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National Institutes of Health
Growth in the behavioral and social and science research (BSSR)
portfolio is slowing, as are many other areas of science, in response to
the modest increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that was
enacted in the Fiscal Year 2004 appropriations. The outlook for modest
growth continues in estimates based on the President's Fiscal Year 2005
budget. According to estimates from the NIH Office of Budget (see table
below) growth of BSSR research from FY 2003 to FY 2004 would be
approximately $77.5 million. From FY 2004 to FY 2005, the estimated
increase in the amount of BSSR funded by NIH would be $70 million.
Information on the amount of BSSR funded by each institute
and center is collected by the NIH Budget Office as part of what is
informally called "the disease list" (a multi-page list of
diseases, conditions, etc. for which NIH is required to report its
research expenditures to Congress). All of the institutes and centers at
NIH report funding at least some BSSR in their research portfolios.
Although the data collected from the institutes by the Budget Office are
somewhat less than reliable in specific instances, the trends shown in the
table below are seen by the institutes as good general reflections of
their behavioral and social science research investments.
Behavioral and social science research is well integrated in most NIH
institutes and centers, and it features prominently in NIH multi-institute
research programs including Roadmap initiatives on interdisciplinary
training and clinical research; minority health disparities; and obesity,
among others. Still, many scientists are concerned that the rates of
growth in most institutes are lower than the rates of increase during the
years that NIH's budget was being doubled.
[back to top]
The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
in the OD coordinates research initiatives that are relevant to multiple
NIH institutes and centers. OBSSR's appropriation for FY 2003 was $25.6
million, with a slight increase, to $25.9 million, in FY 2004. The
Administration's budget proposal for FY 2005 is $26.3 million, an increase
of just 1.5 percent. Research spending on BSSR appears to be decreasing in
the OD (see table below) but the decrease is primarily a result of more
accurate reporting (e.g. administrative costs are no longer included in
OBSSR's total BSSR estimate).
Virginia Cain, a sociologist-demographer, is Acting
Director of OBSSR. She has held the position since former director Raynard
Kington was appointed Deputy Director of NIH in early 2003. The search
committee for a new director of OBSSR has forwarded recommendations to the
NIH Director, and an appointment is expected by the summer of 2004. Behavioral and Social Science Research (in Millions)
in Order of Institute/Center Investment
Participating
ICs FY
2003 FY
2004 FY 2005
Actual
Estimate Estimate
NIMH
440.7
454.5
466.8
NIDA
410.7
423.1
434.5
NCI
291.9
304.0
314.0
NICHD
288.0
296.7
305.6
NIA
267.7
276.2
284.5
NIAAA
196.8
203.0
209.0
NHLBI
119.5
122.8
125.9
NINR
105.9
108.0
110.2
NIDDK
96.9
99.0
101.0
NINDS
92.4
94.5
95.7
NIDCD
72.3
74.5
75.9
NCRR
62.2
64.3
66.4
NEI
56.8
58.6
60.2
NIAID
37.0
38.1
39.2
NIDCR
22.3
23.4
23.9
NIAMS
22.1
22.7
23.2
OD
31.8
27.0
22.4
NHGRI
14.7
15.1
15.6
NCCAM
14.5
15.0
15.5
NIEHS
14.4
14.8
15.3
NIGMS
12.7
13.3
13.6
FIC
7.9
8.0
8.2
NLM
2.0
2.1
2.1
NCMHD
1.9
1.9
1.9
NIBIB
1.0
1.0
1.1
NIH
Total*
2,684.0 2,761.5
2,831.5
*May not add due to rounding
[back to top]
Department of Defense
Driven by its mission focus, the Department of Defense (DoD) supports an
enormous research and development (R&D) enterprise. Within the overall
R&D account, DoD's basic and applied research portfolio (the Science
and Technology or S&T line) includes support for behavioral, cognitive
and social science. The majority of this research is funded through
intramural and extramural programs within the Army Research Institute (ARI)
and Army Research Laboratory (ARL); the Office of Naval Research (ONR);
and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). These military
service laboratories conduct and sponsor basic (6.1), applied/exploratory
development (6.2) and advanced development (6.3) research in the human
systems area. All of the services fund research in the broad categories of
personnel, training and leader development; warfighter protection,
sustainment and physical performance; and system interfaces and cognitive
processing. In addition, there are additional, smaller human systems
research programs funded through the Office of the Secretary of Defense,
the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Marine Corps,
and the Special Operations Command.
In FY 2004 DoD was one of few federal agencies funded by a
free-standing appropriations bill rather than the eventual omnibus
package. Although the Administration had requested $10.2 billion for DoD's
S&T line and the defense authorizers in turn had recommended $11.1
billion, appropriators provided $12.1 billion for S&T in the final FY
2004 bill signed by the President. For FY 2005, the President's budget
requests $10.55 billion for defense S&T, a 12.7 percent decrease from
the enacted FY 2004 level. When asked about the cut, DoD staff noted that
Administration requests are based on the previous year's request rather
than enacted levels of funding. They therefore describe the FY 2005
request not as a decrease, but as a 3.1% increase for defense S&T. [back to top]
Even as the overall S&T account has grown steadily
(until this year's Administration request), DoD's investment in
behavioral, cognitive and social science within that portfolio has
declined. In a report to the Senate Appropriations Committee, DoD noted
that these areas of research have "historically been extremely
productive" with high return on investment and "high operational
impact." Yet total spending on behavioral, cognitive and social
science research fell from $405.0 million appropriated in FY 2003 to
$376.7 million in FY 2004, with the majority of cuts in 6.2 and 6.3
funding. At press time DoD had not made available the levels of funding
for human-centered basic research (6.1 level) programs, but overall
applied research in these areas (6.2 and 6.3 level) would be cut by 11.8
percent. Small investments in DARPA and Marine Corps human systems applied
programs would increase, as would the Army's and Navy's 6.3 funding. Large
cuts (up to a third of program funding) would hit the Air Force (6.2 and
6.3 programs), the Army and Navy 6.2 programs, and human systems applied
programs funded through the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The need
for the research is unlikely to decline, however, since in the current
national security climate there will be more, rather than fewer, demands
on military personnel, including more rapid adaptation to changing
conditions, more skill diversity in units, increased
information-processing from multiple sources, and increased interaction
with semi-autonomous systems.
SPIN readers are reminded that the presentation of a
budget by the President is only the opening act in a long, long show that
will culminate with final appropriations for scientific research. The
House and Senate must first agree on a budget (which could be different
from that submitted by the President) and then the appropriations
committees will draft bills that must be passed by the House and Senate,
and signed by the President. Because 2004 is a presidential election year,
the time for congressional debate will be compressed so that Congress can
adjourn in early fall. APA Science Policy staff will continue to bring you
news from the halls of Congress and let you know how you can be involved
to increase federal dollars for research.
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