Fifth in a series of annual reports, this study provides observations on the Administration’s FY 2003 budget proposal for federal science and technology (FS&T) programs. The first section of the report outlines the development during the 1990s of national goals for science and technology (S&T), re-iterating the importance of U.S. leadership in these fields. It also comments on development of approach to tabulating and analyzing the federal S&T investment. The second section of the report summarizes the President’s FY 2003 budget proposal, including proposals for spending on research for countering terrorism. The third section provides observations on the President’s proposal, noting differences in funding trends by agency and outlining an approach to FS&T budgeting that focuses on both priority-driven and discovery-oriented research. The final section provides recommendations for ensuring that federally-funded S&T programs provide high-quality research outcomes that are relevant to agency missions and provide the U.S. with global leadership in S&T.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• COMMITTEE ON THE FY 2003 FEDERAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BUDGET
• COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND PUBLIC POLICY
• Preface
• Executive Summary
  • ALLOCATING FEDERAL FUNDS FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
  • THE PRESIDENT'S FY 2003 FEDERAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BUDGET
  • ENSURING PERFORMANCE AND LEADERSHIP
• INTRODUCTION
• NATIONAL GOALS FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
  • Leadership in Science and Technology
  • Allocating Federal Funds for Science and Technology
• THE PRESIDENT'S FY 2003 FEDERAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BUDGET
  • The President's S&T Priorities
  • The President's Proposal for FS&T in Other Agencies
  • Science and Technology for Countering Terrorism
• OBSERVATIONS ON THE PRESIDENT'S FS&T BUDGET PROPOSAL
  • Priority-Driven Research
  • Discovery-Oriented Research
  • FS&T Spending and Human Resources
  • Budget Action for FY 2003 and FY 2004
• QUALITY, RELEVANCE, AND LEADERSHIP
• CONCLUSION
• Tables
• Appendixes
  • APPENDIX A National Research Council Trends in Federal Support of Research and Graduate Education
  • APPENDIX B National Science Board Federal Research Resources: A Process for Setting Priorities

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

The National Research Council supported this study. It was prepared by Committee on the FY 2003 Federal Science and Technology Budget under the aegis of the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP). COSEPUP is a joint committee of NAS, NAE, and IOM. It includes members of the councils of all three bodies.