NIST FY 1999 Budget Request

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is part of the Department of Commerce’s Technology Administration. According to NIST’s “Budget Highlights, “the Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 1999 budget request to Congress includes $715 million for the Technology Administration’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an increase of $42 million [6.3 percent] over FY 1998 appropriations of $673 million.” NIST funding consists of three accounts: Scientific and Technical Research and Services (STRS) incorporates NIST’s in-house Measurement and Standards Laboratories, as well as the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The Industrial Technology Services (ITS) comprise NIST’s extramural programs with industry, the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP.) The third account is for construction and renovation of NIST facilities. Below are details on the requests for each account. Quotes are from NIST’s FY 1999 “Budget Highlights,” which can be found on the Internet at the following site: http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/budget/99budget_hilite.htm

NIST FY98 FY99 Percent Program Approp. Request Change (In millions) NIST TOTAL $672.9 715.0 +6.3
STRS TOTAL 271.9 291.6 +7.3 Laboratories 268.9 286.3 +6.5 Baldrige Award 3.0 5.4 +80.0 ITS TOTAL 306.0 366.7 +19.8 ATP 192.5 259.9 +35.0 MEP 113.5 106.8 -5.9
CONSTRUCTION 95.0 56.7 -40.3 MEASUREMENT AND STANDARDS LABORATORIES:

The $286.3 million request represents an increase of $17.4 million, or 6.5 percent, above current-year funding. NIST’s labs “support development of critical measurement technologies, methods, and data needed by the United States to improve continually the quality of products and enhance international competitiveness.” Of the $17.4 million increase, $2.0 million is requested “to enhance NIST’s semiconductor measurement efforts in response to the National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors.” An increase of $7.0 million is requested “to improve the measurements and data underpinning the next generation of climate change technologies and contribute to the White House FY 1999 Initiative on Climate Change Technology.” NIST requests $3.0 million “to develop and disseminate the measurements and standards for next-generation technologies to enable cost- effective disaster mitigation, response, and recovery for critical economic infrastructure systems” such as electric power, fuel delivery and storage, water supply and sewage, and roads and bridges. A $4.0 million increase would “create a comprehensive approach to technical measurements and standards needed for international trade and to promote the global use of U.S. standards and measurements.” A reduction of $4.5 million reflects elimination of two FY 1998 earmarked projects not requested by the Administration, on wind engineering and non-destructive evaluation.

BALDRIGE AWARD:

Funding for the Baldrige National Quality Program would increase by 80.0 percent over current-year funding, to $5.4 million. “As part of this effort, NIST proposes to establish and manage Baldrige Awards for performance excellence in healthcare and education.”

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM:

The request of $259.9 million represents an increase of $67.4 million, or 35.0 percent over the FY 1998 appropriation. “The proposed increase...is necessary to continue ongoing projects while permitting ATP to carry out a general competition and several additional focused program competitions.” In July 1997, Commerce Secretary William Daley announced a series of policy changes for ATP: “increased emphasis on support for joint research projects involving a mix of companies, universities, and other organizations; a stronger emphasis on the program’s support for small and mid-sized firms; and an increase in the cost-share requirements for large company single applicants participating in the program.” Large companies must now provide cost-sharing of “at least 60 percent of total project costs for each calendar quarter of the project.”

MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP:

NIST’s FY 1999 request for MEP is $106.8 million, $6.7 million, or 5.9 percent, less than current-year funding. “This decrease reflects a lower federal share of the centers’ operating costs since the federal share changes as the centers mature. In the first three years, the federal share is 50 percent; in year four, 40 percent. In years five and six and for renewals, the federal share is one-third. The number of centers is not expected to change.”

NIST FACILITIES:

Sometime in February, NIST expects to submit to Congress a long-term facilities master plan “to guide the replacement, renovation, or repair of the Institute’s buildings so that NIST can continue to provide U.S. industry and science with the best possible measurement system.” For the current fiscal year, Congress provided an appropriation of $95 million, in anticipation of (and in part contingent upon) submission of this facilities plan. The request for FY 1999 is $56.7 million. “A top priority is construction of a new Advanced Measurement Laboratory (AML), which will house NIST’s most advanced metrology, physics, chemistry, electronics, engineering, and materials research projects that have critical needs for state-of-the-art environmental controls.... To complete the AML, $40 million will be needed in FY 1999, FY 2000, and FY 2001; $35 million will be required in FY 2002.” In addition, “NIST is requesting $16.7 million for safety, capacity, and maintenance projects as well as major repairs such as asbestos abatement, site-wide fire alarm upgrades, and building modifications to improve access for the disabled.”