for military veterans ($5.0 million), and a provision providing $4.0 million for Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach (FOTO), of which half is for NIFA and half is for the USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement. The Administration did not propose appropriations language in the General Provisions for FOTO or the pilot program for military veterans.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

NASS conducts the Census of Agriculture every five years and provides official statistics on agricultural production and farm sector indicators. It is one of the 13 principal statistical agencies of the U.S. Federal Statistical System.

For FY2023, P.L. 117-328 provides $211.1 million for NASS, of which up to $66.4 million is reserved to support the Census of Agriculture. The Administration is requesting $241.1 million for NASS in FY2024, of which up to $80.9 million is for the Census of Agriculture, a 14.2% increase. The Administration's request for FY2024 proposes increases for some programs, including an additional $8.0 million to support climate science activities through NASS's existing geospatial program.

Economic Research Service

The Economic Research Service supports economic and social science analysis about agriculture, rural development, food, commodity markets, and the environment. It also collects and disseminates data concerning USDA programs and policies. Like NASS, ERS is one of the principal statistical agencies of the U.S. Federal Statistical System. While ERS is headquartered in Washington, DC, USDA relocated the majority of ERS staff positions to Kansas City, MO, in 2019.⁷⁷

For FY2023, P.L. 117-328 provides $92.6 million for ERS activities. The Administration is requesting $98.5 million for FY2024, a 6.4% increase. This includes a proposed increase of $6.3 million for climate science research.

Office of the REE Under Secretary and Office of the Chief Scientist

Congress created the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) in 2008 when it established the dual role of the Under Secretary for REE as the USDA Chief Scientist (7 U.S.C. §6971). OCS coordinates research programs and activities across USDA. Administratively, it is a component of the Office of the Under Secretary for REE.

In recent years, congressional appropriations for the Office of the Under Secretary for REE have included funds for the Under Secretary and a partial staff.⁷⁸ Congress has not provided direct appropriations for OCS staff since its establishment. As such, OCS has been funded via interagency agreement among the REE agencies. FY2023 appropriations provide $2.4 million for the Office of the Under Secretary for REE, which does not include direct funding for OCS staff. Of the $2.4 million, $1.0 million is for the Office of the Chief Scientist. In addition to those funds provided through Title I (Agricultural Programs) of P.L. 117-328, Title VII (General Provisions) provides $400,000 for pollinator research coordination within OCS. The President's budget request for FY2024 includes $7.9 million for the Office of the Under Secretary for REE, of which $5.5 million is for OCS.

Department of Commerce

Two agencies of the Department of Commerce (DOC) have major R&D programs: the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

National Institute of Standards and Technology⁷⁹

The mission of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is "to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life."⁸⁰ NIST research provides measurement, calibration, and quality assurance methods and techniques that support U.S. commerce, technological progress, product reliability, manufacturing processes, and public safety. NIST's responsibilities include the development, maintenance, and custodial retention of the national standards of measurement; providing the means and methods for making measurements consistent with those standards; and ensuring the compatibility of U.S. national measurement standards with those of other nations.⁸¹

Regular appropriations for NIST are provided through the annual Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (CJS Act). President Biden is requesting $1,632.0 million for NIST in FY2024, an increase of $4.7 million (0.3%) from the FY2023 enacted appropriation of $1,627.3 million.⁸² (See Table 14.)

NIST discretionary funding is provided through three accounts: Scientific and Technical Research and Services (STRS), Industrial Technology Services (ITS), and Construction of Research Facilities (CRF).

The President's FY2024 request includes $994.9 million for laboratory R&D programs, corporate services, and standards coordination and special programs in the STRS account, an increase of $41.9 million (4.4%) from the FY2023 enacted level. Program increases include

