Department Of Defense R&D (DoD)

For FY 1998, allocations for basic research (6.1) decreased by 1.2% over FY 1997 while allocations for applied research (6.2) increased by 7% over FY 1997. The total FY 1998 DoD research and development budget increased by 2.8% over the FY 1997 budget. However, over the last several years allocations for basic and applied research (6.1 + 6.2) have been decreasing. In FY 1995 the budget for 6.1+ 6.2 equaled approximately $4.1 billion and in FY 1996 this number was approximately $4 billion. For FY 1999, the President has requested $4.2 billion for these accounts with a 6.6 percent increase for the 6.1 account and a 5.0 percent increase for the 6.2 account.

Champions and Players

Many members of Congress support the Department of Defense, however most do not separately advocate support for research and development allocations within the DOD budget. The DoD basic research budget is approximately 0.5% of the total DoD budget and so does not draw much attention from members of Congress.

Supporting Arguments and Background Information

The primary objective of DoD basic and applied research is to provide the means to develop new technologies and capabilities that can be used by the military in order to maintain a technologically superior military force. By making an investment in scientific research the DoD is able to better understand the fundamentals of the areas of science relevant to the military and also help cultivate the scientific and engineering human resources needed by the Nation.

Most DoD basic research is performed in academia thus providing a major federal investment in the university research infrastructure and in future U. S. scientists and engineers. Over 25O U. S. universities received research funding from the DoD. Accomplishments of DoD research include:

• a neural net computation model which has given rise to new automatic target recognition techniques;
• the development of extremely precise cesium and rubidium atomic clocks critical to the accuracy of the Global Positioning System;
• the laser.

DoD invests in many fields; areas of interest include the life sciences (2.8% of all federal funding, percents taken from NSF publication 95-321), cognitive sciences (17%), physical sciences (14%), environmental sciences (9.5%), mathematics and computer science (42.4%), engineering (38.4%), and social science (1.9%). DoD research focuses on a variety of military problems, some requiring near-term solutions and others requiring sustained investment over a long period of time. Long-term research in several scientific areas address military requirements such as improved information systems, sensors, advanced electronics, and materials.

Prepared by Sam Rankin, AMS

Posted: February 1, 1998; Revised February 12, 1998