The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which President Obama signed today, includes significant investment in scientific research and lays the foundation for long-term economic growth. According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the economic recovery package contains an estimated $21.5 billion in federal research and development (R&D) funding, $18.0 billion for the conduct of R&D and $3.5 billion for R&D facilities and capital equipment [1].

Major scientific portions of the stimulus include:

• Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: $16.8 billion, including $5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program, $3.1 billion for the State Energy Program, $3.2 billion for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants, $2.5 billion for applied research, development, demonstration and deployment, $2 billion for Advanced Battery Manufacturing Grants, $400 million for transportation electrification, $300 million for an Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program and ENERGY STAR, and $300 million for an Alternative Fueled-Vehicles Pilot Grant Program.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH): $10 billion, which includes $8.2 billion to the Office of the Director ($7.4 billion for distribution to the institutes and centers and $800 million for the Office of the Director for trans-NIH initiatives), $1.3 billion to the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) ($1 billion for “competitive awards for the construction and renovation of extramural research facilities” and $300 million for shared instrumentation and other capital equipment) and $500 million for improvements to the NIH campus.
• National Science Foundation (NSF): $3 billion for “basic research in fundamental science and engineering”, including $2.5 billion for highly-rated peer reviewed research proposals, $400 million for construction of and equipment in national labs, and $100 million for improving instruction in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ): $1.1 billion for comparative effectiveness research; $400 million will be transferred to the NIH to support comparative effectiveness research. The remaining balance will be used for comparative research of drugs, devices and medical procedures.
• Prevention and Wellness Fund: $1 billion, of which some portion will be allocated to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): $1 billion, including $400 million for science missions and climate research, $150 million for aeronautics research, $400 million to maintain access to space as the Space Shuttle is retired, and $50 million for facilities repair and recovery from natural disasters.
• Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science: $1.6 billion for research funding through the DOE’s Office of Science, including research in areas such as climate science, biofuels, high-energy physics and nuclear physics. Provides $400 million for the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to support high-risk, high-payoff research into energy sources and energy efficiency in collaboration with private industry and universities.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): $830 million, including $230 million for NOAA operations, facilities and research, and $600 million for climate modeling, satellite programs and data storage.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): $580 million, of which $360 will go to research facility construction.

Andrew at Science Progress has tallied total funding for a number of science-related research and development programs. You can track the progress of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act at Recovery.gov; the web site features a link to the full text of the Act and a timeline for various milestones.

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) President Richard Marchase, Ph.D. shared his hope for continued support earlier this week [2]:

Ultimately, it is our hope that the economic recovery package is the first step forward towards a long-term, sustainable investment in both biomedical and other scientific research. Stable and predictable budget growth will expedite the research that will improve the health and quality of life of all Americans.

The administration’s commitment to scientific research will become clear later this month when the revised 2009 budget is released. Currently, the NIH is running on extended funding at 2008 levels through March 6th, 2009.

References

1. Final Stimulus Bill Provides $21.5 Billion for Federal R&D. AAAS. Accessed 2009 Feb 17.
2. FASEB Praises Inclusion of NIH, NSF, DOE Science Funding in Stimulus. FASEB press release. 2009 Feb 12.

Additional information was collected from the following sources:

1. Recovery.gov. Accessed 2009 Feb 17.
2. Download the Stimulus Bill. ProPublica. 2009 Feb 13.
3. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Allots $16.8 Billion for EERE. U.S.Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. 2009 Feb 17.
4. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Investing in Science. Representative Rush Holt, the 12th District of New Jersey. Accessed 2009 Feb 17.