• Advancing Research in Critical and Emerging Technologies (CET) (up $20 million), for CET research, measurements and data to drive advances in AI, quantum information science and engineering, biotechnology, and advanced communications.
• Cybersecurity and Privacy (up $20 million), for cybersecurity and privacy-related standards, guidelines, and other resources in areas of national importance.
• Trustworthy and Resilient Domestic Supply Chains (up $8 million), for supply chain tools to ensure cybersecurity and trust, verify authenticity of high-tech components, and identify approaches that reduce the need for critical minerals.
• Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability (up $5.5 million), for CO₂ removal research efforts and developing greenhouse gas measurement tools and standards to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness of carbon data.
• Measurement Science Modernization (up $5 million), for accelerating the transition to digital measurement services delivery and to provide infrastructure for preparation and packaging of reference materials.
• National Construction Safety Team Act Implementation (up $5 million), for expanding NIST's ability to support investigations under the National Construction Safety Team Act of 2002 that can contribute to improvements in standards and codes.
• Advanced Neutron Research Instrumentation (up $3 million), for development and operation of advanced neutron measurement instrumentation to support NIST's Center for Neutron Research user facility.
• NIST Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Initiatives (up $2.2 million), for supporting strategic STEM partnerships with minority serving institutions and targeted STEM recruitment and retention strategies.

The FY2024 request would provide $374.9 million for the ITS account, up $162.9 million (76.8%) from the FY2023 enacted level. Within the ITS account, the request would provide $277.2 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, an increase of $102.2 million (58.4%) from the FY2023 enacted level, and $97.7 million for Manufacturing USA, up $60.7 million (164.1%) from the FY2023 enacted level of $37.0 million.

According to NIST, the funding requested for MEP would enable, among other things, new investments to narrow the workforce gap, mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities, and leverage technology.

Manufacturing USA funding would support creation and operation of testbeds at Manufacturing USA institutes and support emerging priority areas, such as manufacturing technology development, transfer of technology to manufacturers, and engagement of underserved communities in the network's technology and education and workforce development program.

The President is requesting $262.1 million for the CRF account for FY2024, down $200.2 million (41.5%) from the FY2022 enacted level. The FY2024 request represents an increase of $132.1 million (101.6%) over FY2023 enacted levels when congressionally directed spending projects are removed from the FY2023 CRF appropriation. This funding would support repair and revitalization of facilities to address NIST's major utility infrastructure maintenance backlog and to modernize its information technology networking infrastructure.⁸³

NIST CHIPS Act of 2022 Funding

In addition to regular appropriations, in July 2022, Congress passed the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act (P.L. 117-167) which, among other things, included the CHIPS Act of 2022 as Division A. The CHIPS Act of 2022 provided mandatory funding for FY2022-FY2026 and amended NIST authorities established under the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (2021 NDAA, P.L. 116-283). These funds are not included in Table 14.

The CHIPS Act of 2022 provides authorizations and appropriations to the Secretary of Commerce for a "CHIPS for America Fund" for the purpose of carrying out the provisions specified in Sections 9902 and 9906 of P.L. 116-283. These provisions seek to expand U.S. domestic semiconductor manufacturing fabrication capacity by offering financial incentives—direct financial assistance (i.e., grants, loans, loan guarantees) and tax deductions—and to help ensure U.S. technological and industrial leadership in semiconductor technology through R&D and the formation of public-private joint research activities. Of the $39 billion appropriated for execution of this section, $2.0 billion is provided "to incentivize investment in facilities and equipment in the United States for the fabrication, assembly, testing, or packaging of semiconductors at mature technology."¹⁹ NIST is authorized to use up to $6 billion of these funds to support loans and loan guarantees in support of the goals of Section 9902.

Section 9902 of P.L. 116-283 authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to provide financial assistance to "covered entities" to incentivize investment in facilities and equipment in the United States for semiconductor fabrication, assembly, testing, advanced packaging, or R&D of semiconductors.⁸⁴

Section 9906(c) of P.L. 116-283 directs the Secretary of Commerce, in collaboration with the Secretary of Defense, to establish a National Semiconductor Technology Center to conduct research and prototyping of advanced semiconductor technology to strengthen the economic competitiveness and security of the domestic supply chain. The center is to be operated as a consortium, with participation from the private sector, DOE, and NSF. The center's work is to emphasize advanced testing, assembly, and packaging capability in the domestic semiconductor ecosystem; materials characterization, instrumentation, and testing for next-generation microelectronics; virtualization and automation of maintenance of semiconductor machinery; and metrology for security and supply chain verification.²²

