R&D TO DEFEND AMERICA AGAINST 21ST CENTURY THREATS

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R&D TO DEFEND AMERICA AGAINST 21^ST CENTURY THREATS

The President' s FY 2000 budget includes substantial R&D increases to fight emerging terrorist threats and to fund basic science and technology for tomorrow' s military technologies.

Fundamental Defense Science and Technology

The President continues his strong support for military S&T with a request for $7.38 billion for basic, applied, and advanced technology R&D, almost 3% over last year' s request. Strong, sustained DOD investments in basic and applied research not only provide our military services with cutting edge technologies and systems, but also are a key element in our nation' s science and technology enterprise. The vital stewardship role of defense science and technology is highlighted by the inclusion of defense basic and applied research in the Administration' s 21^st Century Research Fund.

Combating Cyberterrorism and Infrastructure Threats

The budget provides $500 million, a 6.4% increase, in R&D funding for advanced critical infrastructure protection technologies. America' s prosperity and national security depend upon critical infrastructures – banking and finance, energy, information and communications, transportation, water, emergency services, and government services. In today' s Information Age, these infrastructures are dependent upon computer and information networks for their smooth, reliable, and continuous operations. Advanced technologies are a key element of the President' s efforts to ensure that these critical infrastructures remain secure.

Chemical/Biological Terrorism

The budget strengthens American' s defense against the threat of chemical and biological weapons, including increased preparedness at home. The budget will provide $166 million in R&D funding in these areas:

R&D on new vaccines, particularly new vaccines for smallpox and anthrax to protect civilian populations after a release of agent ($30 million new program at HHS).

Enhanced regulatory review of new devices, vaccines, and therapeutics for protecting against chemical or biological terrorism ($13.4 million increase at FDA).
Continued basic and applied research on treating and preventing diseases that might be caused by biological weapons ($24.3 million at NIH).
Continued development of rapid assays for a wide range of toxic substances, including chemical weapons agents, in clinical samples ($5 million at CDC).

R&D on detectors, forensics, pathogen gene sequencing, decontamination, modeling, and system analyses (increase of $13 million to $31 million at DOE).
R&D highly relevant to domestic preparedness at DOD (not including substantial R&D investments in battlefield chemical/biological defense R&D, much of which also can contribute to domestic preparedness) ($62 million at DOD).

Office of Science and Technology Policy
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