Just before Congress’ August recess, Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee released all 12 of their Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) appropriations bills. In this post, we’ll detail the Committee majority’s spending and programmatic highlights for federal science agencies and offices.

 

Department of Energy
Budget (rounded to the nearest million)	FY22	FY23 President’s Budget Request (PBR)	FY23 Senate Appropriations	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY22	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY23 PBR
Overall	$44,855.62	$48,183.54	$49,345.05	10.01%	2.41%
Office of Science	$7,475.00	$7,799.21	$8,100.00	8.36%	3.86%
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)	$3,200.00	$4,018.89	$3,799.00	18.72%	-5.47%
ARPA-E	$450.00	$700.15	$570.34	26.74%	-18.54%

 

Highlights from the Bill and Committee Report:

• The committee directs DOE to prioritize stewardship of national labs in future budget requests and expresses disappointment with DOE’s FY2023 budget request.
• The committee recommends up to $100 million for Energy Earthshots which seeks to accelerate breakthroughs of affordable and reliable clean energy solutions, to reduce emissions.
• The bill provides $2.5 billion for basic energy sciences, $406 million for Biological Systems Science and $421 million for Earth and Environmental Systems Sciences.

 

 

National Science Foundation (NSF)
Budget (rounded to the nearest million)	FY22	FY23 President’s Budget Request (PBR)	FY23 Senate Appropriations	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY22	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY23 PBR
Overall	$8,838.00	$10,492.08	$10,338.00	16.97%	-1.47%
Research & Related Activities	$7,159.40	$8,425.99	$8,321.91	16.24%	-1.24%
Education & Human Resources	$1,006.00	$1,377.18	$1,327.18	31.93%	-3.63%
Major Research Equipment & Facilities	$249.00	$187.23	$187.23	-24.81%	0.00%
National Science Board	$4.60	$5.09	$5.09	10.65%	0.00%
Office of Inspector General	$19.00	$23.39	$23.39	23.11%	-0.01%
Agency Operations & Award Management	$400.00	$473.20	$473.20	18.30%	0.00%

 

Highlights from the Bill and Committee Report:

• The committee expresses support for the new Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Directorate and provides $200 million for the Regional Innovation Hubs and ” directs NSF to award at least 20 percent of NSF Engines to institutions in EPSCoR States.”
• The Committee accepts NSF’s proposal to rename the Directorate for Education and Human Resources to the Directorate for STEM Education and proposal to consolidate the Graduate Research Fellowship Program into the STEM Education Directorate as well as the proposed increase to the fellowship stipend.
• The report expresses support for both informal science education and hands-on and experiential learning opportunities.
• The committee provides requested funding for constructing the Vera C. Rubin Observatory; the Antarctic Infrastructure Recapitalization, Regional Class Research Vessels, and the High Luminosity-Large Hadron Collider Upgrade.

 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Budget (rounded to the nearest million)	FY22	FY23 President’s Budget Request (PBR)	FY23 Senate Appropriations	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY22	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY23 PBR
Overall	$24,041.30	$25,973.80	$25,973.80	8.04%	0.00%
Science Mission Directorate	$7,614.40	$7,988.30	$8,045.70	5.66%	0.72%
Earth Science	$2,064.70	$2,411.50	$2,346.10	13.63%	-2.71%
Planetary Science	$3,120.40	$3,160.20	$3,209.80	2.87%	1.57%
Heliophysics	$777.90	$760.20	$828.40	6.49%	8.97%
STEM Engagement	$137.00	$150.10	$150.10	9.56%	0.00%

 

Highlights from the Bill and Committee Report:

• Within Earth Science, the committee expresses pleasure for NASA’s Earth System Observatory and work on early detection and mitigation of wildfires.
• The committee also directs NASA to explore the feasibility of an on-orbit robotically assembled Earth Science Platform.
• The committee provides $127.6 million for planetary defense and support for a 2026 launch for the Near-Earth Object Surveyor mission (NEOSM).
• The committee directs NASA to continue its cadence of Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration [SIMPLEx], New Frontiers, and Discovery class missions despite cost increases from flagship missions and to propose a realistic budget in FY2024.
• The report notes the committee’ disappointment with NASA’s execution of FY2022 funding and the lack of progress on the Geospace Dynamics Constellation [GDC] and the Dynamical Neutral Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling [DYNAMIC] missions.