Section 9906(d) of P.L. 116-283 directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, led by the NIST Director, to strengthen semiconductor advanced testing, assembly, and packaging capability in the United States, and to coordinate its efforts with the National Semiconductor Technology Center, authorized by Section 9006(c), and the Manufacturing USA institute, authorized by Section 9006(f) (discussed below).²³

Section 9906(e) of P.L. 116-283 authorizes the NIST Director to conduct an R&D program to enable advances and breakthroughs in measurement science, standards, material characterization, instrumentation, testing, and manufacturing capabilities for next-generation microelectronics metrology, and to ensure U.S. competitiveness and leadership in microelectronics.²⁴

Section 9906(f) authorizes the establishment of up to three Manufacturing USA institutes to pursue research in support of the virtualization and automation of maintenance of semiconductor machinery; the development of new advanced testing, assembly, and packaging capabilities; and the development and deployment of educational and skills training curricula needed to support the industry sector and to ensure the United States can build and maintain a trusted and predictable talent pipeline.²⁵

The CHIPS Act of 2022 provides the following appropriations to support the activities authorized in P.L. 116-283:

• $39.0 billion for the semiconductor incentives authorized by Section 9902, including $19.0 billion for FY2022 and $5.0 billion for FY2023-FY2026;
• $2.0 billion in FY2022 for the establishment of the National Semiconductor Technology Center authorized by Section 9906(c);
• $2.5 billion in FY2022 for the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program authorized by Section 9906(d); and
• $500.0 million in FY2022 for NIST microelectronics research authorized by Section 9906(e) and the semiconductor research-focused Manufacturing USA institute authorized by Section 9906(f).

The act also provides additional funding for activities authorized by Section 9906(c), (d), (e), and (f), in aggregate, for FY2023 ($2.0 billion), FY2024 ($1.3 billion), FY2025 ($1.1 billion), and FY2026 ($1.6 billion).

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration⁸⁵

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducts scientific research in areas such as ecosystems, atmosphere, global climate change, weather, and oceans; collects and disseminates data on the oceans and atmosphere; and manages coastal and marine species and environments. NOAA was created in 1970 by Reorganization Plan No. 4.⁸⁶

NOAA is organized into six line offices: the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS); National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS); National Ocean Service (NOS); National Weather Service (NWS); Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR); and the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO). The line offices are supported by an additional office, Mission Support, which provides cross-cutting administrative functions related to education, planning, information technology, human resources, and infrastructure. Congress provides most of the discretionary funding for the line offices and Mission Support through two accounts: (1) Operations, Research, and Facilities, and (2) Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction.

NOAA has released several documents and guidance that describe its R&D mission and focus areas. The most recent NOAA R&D plan was published in June 2020, and identifies R&D priorities within three vision areas: (1) reducing societal impacts from hazardous weather and other environmental phenomena, (2) sustainable use and stewardship of ocean and coastal resources, and (3) a robust and effective research, development, and transition enterprise.⁸⁷ In addition, NOAA issued an agency administrative order (NAO) focused on R&D in June 2022.⁸⁸ The NAO "establishes the principles, policies, and responsibilities by which [R&D] throughout NOAA can be continually reviewed, evaluated and rebalanced in light of evolving mission needs."⁸⁹ The handbook accompanying the NAO provides information on the planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of NOAA R&D.⁹⁰

For FY2024, President Biden has requested $1.3 billion for NOAA R&D funding, including R&D-related equipment and facilities. The President's requested amount for FY2024 is $449.1 million (-25.8%) below the FY2023 enacted level of $1.7 billion.⁹¹ The President's FY2024 request for NOAA R&D is 17.9% of the requested FY2024 NOAA total direct obligations of $7.2 billion.⁹² According to OMB, direct obligations include annual appropriations, transfers, and recoveries from prior-year obligations.⁹³ The FY2024 request includes $798.8 million for research (61.9% of the total requested for NOAA R&D), $181.4 million for development (14.1%), and $309.6 million (24.0%) for R&D equipment and facilities.⁹⁴ Table 15 provides R&D amounts enacted in FY2023 and requested by the Administration for FY2024.

