FY 2015 Budget Request: National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has requested $7.255 billion for FY 2015, an increase of $83.1 million or 1.2 percent. The NSF budget supports core research activities within and across all science disciplines. The NSF has released its FY 2015 budget request documents as well as a Strategic Plan for 2014-2018.

NSF Acting Director Cora Marrett delivered the presentation of the FY 2015 budget request to Congress on March 10 at the Foundation’s headquarters. During her presentation she noted the NSF’s core mission of conducting fundamental research. She highlighted the approximately 50,000 proposals evaluated through the merit review process each year which result in about 10,800 awards to 300,000 researchers, postdoctoral fellows, trainees, teachers and students. “With this budget request, the Administration has conveyed its determination to build on the nation’s history of success in leading-edge discovery and innovation,” stated Marrett.

The Foundation’s budget outlines specific priorities including:

Advanced Manufacturing: $151 million
Antarctic Logistics: $19 million
Clean Energy Technology: $362 million
Cognitive Science and Neuroscience: $29 million
Cyber-Enabled Materials, Manufacturing and Smart Systems (CEMMSS): $213 million
Cyberinfrastructure Framework for 21st Century Science, Engineering, and Education (CIF21): $125 million
Innovation Corps (I-Corps): $25 million
Research at the Interface of Biological, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences and Engineering (BioMaPs): $29 million
Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES): $139 million
Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC): $100 million

National Science Foundation:
The FY 2014 appropriation was $7,171.9 million.
The FY 2015 request is $7,255.0 million, an increase of $83.1 million or 1.2 percent.

Within the National Science Foundation are six budget accounts:

Research and Related Activities
The FY 2014 appropriation was $5,808.9 million.
The FY 2015 request is $5,807.5 million, a decrease of $1.5 million or 0.03 percent.

Within this Directorate are six Subactivities, including

Astronomical Sciences
The FY 2014 appropriation was $239.1 million.
The FY 2015 request is $236.2 million, a decrease of $2.8 million or 1.2 percent.

Geosciences
The FY 2014 appropriation was $1303.0 million.
The FY 2015 request is $1,304.4 million, an increase of $1.4 million or 0.1 percent.

Materials Research
The FY 2014 appropriation was $298.0 million.
The FY 2015 request is $299.0 million, an increase of $1.0 million or 0.3 percent.

Mathematical Sciences
The FY 2014 appropriation was $225.6 million.
The FY 2015 request is $224.4 million, a decrease of $1.2 million or 0.5 percent.

U.S. Arctic Research Commission
The FY 2014 appropriation was $1.3 million.
The FY 2015 request is $1.4 million, an increase of 0.1 million or 8.1 percent.

Physics
The FY 2014 appropriation was $266.3 million.
The FY 2015 request is $263.7 million, a decrease of $2.6 million or 1.0 percent.

Education and Human Resources
The FY 2014 appropriation was $846.5 million.
The FY 2015 request is $889.8 million, an increase of $43.3 million or 5.1 percent.

Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction
The FY 2014 appropriation was $200.0 million.
The FY 2015 request is $200.8 million, an increase of $0.8 million or 0.4 percent.

The Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction account funds initial planning, design, post-construction operations and maintenance of facilities that are funded within the Research and Related Activities Account. No new starts have been proposed for FY 2015.

National Science Board
The FY 2014 appropriation was $4.3 million.
The FY 2015 request is $4.4 million, an increase of $0.07 million or 1.6 percent.

Agency Operations and Award Management
The FY 2014 appropriation was $298.0 million.
The FY 2015 request is $338.2 million, an increase of $40.2 million or13.5 percent.

This increase is largely due to the relocation of NSF headquarters to Alexandria, VA which is projected for completion in 2016.

Office of Inspector General
The FY 2014 appropriation was $14.2 million.
The FY 2015 request is $14.4 million, an increase of $0.2 million or 1.6 percent.

NSF investment highlights for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education include:

Graduate Research Fellowship Program: $333.4 million
Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: $118.5 million
K-12 STEM Education Programs: $196.6

Further information on federal STEM education programs will be addressed in a future FYI.