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Federal

This week…

President Mun Choi traveled this week to DC and met with the entire Missouri delegation regarding the 91Ï㽶¶ÌÊÓƵ Systems FY23 white paper proposals.

President Biden’s Budget Proposal

President Biden released his , please see some summary points provided by the administration below.  

Department of Energy

• The Budget requests $48.2 billion in discretionary funding for DOE
• To support U.S. preeminence in developing innovative technologies that accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, the Budget invests $9.2 billion in DOE clean energy research, development, and demonstration, an increase of more than 33 percent from the 2021 enacted level. These investments strengthen clean energy-enabling transmission and distribution systems, decarbonize transportation, advance carbon management technologies, improve energy efficiency in industry and buildings, and secure the availability of high-assay low-enriched uranium. Funding would also leverage the tremendous innovation capacity of the national laboratories, universities, and entrepreneurs to transform America’s power, transportation, buildings, and industrial sectors to achieve a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.
• The Budget provides an investment of $7.8 billion for the Office of Science to support cutting-edge research at the national laboratories and universities to: advance the Nation’s understanding of climate change; identify and accelerate novel technologies for clean energy solutions; provide new computing insight through quantum information science and artificial intelligence that would address scientific and environmental challenges; leverage data, analytics, and computational infrastructure to strengthen pandemic preparedness in support of U.S. biodefense and pandemic preparedness strategies and plans; and support the Nation’s leading scientific user facilities. New programs would promote U.S. leadership in the industries of the future, including biotechnology and biomanufacturing, and support the Cancer Moonshot initiative.
• Looking to scale-up domestic manufacturing of key climate and clean energy equipment, providing opportunities for U.S. workers. Across the $11.3 billion in discretionary DOE clean energy investments described above, the Budget reflects the importance of strategically supporting the U.S. domestic manufacturing base through innovation, technical assistance, and training. Specifically, the Budget includes $200 million for a new Solar Manufacturing Accelerator that would help create a robust domestic manufacturing sector capable of meeting the Administration’s solar deployment goals without relying on imported goods manufactured using unacceptable labor practices. The Budget also funds a new ManufacturingUSA institute and increases support for Industrial Assessment Centers, giving students valuable experience conducting energy audits for small and medium-sized manufacturers. In addition, the Budget also proposes a $1 billion mandatory investment to launch a Global Clean Energy Manufacturing effort that would build resilient supply chains for climate and clean energy equipment through engagement with allies, enabling an effective global response to the climate crisis while creating economic opportunities for the United States to increase its share of the global clean technology market.

National Science Foundation

• The Budget provides $880 million for the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships within NSF to help translate research into practical applications. The Directorate will work with programs across the Agency and with other Federal and non-Federal entities to expedite technology development in emerging areas that are crucial for U.S. technological leadership, including trustworthy artificial intelligence, high performance computing, disaster response and resilience, quantum information systems, robotics, advanced communications technologies, biotechnology, cybersecurity, advanced energy technologies, and materials science. The Budget provides an additional $10 million to build and strengthen the national cybersecurity workforce pipeline through education, K-12 programs, and funding to universities and colleges. These investments would help improve U.S. competitiveness in emerging technologies.

Building a Better America

• To help ignite a resurgence of American manufacturing and strengthen domestic supply chains, the Budget provides $372 million, for the National Institutes of Standards and Technology’s manufacturing programs to launch two additional manufacturing innovation institutes in 2023 and continue support for the two institutes funded in 2022. The Budget includes a $125 million increase for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership to make America’s small and medium manufacturers more competitive, as well as $200 million for a new Solar Manufacturing Accelerator at the Department of Energy (DOE) to build domestic capacity in solar energy supply chains while moving away from imported products manufactured using unacceptable labor practices. The Budget provides $30 million to support programs that help ensure entrepreneurs have the tools and networks they need to bring cutting-edge innovation to the market.
• The Budget proposes an investment of $5 billion for ARPA-H, increasing direct Federal R&D spending in health to improve the health of all Americans. With an initial focus on cancer and other diseases such as diabetes and dementia, this major investment would drive transformational innovation in health technologies and speed the application and implementation of health breakthroughs. Funding for ARPA-H, along with additional funding for the National Institutes of Health, total a $49 billion request to continue to support research that enhances health, lengthens life, reduces illness and disability, and spurs new biotechnology productions and innovation.
• The Budget proposes investments in ARPA-H, the National Cancer Institute, CDC, and the Food and Drug Administration to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer by working toward reducing the cancer death rate by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years and improving the experience of people who are living with or who have survived cancer.
• The Budget invests $81 million within VA research programs, together with $167 million within the VA medical care program, for precision oncology to provide access to the best possible cancer care for veterans. Funds support research and programs that address cancer care, rare cancers, and cancers in women, as well as genetic counseling and consultation that advance tele-oncology and precision oncology care.

Defense

• The Budget requests $773 billion in discretionary funding for DOD
• DOD plays a critical role in overall Federal research and development that spurs innovation, yields high-value technology, ensures American dominance over strategic competitors, and creates good-paying jobs. The Budget prioritizes defense research, development, test, and evaluation funding to invest in breakthrough technologies that drive innovation, support capacity in the defense technology industrial base, ensure American technological leadership, and underpin the development of next-generation defense capabilities.

Department of Education

• The Budget requests $88.3 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education
• The Budget provides $2.7 billion to the Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), an $800 million. This additional funding is needed to provide better support to student loan borrowers. Specifically, the increase allows FSA to implement customer service improvements to student loan servicing and to ensure the successful transition from the current short-term loan servicing contracts into a more stable long-term contract and servicing environment.
• To help low and middle-income students overcome financial barriers to postsecondary education, the Budget proposes to double the maximum Pell Grant by 2029.  This begins with a  $2,175 increase for the 2023-2024 school year, compared to the 2021-2022 school year.