OAR accounts for the majority of NOAA R&D requests and enacted amounts in most years, including FY2024. The Administration requested $745.1 million for OAR R&D in FY2024, which is $39.8 million (-5.0%) below the FY2023 enacted funding level of $784.9 million.⁹⁵ OAR conducts research in three major areas: (1) climate; (2) weather and air chemistry; and (3) oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes. A portion of these efforts is implemented through OAR's laboratories and cooperative research institutes. The President requested $242.4 million for OAR labs and cooperative institutes in FY2024, $5.6 million (2.4%) more than the FY2023 enacted amount of $236.8 million.⁹⁶

Another OAR program, the National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP), is composed of 33 university-based state programs and supports scientific research and stakeholder engagement to identify and solve problems faced by coastal communities. For FY2024, the Administration has requested $94.8 million for NSGCP, an increase of $14.8 million (18.6%) from the FY2023 enacted amount of $80.0 million, and $14.1 million for its related Aquaculture Research program, an increase of $0.13 million (0.9%) from the FY2023 enacted amount of $14.0 million.⁹⁷

Department of Veterans Affairs⁹⁸

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides health care and health-related services to eligible veterans through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). VHA's primary mission is to provide health care services to eligible veterans and some family members.⁹⁹ The VHA is also statutorily required to conduct medical research into the special health care needs of veterans.¹⁰⁰

The President is requesting $1.820 billion for VA R&D in FY2024, an increase of $124 million (7.3%) from FY2023 enacted levels. (See Table 16.) According to the President's request, FY2024 strategic priorities for VA R&D include increasing veterans' access to clinical trials; increasing real-world impact of VA research; the effective use of VA data for veterans; promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the VA sphere of influence; and building community through VA research.¹⁰¹ In addition, the VA plans to increase funding for research on environmental exposures, traumatic brain injury/brain health, cancer and precision oncology, and implementation of the Commander John Scott Hannon Mental Health Care Improvement Act (P.L. 116-171).¹⁰²

VA R&D is generally funded through two major funding streams—the Medical and Prosthetic Research account and Medical Support.¹⁰³ The funding that will be allocated from Medical Support to support R&D is generally unclear unless Congress provides funding at the precise level of the request. In general, R&D funding levels from Medical Support are known only after the VA allocates its appropriations to specific activities and reports those figures. Medical Support appropriations fund a range of activities across VHA; R&D is one of those activities.

The FY2024 request includes $938 million for VA's Medical and Prosthetic Research account, an increase of $22 million (2.4%) compared to FY2023 enacted levels. The request includes $836.4 million in funding for research supported by the agency's Medical Care Support account, an increase of $58.5 million (7.5%) compared with FY2023. The Medical Care Support account provides administrative and other support for VA researchers and R&D projects, including infrastructure maintenance.

The Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-168) established the Cost of War Toxic Exposure Fund (TEF) to be administered by the VA Secretary.¹⁰⁴ Among other purposes, funding from this mandatory account could be used for investment in medical and other research relating to exposure to environmental hazards. Beginning with FY2023, funds from TEF are included in VA's R&D budget. The President's budget request includes $46 million for the TEF in FY2024, an increase of $43.5 million from FY2023 enacted levels.

The Medical and Prosthetics R&D program is an intramural program. In general, each Principal Investigator (PI) and any Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) must be VA employees with at least a five-eighths appointment (25 hours per week) in the VA.¹⁰⁵ The R&D program is managed by the VHA Office of Research and Development (ORD) and conducted at VA Medical Centers and VA-approved sites nationwide. According to ORD, the mission of VA R&D includes "improv[ing] Veterans' health and well-being via basic, translational, clinical, health services, and rehabilitative research and apply[ing] scientific knowledge to develop effective individualized care solutions for Veterans."¹⁰⁶ ORD consists of four main research services, each headed by a director:

• Biomedical Laboratory R&D conducts preclinical research to understand life processes at the molecular, genomic, and physiological levels.
• Clinical Science R&D supports clinical trials and other human subjects research to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of new treatments such as drugs, therapies, or devices; compare existing therapies; and improve clinical care and practice.
• Health Services R&D conducts studies to identify and promote effective and efficient strategies to improve the quality and accessibility of the VA health system and patient outcomes, and to minimize health care costs.
• Rehabilitation R&D conducts research and develops novel approaches to improving the quality of life of impaired and disabled veterans.

