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The America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69) became law on August 9, 2007. The act responds to
concerns that the United States may not be able to compete economically with other nations in the
future due to insufficient investment today in science and technology research and science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce development. The
America COMPETES Act is intended to increase the nation’s investment in science and
engineering research and in STEM education from kindergarten to graduate school and
postdoctoral education. It is designed to focus on two perceived concerns believed to influence
future U.S. competitiveness: inadequate research and development funding to generate sufficient
technological progress, and inadequate numbers of American students proficient in science and
mathematics or interested in science and engineering careers relative to international competitors.
The act authorizes funding increases for the National Science Foundation (NSF), National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratories, and the Department of Energy (DOE)
Office of Science over FY2008-FY2010. If maintained, the increases would double the budgets
of those entities over seven years. The act establishes the Advanced Research Projects Agency –
Energy (ARPA-E) within DOE, designed to support transformational energy technology research
projects with the goal of enhancing U.S. economic and energy security. A new program,
Discovery Science and Engineering Innovation Institutes, would establish multidisciplinary
institutes at DOE National Laboratories to “apply fundamental science and engineering
discoveries to technological innovations,” according to the act.
Among the act’s education activities, many of which are focused on high-need school districts,
are programs to recruit new K-12 STEM teachers, enhance existing STEM teacher skills, and
provide more STEM education opportunities for students. The new Department of Education
(ED) Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow and existing NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship
programs provide opportunities, through institutional grants, for students pursuing STEM degrees
and STEM professionals to gain teaching skills and teacher certification, and for current STEM
teachers to enhance their teaching skills and understanding of STEM content. The act also
authorizes a new program at NSF that would provide grants to create or improve professional
science master’s degree (PSM) programs that emphasize practical training and preparation for the
workforce in high-need fields.
The America COMPETES Act is an authorization act. New programs established by the act will
not be initiated and authorized increases in appropriations for existing programs will not occur
unless funded through subsequent appropriation acts. The 110th Congress provided FY2008
appropriations to establish ED’s Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow program, and NIST’s
Technology Improvement Program (TIP), which replaced the existing Advanced Technology
Program. The 111th Congress provided FY2009 appropriations to establish DOE’s ARPA-E and
NSF’s PSM program. Although some America COMPETES Act research and STEM education
programs received appropriations at authorized levels in FY2009, others did not.
As Congress deliberates the FY2010 budget, an issue for Congress is what level, if any, will it
provide America COMPETES Act programs an appropriation, and whether or not the President’s
budget request will propose to do so. Several programs newly authorized in the act have never
been appropriated funds. An issue for these programs is whether or not they will receive the
funding necessary to establish them. The America COMPETES Act provides authorization levels
only through FY2010.

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Overview of the America COMPETES Act .................................................................................... 1
Agency Programs and the America COMPETES Act..................................................................... 1
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) ........................................................... 3
Department of Energy (DOE) ................................................................................................... 3
Department of Education (ED) ................................................................................................. 4
National Science Foundation (NSF) ......................................................................................... 4
Congressional Activities.................................................................................................................. 4
Issues for Congress.......................................................................................................................... 6
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education................................ 7
Research .................................................................................................................................... 8

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Table 1. America COMPETES Act Programs and Appropriations Status..................................... 10

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Author Contact Information .......................................................................................................... 17

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ongress passed the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence
in Technology, Education, and Science Act (P.L. 110-69), known as the America
C COMPETES Act, in August 2007. In response to concerns about U.S. competitiveness,
the act provides for investments in science and engineering research and science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the present so that the United States can
enhance its potential to be more competitive with other nations in the future.
The purpose of this report is to provide information on the President’s FY2010 budget request
and the status of Congressional budget and appropriation activities regarding that budget relative
to the America COMPETES Act. For more general information on the America COMPETES Act,
see CRS Report RL34328, America COMPETES Act: Programs, Funding, and Selected Issues,
by Deborah D. Stine, and for information on the FY2009 budget, see CRS Report RL34396, The
America COMPETES Act and the FY2009 Budget, by Deborah D. Stine.
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The America COMPETES Act was a response to concerns that the United States may not be able
to compete economically with other nations in the future. Many believe that investments in
science and engineering research; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
education; and STEM workforce development will enhance U.S. competitiveness. As a result, the
act mainly addresses concerns about insufficient investment in those areas.
The America COMPETES Act authorizes an increase in federal science and engineering research
funding and support for kindergarten through postdoctoral education. The act authorizes funding
increases through FY2010 for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratories, and the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of
Science. The act also authorizes within DOE the establishment of the Advanced Research
Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)1 and Discovery Science and Engineering Innovation
Institutes. In addition, the act authorizes new STEM education programs at DOE, the Department
of Education (ED), and NSF, and increases the authorization level for several existing NSF
STEM education programs.
The America COMPETES Act is an authorization act. New programs established by the act will
not be initiated unless funded through subsequent federal appropriations. Similarly, increases in
the authorization level of existing programs may or may not translate into increased federal
funding.
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The following section discusses some of the America COMPETES Act programs in relation to the
President’s FY2010 budget and the FY2010 authorization levels. In February 2009, the Obama
Administration released its budget outline.2 This outline along with agency-specific fact sheets

