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Plans for Advanced Manufacturing Research Highlight President's Budget Request for NIST

The President's fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget for the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) submitted to Congress proposes an appropriations funding level of $857 million, an increase of $106.2 million from FY 2012.

More than half of the proposed increased funding would be focused on advanced manufacturing research both at NIST laboratories and through a new industry-led consortia program.

The total request of $857 million for NIST is divided into three appropriations:

Scientific and Technical Research and Services (STRS), $648 million

The FY 2013 STRS request funds NIST's laboratory programs as well as a number of other important initiatives. Initiative funding topics include advanced manufacturing (+$45 million), the establishment of NIST Centers of Excellence (+$20 million), forensic science (+$5 million), disaster resilience and natural hazard risk reduction (+$5 million), advanced communications networks (+$10 million) and work on the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC, +$8 million).

Industrial Technology Services (ITS), $149 million

The FY 2013 ITS request would fund the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)—a federal-state-industry partnership that provides small- and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers with access to technologies, resources and industry experts through a nationwide network of centers—at $128 million, a decrease of $443,000 from the FY 2012 budget. The funding decrease will not affect available MEP Center renewals in FY 2013.

It also would fund the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech) at $21 million. This new program will establish industry-led consortia to identify and prioritize research projects supporting long-term industrial research needs.

Construction of Research Facilities (CRF), $60 million

The CRF request includes funding for NIST's routine maintenance and repair budget ($48.2 million) as well as critically needed renovation of a 60-year-old central laboratory building at the NIST-Boulder campus.

For more details, see the NIST Feb. 13, 2012, news announcement, "President's FY 2013 Budget Request for NIST Targets Advanced Manufacturing, Critical Science and Technology Programs."

Released February 21, 2012, Updated January 25, 2023