Materials, Jobs, and the Economy
Duncan Moore presented an analysis of technology and workforce issues. Dr. Moore is the associate director for technology in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. An expert in gradient-index optics, computer-aided design, and the manufacture of optical systems, he is on leave from his position as the Rudolf and Hilda Kingslake Professor of Optical Engineering at the University of Rochester. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
There are two ways to increase federal support for science and technology: raise the baseline for all fields (usually by an amount comparable to the inflation rate) or establish an initiative in a specific field. In fiscal year 2000, the information technology initiative produced a 32 percent budget increase for that field. A further 35 percent increase for information technology is in the president’s budget for fiscal year 2001. The nanotechnology initiative this year proposes an 84 percent budget increase. A successful technology initiative must have a clear societal benefit and a good answer for those who ask, “If it is so important, why isn’t industry doing it?”
The budget process starts with submission of the president’s budget to the Congress on the first Monday in February. The House and Senate budget committees allocate funds to each of the appropriations subcommittees, whose chairs are known as appropriations “cardinals.” The cardinals then allocate funds to the various agencies under their purview. Science and technology funding is spread among several subcommittees, all of which have other responsibilities also. Subcommittee jurisdictions are thus significant in the budget negotiations: NSF and NASA compete with housing and veterans, DOE research competes with dams, DOD research competes with ships and aircraft.
The “middle game” includes appropriations hearings during March, April, and May, followed by floor action starting in June.
The “end game” comes as October approaches (the new fiscal year starts on October 1 each year). Key congressional players include the party leaders in both houses, the chairs and ranking minority members of the two appropriations committees, and some of the cardinals (which ones depends on which appropriations bills have passed already). Key players in the administration are the president’s chief of staff, top officials of the Office of Management and Budget, and others who depend on the topics at issue. In theory the 13 appropriations bills are passed separately; in practice several are often combined. For example, in fiscal year 1999, 9 of the 13 were merged into a single omnibus bill.
When is the best time for scientists and engineers to get involved? That depends. In the case of the nanotechnology initiative, the materials community should stay engaged throughout the process.
Some areas of concern for this year’s budget include earmarks, riders, DOD 6.1 and 6.2 funding, the conflict between the end game and the pressure to get out of Washington early to campaign for the November elections, the complacency of the science and technology community, and workforce issues.
The workforce issues are particularly troubling. In today’s economy, when college graduates in any field can look forward to an unemployment rate of only 1.8 percent, fewer students are choosing to study “hard” subjects like engineering and the physical sciences—despite the fact that the overall number of degrees awarded is rising. Almost half of engineering doctorates go to nonresidents. Only 12 percent go to women.