1 For more information on ARPA-E, see CRS Report RL34497, Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-
E): Background, Status, and Selected Issues for Congress, by Deborah D. Stine.
2 U.S. Office of Management and Budget, A New Era of Responsibility: Renewing America's Promise, at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/A_New_Era_of_Responsibility2.pdf.
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provides an overview of the FY2010 budget.3 In most cases, budgets for programs are not yet
provided; however, the budget outline may provide an indication of the Administration’s
budgetary priorities. Full details will probably not be known until the release of the full budget
reportedly expected in May 2009.4
According to the budget outline, the Obama Administration plans to propose action on research
and STEM education activities. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or
“Recovery Act”) signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009, provided support for
a number of America COMPETES Act programs as a supplemental to the FY2009 appropriation.
The outline takes those appropriations into account when discussing its plans for the FY2010
research activities in the budget outline, stating its budget will:
Invest in the Sciences. Investments in science and technology foster economic growth;
create millions of high-tech, high-wage jobs that allow American workers to lead the global
economy; improve the quality of life for all Americans; and strengthen our national security.
The Recovery Act included a $5 billion investment in key science programs, which is by
itself an almost 50-percent increase for these programs over 2008 and represents a significant
down-payment toward the President’s plan to double the funding for these agencies over 10
years. Under the President’s doubling plan, the Budget provides a 16-percent increase over
2008 funding levels for the National Science Foundation and similarly large increases for the
Department of Energy’s Office of Science and the Department of Commerce’s National
Institute of Standards and Technology. The Budget also increases support for promising, but
exploratory and high-risk research proposals that could fundamentally improve our
understanding of climate, revolutionize fields of science, and lead to radically new
technologies.5
and about STEM education:
Triple the Number of Graduate Fellowships in Science to Help Spur the Next
Generation of Home-Grown Scientific Innovation. The industries of tomorrow will begin
with ideas dreamed up in the classrooms and laboratories of today. Without investments in
human capital today, we will not be able to reap the benefits of scientific innovation. That is
why the Administration provided in the Recovery Act funds to be used as a down-payment
toward the goal of tripling the number of graduate fellows in science.6
The remainder of this section provides an agency specific overview and compares the budget
outline to America COMPETES Act FY2010 authorization levels. Table 1 (located at the end of
this report) provides FY2008 and FY2009 appropriations and FY2010 authorization levels for
America COMPETES Act programs.

3 The Obama Administration’s FY2010 budget documents at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/.
4 “White House officials have been saying that Obama’s full, detailed budget will be sent to Capitol Hill in late April or
early May - with early May now being frequently mentioned as the likely timeline by many folks on the Hill.” Chuck
Conlon and Kerry Young, “Possible Lag for Appropriations?,” Congressional Quarterly, April 13, 2009.
5 U.S. Office of Management and Budget, A New Era of Responsibility: Renewing America's Promise, at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/A_New_Era_of_Responsibility2.pdf.
6 Ibid.
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The budget outline indicates the following for NIST in FY2010:
Invests in America’s Competitiveness. The Budget supports the Nation’s technology
infrastructure by funding advanced measurement and standards development at the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). These activities will build upon the Recovery
Act, which includes $240 million for NIST’s scientific research activities and lab equipment
and $180 million for construction of NIST facilities. The 2010 Budget also provides $70
million for the Technology Innovation Program, which invests in high-impact research that
will address critical national needs and advance innovation. The Hollings Manufacturing
Extension Partnership will receive $125 million to enhance the competitiveness of the
Nation’s manufacturers by facilitating the adoption of more efficient manufacturing
processes. 7
The America COMPETES Act authorizes $548.8 million for NIST’s Scientific and Technical
Research Services (STRS) and $49.7 million for its construction and maintenance activities in
FY2010. Although both programs are noted above, no specific FY2010 budget levels are yet
proposed by the Obama Administration. The act authorizes $140.5 million for the Technology
Innovation Program (TIP), while the Obama Administration indicates it will propose
approximately half that level - $70 million. The Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP),
authorized at $131.8 million is proposed for $125 million.
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At DOE, the Obama Administration indicates that the proposed budget “Provides significant
increases in funding for basic research and world-leading scientific user facilities to support
transformational discoveries and accelerate solutions to our Nation’s most pressing problems –
including the development of clean energy.”8 Specifically, the DOE budget outline states the
following:
Invests in the Sciences. As part of the President’s plan to double Federal investment in the
basic sciences, the 2010 Budget, along with the $1.6 billion provided in the Recovery Act for
the Department of Energy’s basic science programs, provides substantially increased support
for the Office of Science. The Budget increases funding for improving our understanding of
climate science and continues the United States’ commitment to international science and
energy experiments. The Budget also expands graduate fellowship programs that will train
students in critical energy-related fields.9
As yet, no specific budgets are proposed for DOE programs supporting these goals. The America
COMPETES Act authorized funding levels for some possibly related programs. These include
$5,814 million for the DOE Office of Science, and $20 million for the Protecting America’s
Competitive Edge (PACE) Graduate Fellowship Program. It is possible ARPA-E, authorized in
the America COMPETES Act and established through FY2009 appropriations, might be included