In addition to intramural support, VA researchers are eligible to obtain funding for their research from extramural sources, including other federal agencies, private foundations and health organizations, and commercial entities. According to the President's FY2024 budget request, these additional R&D resources are estimated at $540 million in FY2024.

Table 16 summarizes R&D program funding for VA in the Medical and Prosthetic Research and the Medical Care Support accounts. Table 17 details amounts to be spent in Designated Research Areas (DRAs), which VA describes as "areas of importance to our veteran patient population."¹⁰⁷ Funding for research projects that span multiple areas may be included in several DRAs; thus, the amounts in Table 17 total to more than the appropriation or request for VA R&D.

Department of Transportation¹⁰⁸

The Department of Transportation (DOT) was established by the Department of Transportation Act (P.L. 89-670) on October 15, 1966. The primary purposes of DOT R&D activities as defined by Congress¹⁰⁹ are improving mobility of people and goods; reducing congestion; promoting safety; improving the durability and extending the life of transportation infrastructure; preserving the environment; and preserving the existing transportation system.

Funding for DOT R&D is generally included in appropriations line items that also include non-R&D activities. The amount of funding provided by appropriations legislation that is allocated to R&D is unclear unless funding is provided at the precise level of the request. In general, R&D funding levels are known only after DOT agencies allocate their final appropriations to specific activities and report those figures.

For FY2024, the Administration is requesting a total of $1.5 billion (an increase of 8.9% over FY2023) for DOT R&D activities and facilities in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the Office of the Secretary (OST), and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) (see Table 18). The bulk of DOT R&D funding goes to FAA and FHWA.

Federal Aviation Administration

The President's FY2024 request of $521.7 million for R&D activities and facilities at FAA would be a decrease of 1.8% (-$9.8 million) from the FY2023 enacted amount; the reduction is in the NextGen Research and Development Account, from $90.4 million (FY2023) to $74.9 million (FY2024). The request includes $255.1 million for the agency's Research, Engineering, and Development (RE&D) account, essentially flat from FY2023. Funding within the RE&D account seeks to improve aircraft safety through research in fields such as fire safety, advanced materials, propulsion systems, aircraft icing, and continued airworthiness, in addition to safety research related to unmanned aircraft systems and the integration of commercial space operations into the national airspace. The RE&D account also supports research to reduce the environmental impacts of aviation (i.e., noise and emissions).

Federal Highway Administration

According to the President's budget request,

FHWA's contributions to researching and implementing transformative innovations and technologies are changing the way roads, bridges, and other facilities are planned, designed, built, managed, and maintained across the country to be more responsive to current and future needs.¹¹⁰

The President's request of $519 million for R&D activities and facilities at FHWA would be an increase of 12.7% ($58.7 million) from the FY2023 enacted amount. The request includes $147 million for FHWA's Highway Research and Development program, which seeks to improve safety, foster innovation, accelerate projects, enhance the design and construction of transportation infrastructure, provide data and analysis for decisionmaking, and reduce congestion. The request also includes $110 million for the deployment of technology to enhance the safety, efficiency, and convenience of surface transportation under the agency's Intelligent Transportation Systems program.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The President is requesting $201.2 million in R&D and R&D facilities funding for FY2024 for NHTSA, 2.1% ($4.2 million) above the FY2023 enacted amount. NHTSA R&D focuses on automation and the study of human machine interfaces, advanced vehicle safety technology, improving vehicle crashworthiness and crash avoidance, and reducing unsafe driving behaviors.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

The President is requesting $38.1 million in research, development, and technology funding for FY2024 for FMCSA, 170% ($24.0 million) above the $14.1 million enacted for FY2023. FMCSA's research and technology programs focus on research on driver, vehicle, and carrier issues impacting commercial motor vehicle safety, and cross-cutting research related to safety data collection and information sharing to improve the effectiveness of commercial vehicle inspections. The increased funding requested is primarily to support agency research efforts investigating the overall business, economic, and technical trends in the commercial motor vehicle industry, and identifying and evaluating new and refined methods for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating safety-related information.

