Most federal research programs face cuts in President's budget

President Trump released his fiscal year 2021 budget request on February 10. Overall, the request was what expected and similar to what the administration had put forward in the past. Most federal research programs received at least single digit funding cuts in the President’s budget. Federal R&D overall was cut by almost 9%.

One bright spot in the President’s budget request was the competitive grants program within NIFA, the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). AFRI receive a whopping 41 percent increase in funding for FY2021, seeing its budget go from $425 million to $600 million. 

Unfortunately, most of the other NIFA programs received funding cuts in order to provide the $175 million funding increase for AFRI. While the Societies were happy to see the President show his support for AFRI, we don’t support the “robbing Peter to pay Paul” approach to USDA research funding. 

The President’s budget also focused on investments in “Industries of the Future” specifically, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum information sciences (QIS), advanced communications, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing. The budget calls for doubling federal investments in AI and QIS R&D by 2022. These investments would span multiple federal research agencies including NSF, DOE-Office of Science, NIH, and USDA. In fact, $100 million of the increase to AFRI would go specifically to grants that would enhance the use of AI in agricultural systems. 

You can see funding details for all the research programs we follow here. 

Even though the President’s budget wasn’t great for research, ASA, CSSA, and SSSA can now focus our advocacy efforts on Congress who controls federal funding through the annual appropriations process. Our Congressional Visits Day will focus on AFRI and USDA research programs and we will be submitting written testimony for USDA, NSF, and DOE-Office of Science.