Obama Funds NIST Tech Programs
A pair of technology programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology that were routinely zeroed out by the Bush administration but rescued annually by appropriators would get a new lease on life under President Obama's budget request. It included $124.7 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a public-private initiative that provides technical assistance to small manufacturers, and $69.9 million for the Technology Innovation Program, which provides financing to small high-tech entrepreneurs to support cutting-edge technologies. Former President George W. Bush cut both programs in his FY09 budget, but Congress provided MEP with $110 million and TIP $65 million in its FY09 omnibus.
A White House summary lauded MEP's network of 59 centers for their "proven record of accomplishment for delivering cost-effective services that improve competitiveness and help companies retain or expand jobs." The summary also points out that in TIP's first competition in January nine cost-shared grants were awarded for research on advanced sensing technologies for monitoring and inspection of the structural health of the nation's bridges, roadways and water systems. That research is expected to generate $90 million worth of research over five years, officials said. Read more FY10 budget briefs from CongressDaily here (subscription required).
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