Other DOT Components

R&D activities are also supported by several other DOT components or agencies (see Table 18). The President's FY2024 request includes DOT R&D activities and facilities funding for

• the Federal Railroad Administration, totaling $59.0 million, 34.1% ($15.0 million) above the FY2023 enacted level of $44.0 million;
• the Federal Transit Administration, totaling $68.6 million, 53.8% ($24.0 million) above the FY2023 enacted level of $44.6 million;
• the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, totaling $24.8 million, 11.2% ($2.5 million) above the FY2023 enacted level of $22.3 million; and
• the Office of the Secretary, totaling $91.5 million, 7.0% ($6.0 million) above the FY2023 enacted level of $85.5 million.

Department of the Interior¹¹¹

The Department of the Interior (DOI) is a federal executive department responsible for the conservation and use of approximately two-thirds of the estimated 640 million acres of federal land.¹¹² DOI defines its mission as to protect and manage the nation's natural resources and cultural heritage for the benefit of the American people; to provide scientific and scholarly information about those resources and natural hazards; and to exercise the country's trust responsibilities and special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and island territories under U.S. administration.¹¹³ DOI has a wide range of responsibilities, including, among other things, mapping; geological, hydrological, and biological science; migratory bird, wildlife, and endangered species conservation; surface-mined lands protection and restoration; and historic preservation, as well as energy and mineral leasing on public lands.

The Administration is requesting $1.48 billion for R&D in FY2024.¹¹⁴ This reflects an increase of $214 million (16.9%) from the FY2023 estimated level of $1.26 billion.¹¹⁵ Funding for DOI R&D is generally included in appropriations line items that also include non-R&D activities. How much of the funding provided in appropriations legislation is allocated to R&D specifically is unclear unless funding is provided at the precise level of the request. In general, R&D funding levels are known only after DOI components allocate their appropriations to specific activities and report those figures.

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) typically accounts for more than two-thirds of all DOI R&D funding. A single appropriations account, Surveys, Investigations, and Research (SIR), provides all USGS funding. USGS R&D is conducted under seven SIR activity/program areas: Ecosystems; Energy and Mineral Resources; Natural Hazards; Water Resources; Core Science Systems; Science Support; and Facilities.¹¹⁶ For FY2024, the Administration requested $1.08 billion for R&D, an increase of $190 million (21%) from the FY2023 estimated level of $892 million.¹¹⁷

Other DOI Components

The President's FY2024 request also includes R&D funding for the following DOI components:

• Bureau of Reclamation (BOR): $147 million for FY2024, up $1 million (1%) from the FY2023 estimate.
• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM): $95 million for FY2024, up $20 million (27%) from the FY2023 estimate.
• Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS): $57 million for FY2024, equal to the FY2023 estimate.
• National Park Service (NPS): $32 million for FY2023, up $3 million (10%) from the FY2023 estimate.
• Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE): $32 million for FY2024, equal to the FY2023 estimate.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM): $21 million for FY2024, equal to the FY2023 estimate.
• Wildland Fire Management (WFM): $6 million for FY2024, equal to the FY2023 estimate.
• Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA): $5 million for FY2024, equal to the FY2023 estimate.
• Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE): $1 million for FY2024, equal to the FY2023 estimate.

Table 19 summarizes FY2023 estimated R&D funding and the President's FY2024 R&D funding request for DOI components.

Environmental Protection Agency¹¹⁸

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers multiple environmental pollution control laws, many of which are carried out under a delegated framework with states and tribes (and local governments for certain authorities). To carry out this mission, EPA funds a broad range of R&D activities intended to provide scientific tools and knowledge that inform decisions relating to preventing, regulating, and abating environmental pollution. Since FY2006, Congress has funded EPA's discretionary budget through the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies annual appropriations acts.

Appropriations for EPA R&D are generally included in programs and activities that also include non-R&D functions. Annual appropriations bills and the accompanying committee reports do not identify precisely how much funding is allocated to EPA R&D alone. EPA determines R&D funding levels for its operations by allocating the agency's appropriations for authorized activities and reporting those amounts.

