AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT

1
AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT

• Stimulus Background for
• National Science Foundation, Department of
  Energy, and National Endowment for the Arts
• Elizabeth Grossman Ph.D, Carole McGuire, Michael
  Ledford
• March 19, 2009

2
National Science Foundation
Overall, NSF received 3 billion in the stimulus
bill.
3
NSF Research (2 billion)

• Distribution Among Programs Funding will support
  all research divisions, although not necessarily
  evenly.
• Primary Goal and Method of Distribution
  Increasing success rates in planned FY 2009
  competitions. (Current plan - no supplements.)
• Focus on the Pipeline Particular emphasis on
  funding for early career researchers and support
  for undergrads, grad students, and post-docs.
  (Congressional interest in STEM workforce and
  jobs jobs jobs.)

4
NSF Infrastructure and Instrumentation

• Facilities Modernization 200 million to restart
  an old NSF program to repair and renovate science
  and engineering research facilities (not new
  construction). New solicitation coming.
• Note NIST also has 180 million for an existing
  research buildings construction grant program.
• Instrumentation 300 million for existing NSF
  Major Research Instrumentation program. New
  solicitation likely.
• Other Infrastructure NSF can use research funds
  for already-planned small and medium-sized
  infrastructure projects and ongoing
  discipline-specific instrumentation programs.

5
NSF - Education

• Professional Science Masters (PSM) degree
  programs 15 million to establish a new program
  to facilitate the creation or improvement of
  PSMs. New solicitation needed.
• Increase Success Rates in Two Programs Extra
  funding for Noyce Teacher Scholarship program
  (60 million) and Math and Science Partnerships
  (25 million).

6
Department of Energy

• Department of Energy (DOE) is key agency for
  President Obamas initiatives in energy
  independence and climate change reflected in
  ARRA
• 1.6 billion for DOE Office of Science for basic
  research will be spent relatively quickly and
  support jobs
• DOE will devote part to infrastructure projects
  and facility upgrades to address backlog
• DOE plans to devote part to funding new Energy
  Frontier Research Centers

7
DOE Long-term

• ARRA provides nearly 40 billion to develop
  clean, efficient domestic sources of energy
• Funding will largely implement President Obamas
  energy plan
• Research opportunities in energy efficiency and
  renewable energy and fossil energy applied
  research
• Spending likely to be focused on partnerships of
  industry, academia, and DOE national laboratories

8
Department of Energy
9
DOE Smart Grid

• ARRA provides 4.5 billion for development of the
  smart electricity grid
• DOE program is now 137 million
• RD focus is on high temperature
  superconductivity RD visualization and
  controls energy storage and power electronics
  and renewable and distributed systems integration
• New solicitations likely focus on utilities and
  industry partnerships

10
DOE EERE Research

• 2.5 billion is provided for energy efficiency
  and renewable energy RDDD compares to 1.9
  billion
• Focus on developing new EERE technologies,
  reducing carbon emissions, and reducing utility
  bills
• 800 million is for biomass 400 million is for
  geothermal 50 million is to increase efficiency
  of information and communications technology
• 1.25 billion to wind, solar, hydrogen, water
  power, etc.
• Expect new solicitations funds to be awarded
  competitively to universities, companies and DOE
  national laboratories

11
DOE Clean Energy Priority

• DOE Secretary Chus clean energy priorities
  include deploying demonstrated RE technologies
  (wind, solar, geothermal) at scale and
  cost-effectively
• Demonstrate next-generation energy technologies
  (ccs, cellulosic biofuels, batteries and storage
  systems, enhanced geothermal, next-generation
  nuclear)
• Research and develop future energy technologies
  (advanced solar, methane hydrates, coal-bed
  methane, enhanced oil recovery)

12
DOE Fossil Energy RD

• 1 billion for existing Fossil Energy RD
  programs (coal, natural gas, oil) that address
  fuel and power systems fuel cells advanced
  turbine technologies likely to go to FutureGen
  project in Illinois
• 1.5 billion directed to a competitive
  solicitation for a range of industrial carbon
  capture and energy efficiency improvement
  projects, including a small amount of innovative
  concepts for beneficial CO2 reuse
• This is a separate initiative to reduce
  greenhouse gas emissions and address climate
  change

13
Fossil Energy (cont.)

• 50 million in competitive grants for site
  characterization activities in geologic
  formations
• 20 million for geologic sequestration training
  and research grants
• Oil and gas expertise may open opportunities in
  this new focus area

14
ARPA-E

• ARRA funds establishment of Advanced Research
  Projects Agency for Energy ARPA-E
• Within DOE with goal to support novel,
  early-stage energy research technology
  development RD on manufacturing processes
  technology demonstration and tech transfer
• High-risk, high-reward RD and transformational
  science are priorities for DOE Secretary Chu

15
DOE - Infrastructure

• Office of Science funding is proposed to be spent
  on DOE laboratory and related infrastructure
  address the backlog
• Interest in developing green campuses
• ARRA provides 3.2 billion for new Energy
  Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants
• Funding to Governors, State, local and tribal
  governments for energy efficiency and
  conservation projects by formula

16
DOE Education and Training

• Secretary Chu emphasizes investing in
  breakthrough science to achieve transformational
  discoveries connect basic and applied sciences
  at DOE
• Develop science and engineering talent attract
  the best to DOE partner with other agencies,
  industry, academia, and globally
• Create millions of green jobs and increase
  competitiveness
• Position US to lead on climate change policy,
  technology, and science

17
National Endowment for the Arts

• 50 million appropriated to NEA
• 500,000 for administrative and program support
  purposes
• 19.8 million (40) available to be distributed
  to State arts agencies and regional arts
  organizations when subgranting will distribute
  funds through competitive and qualitative reviews
  (already competed)
• 29.7 million (60) available for competitively
  selected grants to non-profit arts organizations
• Eligible institutions are 501(c) 3 organizations
  which have received NEA funding in the last four
  years (a grant must have been awarded in 2005 for
  FY 2006 or after that date). Institutions may
  request a grant between 25,000 and 50,000 and
  there is no matching requirement. The due date
  for grant applications is April 2nd.

18
National Endowment for the Arts

• Proposals from eligible institutions are limited
  to
• Salary support for one or more positions that are
  critical to an organizations artistic mission
  and that are in jeopardy or have been eliminated
  as a result of the current economic climate or
• For fees for previously engaged artists and/ or
  contractual personnel to maintain or expand the
  period during which such persons would be
  engaged.  
• Additional information can be found here
  http//www.nea.gov/grants/apply/recovery/index.htm
  l

19
Stimulus Not Business as Usual

• Programmatic decisions at agencies being made in
  days, not years.
• Once agency plans approved by White House, expect
  flurry of activity, with short turnaround times.
• Intensive Tracking Requirements (quarterly
  reports on spend and completion rates, jobs
  created).