Money Crunch: Tight budget leaves scientists disappointed
This week, President Bush released the details of his proposed $2.4-trillion federal budget for fiscal year (FY) 2005, which begins Oct. 1, 2004. Of that figure, nearly $132 billion will go to research and development—an increase of 3.3 percent over last year’s figure after accounting for the expected rate of inflation—but many science programs are seeing little or no rise in funding. The modest overall proposed growth in R&D funding comes as the federal government attempts to rein in an all-time-high deficit of $521 billion.
In keeping with recent trends, the new budget allocates significant funding to the war on terrorism and homeland security. The Department of Defense would capture close to $70 billion for R&D, more than 5 percent after inflation over last year, while the Department of Homeland Security would experience the largest boost, a 14 percent increase.