ACS Position Statement: FY 2010
Statement on Department of Defense Science & Technology: FY 2010
ACS Position
The American Chemical Society (ACS) continues to call for increased investment in the Department of Defense (DOD) Science & Technology (S&T) portfolio. Specifically, we support a $400 million increase to peer-reviewed basic research for a total of $2.2 billion in FY 2010, an 18 percent increase over FY 2009.
Research sponsored by DOD is fundamental to protecting the lives of U.S. military men and women and maintaining our military's technological edge. The basic research programs (6.1 account) underpin advances in applied research and advanced technology development, as well as progress in basic science and engineering research nationwide. Collectively, these programs advance scientific knowledge and enable new technologies and applications critical to the DOD mission, as well as being valuable in the civilian sector.
ACS supports the goal of reserving three percent of the DOD budget for S&T as called for by the Defense Sciences Board. This is consistent with funding levels necessary to replenish the pipeline for future war fighting advances and recommendations put forth by the National Academies’ report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm. Through declining budget requests, DOD has steadily shifted away from fundamental, long-term research. The president’s specific request for a decline in funding continues this trend and is now less than 60 percent of the goal for basic research set by the Defense Science Board.
This research is essential to the nation’s future security as displayed by its role in facilitating technologies used by our military today (night vision devices, precision-guided munitions, and the Global Positioning System). If the Department is not engaged sufficiently in cutting-edge research, it risks being unable to evaluate and integrate new developments with potential military applications. In the 1980s, basic research accounted for nearly 20 percent of total S&T funding. This level has declined to just 11 percent today. It is imperative that we begin to restore basic research to its historically successful levels by making a renewed commitment to the 6.1 account.
The success of these programs depends on a well-trained, high-quality workforce that is motivated to develop defense applications. Declines in funding for the S&T program over the past several years have resulted in reduced awards to universities, which in turn have harmed the ability to recruit and retain talented researchers in defense-related areas. Because it takes years to develop scientists and engineers, there is considerable time and effort needed to reestablish this capability in defense. Reenergizing and resourcing this arena must be acted upon now to mitigate this risk.
Additionally, ACS recommends increasing funds for the Defense Research Sciences and University Research Initiative programs, which sponsor competitively awarded research fundamental to scientific and engineering advances and long-term national security.
A strong, steady investment in the DOD S&T program is essential to maintain our technological edge at home and abroad. Due in part to long-term investments in defense S&T, our nation’s military has many of the tools needed to respond to new and unforeseen threats to our national security. Increases in core, peer-reviewed DOD research in chemistry, materials science, and engineering are critical to laying the foundation for tomorrow’s leading-edge defense technology.
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization, chartered by Congress, with more than 154,000 chemical scientists and engineers as members. The world’s largest scientific society, ACS advances the chemical enterprise, increases public understanding of chemistry, and brings its expertise to bear on state and national matters.