 

 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Budget (rounded to the nearest million)	FY22	FY23 President’s Budget Request (PBR)	FY23 Senate Appropriations	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY22	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY23 PBR
Overall	$5,877.35	$6,884.14	$6,510.83	10.78%	-5.42%
National Ocean Service	$649.20	$696.00	$716.49	10.37%	2.94%
National Marine and Fisheries Service	$1,015.96	$1,107.00	$1,110.08	9.26%	0.28%
Oceanic & Atmospheric Research	$647.95	$774.00	$776.27	19.80%	0.29%
National Weather Service	$1,281.67	$1,323.00	$1,364.07	6.43%	3.10%
NESDIS	$1,617.12	$2,283.00	$1,753.68	8.44%	-23.19%
Mission Support	$376.54	$596.00	$574.57	52.59%	-3.60%
Office of Marine & Aviation Operations	$436.75	$418.00	$486.75	11.45%	16.45%

 

Highlights from the Bill and Committee Report:

• $15 million is provided for a new NOAA Center of Excellence of Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping. Working in unison with and leveraging existing capabilities, including the Joint Hydrographic Center, the Center shall work across NOAA line offices to support and grow the nation’s deep water, shallow water, and coastal mapping capabilities and data holdings, in partnership with industry.
• To support long-term growth of the climate research workforce, NOAA is encouraged to administer competitive research opportunities aimed toward early career researchers to enable promising scientists to pursue leadership on their own research projects.
• Within the U.S. Weather Research Program, the Committee provides an increase of not less than $4 million to develop a collaborative and integrated fire weather research program, including the establishment of a new NOAA Fire Weather Testbed.
• The Committee also provides $2 million to support a Space Weather Prediction Testbed that will help drive research to operations to ensure national and global communities are prepared for space-weather events in furtherance of NOAA’s responsibilities under the PROSWIFT Act.
• As part of the administration’s emphasis on increasing diversity in STEM, NOAA is directed to partner with an established consortium of higher education, industry, and non-profit organizations to offer access to a research vessel and to associated programming dedicated to increasing opportunities for underrepresented groups within the ocean sciences.

 

 

United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Budget (rounded to the nearest million)	FY22	FY23 President’s Budget Request (PBR)	FY23 Senate Appropriations	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY22	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY23 PBR
Overall	$1,394.36	$1,711.00	$1,519.29	8.96%	-11.20%
Ecosystems	$277.90	$375.62	$315.04	13.36%	-16.13%
Energy & Mineral Resources	$95.22	$147.01	$101.26	6.34%	-31.12%
Natural Hazards	$186.00	$219.83	$203.40	9.35%	-7.47%
Water Resources	$285.89	$302.74	$313.49	9.65%	3.55%
Core Science Systems	$263.80	$348.80	$278.32	5.50%	-20.21%
Science Support	$99.74	$129.20	$117.58	17.89%	-8.99%
Facilities	$184.81	$188.08	$188.08	1.77%	0.00%

 

Highlights from the Bill and Committee Report:

• Within the Ecosystems mission area, an increase of $15 million is provided for National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers activities, and the Committee encourages the USGS to prioritize the funding needs of the Regional Centers and ensure timely processing of their funds.
• Within the Energy & Mineral Resources mission area, the Committee urges the USGS, when developing critical mineral maps, to consider other sensitive resources such as sacred tribal sites, sensitive watersheds, critical habitat, and other areas with special designations, and to prioritize mapping in those areas that do not conflict with other previously identified sensitive resources.
• Within the Natural Hazards mission area, the Committee provides $28.6 million for the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning (EEW) system to enable its completion by 2025.
• The Committee also provides $12 million for the Landslide Hazards Program and encourages the USGS to prioritize efforts to predict and reduce the risk of post-wildfire landslides, in light of the increasing frequency of catastrophic wildfires.
• Within the Water Resources mission area, the Committee acknowledges that robust USGS participation with universities in the hydrological sciences is essential to building a talent pipeline as well as building capacity to support future hydrological research and operational efforts and continues funding of $2 million each for the Water Availability and Use Science Program and the National Groundwater and Streamflow Information program, to pursue such cooperative research agreements.

 

 

National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Budget (rounded to the nearest million)	FY22	FY23 President’s Budget Request (PBR)	FY23 Senate Appropriations	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY22	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY23 PBR
Overall	$842.17	$932.06	$918.28	9.04%	-1.48%
w/ Superfund Research Program	$924.71	$1,015.10	$1,001.32	8.28%	-1.36%

 

Highlights from the Bill and Committee Report:

• An increase of $50 million is provided to expand NIEHS’ efforts to support and coordinate research on the rise in and exacerbation of a wide range of health conditions related to the environment.
• The Committee also continues the $2 million provided in FY2022 as base funds in FY2023, to further the Institute’s work on PFAS and other contaminants of emerging concern.