The agency's Science and Technology (S&T) appropriations account funds much of EPA's scientific research activities,¹¹⁹ which include R&D conducted by the agency at its own laboratories and facilities, and R&D and related scientific research conducted by universities, foundations, and other nonfederal entities that receive EPA grants. The S&T account generally receives a base appropriation and a transfer from the Hazardous Substance Superfund (Superfund) account for research on more effective methods for remediating contaminated sites.¹²⁰

EPA's ORD is the primary manager of R&D at EPA headquarters and laboratories around the country, as well as EPA-supported R&D external to the agency. A large portion of the S&T account funds EPA R&D activities managed by ORD, including research grants. Programs implemented by other offices within EPA also may have a research component, but the research component is not necessarily the primary focus of each particular program.

Enacted on December 29, 2022, Division G of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) includes the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations for FY2023. Division G, Title II of P.L. 117-328 provides $833.9 million for EPA's S&T account, which includes a $31.6 million transfer from the Superfund account.

For FY2024, the President requested a total of $999.8 million for EPA's S&T account, including a $31.9 million transfer from the Superfund account.¹²¹ The FY2024 requested amount is $165.9 million (19.9%) more than the FY2023 enacted amount for the S&T account, including transfers.

Table 20 presents a comparison of the FY2023 enacted appropriations and the President's FY2024 request for program areas and activities funded within EPA's S&T account. The program areas and activities listed in Table 20 are only those identified in funding tables presented in explanatory statements accompanying annual appropriations bills that fund EPA. The explanatory statements include additional breakouts of funding and directive language for certain activities within these broader program areas. EPA's annual budget justification also identifies specific amounts of funding for various subprogram activities not listed in these explanatory statements.

Department of Homeland Security¹²²

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified five core missions: to prevent terrorism and enhance security, to secure and manage the borders, to enforce and administer immigration laws, to safeguard and secure cyberspace, and to ensure resilience to disasters. New technology resulting from R&D can contribute to achieving all these goals. The Directorate of Science and Technology (S&T) has primary responsibility for establishing, administering, and coordinating DHS R&D activities. Other components, such as the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office and the Transportation Security Administration, conduct R&D relating to their specific missions.

The President's FY2024 budget request for DHS includes $542 million for activities identified as R&D. This would be a decrease of 6.2% from $578 million in FY2023. The requested total includes $437 million for the R&D account in the S&T Directorate and smaller amounts for five other DHS components. (See Table 21.)

The S&T Directorate performs R&D in several laboratories of its own and funds R&D performed by the DOE national laboratories, industry, universities, and others. It also conducts testing and other technology-related activities in support of acquisitions by other DHS components. The Administration's FY2024 request of $437 million for the S&T Directorate R&D account would be a decrease of 5.3% from $461 million in FY2023. Within the R&D account, the Research, Development, and Innovation budget line would decrease by $22 million, including decreases for First Responder/Disaster Resilience (down $27 million); (down $5 million); Innovative Research and Foundational Tools (down $3 million) and Counter Terrorist (down less than $1 million); and increases for Border Security (up $18 million); and Chemical, Biological, and Explosives Defense (up $6 million). According to DHS, the proposed decreases for cybersecurity and resilience R&D reflect, at least in part, funding for those purposes that remains available from an emergency supplemental FY2022 appropriation of $158 million, provided in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, P.L. 117-58), which DHS has five years to spend. In the University Programs budget line, the request for Centers of Excellence is $46 million, the same as FY2023, while the request for Minority Serving Institutions is $5 million, down from $8 million in FY2023.

In addition to its R&D account, the S&T Directorate receives funding for laboratory facilities and other R&D-related expenses through two other accounts (not shown in the table). The total request for the directorate is $887 million, a decrease of 1.5% from $901 million in FY2023. The directorate's Procurement, Construction, and Improvements account would receive $79 million under the Administration's request (versus $55 million in FY2023), including an increase of $29 million for design and construction of a detection sciences facility at the Transportation Security Laboratory; a decrease of $26 million for critical repairs and replacements at various S&T Directorate laboratories; and an increase of $20 million to continue preparations for the closure of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center—which is being replaced by the NBAF—and the sale of Plum Island itself.¹²³

Appendix. CRS Contacts for Agency R&D

The following table lists the primary CRS experts on R&D funding for the agencies covered in this report.