 

Office of Climate Change & Health Equity (OCCHE) *within the Department of Health & Human Services
Budget (rounded to the nearest million)	FY22	FY23 President’s Budget Request (PBR)	FY23 Senate Appropriations	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY22	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY23 PBR
Overall	$0.00	$3.00	$3.00	n/a	0.00%

 

Bill and Committee Report

 

 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Budget (rounded to the nearest million)	FY22	FY23 President’s Budget Request (PBR)	FY23 Senate Appropriations	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY22	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY23 PBR
Overall	$9,559.49	$11,900.00	$10,641.16	11.32%	-10.58%
Science & Technology	$750.17	$863.16	$853.39	13.76%	-1.13%
Environmental Programs & Management	$2,964.03	$3,796.28	$3,577.15	20.69%	-5.77%

 

Highlights from the Bill and Committee Report:

• The EPA’s Science & Technology account receives an increase of $103.2 million over the FY2022 funding level to rebuild core scientific capacity to help ensure that the agency is guided by rigorous science.
• The Committee provides $105.4 million for air, climate and energy research and expresses support for the EPA’s efforts to advance climate research through the four research priorities identified in its budget request, as well as the agency’s efforts to bolster its ongoing research activities in support of implementation of Clean Air Act standards, all with an enhanced focus on environmental justice and equity.
• The Committee recommends fund to continue the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program and directs the EPA to distribute grants consistent with Fiscal Year 2022. The Committee also expresses continued interest in the feasibility of reestablishing the Graduate Fellowship program and of implementing a mechanism to allow for submission of unsolicited, principal investigator-initiated proposals to STAR in order to capture innovative research ideas that may exist outside of the agency and that advance its mission.
• As part of the $613.1 million increase for the EPA’s Environmental Programs & Management account, $5 million is designated for the EPA, in partnership with NASA, to study and prototype capabilities for a greenhouse gas monitoring and information system that will integrate data from a variety of sources. The Committee notes that the goal of such a system should be to make data more accessible and usable to federal, state, tribal, and local governments, researchers, the public, and other users.
• Within the Environmental Programs & Management account’s increase is also $174.1 million for the Environmental Justice program area. The Committee encourages the EPA to prioritize efforts to connect directly with communities, hold hearings, and support local environmental justice efforts, particularly through capacity building, technical assistance, and consultation that can help ensure that environmental justice communities are able to access the agency’s policy-making processes and funding opportunities.

 

 

U.S. Forest Service
Budget (rounded to the nearest million)	FY22	FY23 President’s Budget Request (PBR)	FY23 Senate Appropriations	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY22	Percent Change Senate FY23 vs FY23 PBR
Overall	$7,820.28	$8.946.01	$8,841.82	13.06%	-1.16%
Forest & Rangeland Research	$296.62	$317.77	$360.37	21.49%	13.41%

 

Highlights from the Bill and Committee Report:

• The Forest Service is expected, by the Committee, to continue support for the Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE), which provides wildland fire management agencies with improved tools to understand wildfire behavior, mitigate impacts of smoke on public and first responder health, and predict and manage fire effects on ecosystem health.
• The Committee provides $5,000,000 for Joint Fire Science and expects the program to engage a broad network of academic researchers through an open, competitive process to address the range of research needs for the rapidly changing fire environment.
• The Committee also directs the Joint Fire Science program to conduct additional research on proactive wildfire resiliency, including resilient landscapes and fire-adapted communities, two of the topics from the 2014 National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, and other emerging research priorities of national concern, such as the effects of climate change and invasive species on fuels, fire behavior, and fire regimes, and how indigenous practices may be beneficial to wildfire prevention, response, and resilience.

 

As of this time, Senate appropriators have not announced plans to mark up any of the introduced bills, so appropriations action is likely to be on hold until September. Congress has until 30 September to negotiate and pass all twelve spending bills and send to the President for approval or risk a government shutdown. However, without a bipartisan agreement on overall totals and policy issues in the Senate, there is an increased likelihood that the deadline will not be met, which will necessitate a continuing resolution—a stopgap spending patch that keeps the government running on static funding levels beyond the start of the new fiscal year.