7 U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Department of Commerce, fact sheet at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/
assets/fy2010_new_era/Department_of_Commerce.pdf.
8 U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Department of Energy, fact sheet at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/
fy2010_new_era/Department_of_Energy.pdf.
9 Ibid.
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as a high-risk research activity as noted in the general outline, but it is not provided in the DOE
fact sheet.10 The FY2010 authorization level for ARPA-E is such sums as are necessary for future
years.
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Neither the budget outline nor the accompanying ED fact sheet discuss STEM education at ED.
The ED fact sheet does state that the Administration “Supports high Standards and Rigorous
Assessments Aligned with the demands of the Global Economy.”11 As part of its overall
principles, the outline proposes preparing and rewarding teachers, funding education research,
and evaluating federal education programs. Some America COMPETES Act. STEM education
programs support similar principles. It is not clear, which, if any, America COMPETES Act
programs might relate to these general initiatives, however, given the limited information
available to date.
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The budget outline identifies the following priorities for NSF’s budget:
• Provides $7 billion for the National Science Foundation, a 16-percent increase over the
2008 level, as part of the President’s Plan for Science and Innovation.
• Increases support for graduate research fellowships and for early-career researchers.
• Increases support for the education of technicians in the high-technology fields that
drive the Nation’s economy.
• Encourages more novel high-risk, high-reward research proposals.12
NSF’s FY2010 authorization level is $8.1 billion compared to $7.0 billion requested in the
Obama Administration’s budget outline. No specific funding levels are identified for NSF
programs mentioned in the budget outline. The America COMPETES Act FY2010 authorized
levels for the NSF programs mentioned above are $203.8 million for the Faculty Early Career
Development (CAREER) program, $64.0 million for the Advanced Technological Education
(ATE) program, and $119.0 million for the Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) program.
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Following the Obama Administration’s release of its FY2010 budget outline, Congress developed
a budget resolution that sets the budgetary spending amounts for each functional category of the

10 For more information on ARPA-E, see CRS Report RL34497, Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-
E): Background, Status, and Selected Issues for Congress, by Deborah D. Stine.
11 U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Department of Education, fact sheet at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/
assets/fy2010_new_era/Department_of_Eduction.pdf.
12 U.S. Office of Management and Budget, National Science Foundation, fact sheet at http://www.whitehouse.gov/
omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/National_Science_Foundation1.pdf.
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budget.13 The budget resolution does not allocate funds among specific programs or accounts.
Major program assumptions underlying the functional amounts, however, are often discussed in
the reports accompanying the resolution. These program assumptions and budget functions are
not binding, although congressional action has been taken.14
In April 2009, the House and Senate of the 111th Congress each approved a Budget Resolution for
FY2010. The Senate resolution (S.Con.Res. 13) does not mention the America COMPETES Act.
The House resolution (H.Con.Res. 85) states the following:
SEC. 603. SENSE OF THE HOUSE ON PROMOTING AMERICAN INNOVATION AND
ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS.
It is the sense of the House that—
(1) the House should provide sufficient investments to enable our Nation to continue to be
the world leader in education, innovation, and economic growth as envisioned in the goals of
the America COMPETES Act;
(2) this resolution builds on significant funding provided in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act for scientific research and education in Function 250 (General Science,
Space and Technology), Function 270 (Energy), Function 300 (Natural Resources and
Environment), Function 500 (Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services), and
Function 550 (Health);
(3) the House also should pursue policies designed to ensure that American students,
teachers, businesses, and workers are prepared to continue leading the world in innovation,
research, and technology well into the future; and
(4) this resolution recognizes the importance of the extension of investments and tax policies
that promote research and development and encourage innovation and future technologies
that will ensure American economic competitiveness.
The next step is for a conference committee to negotiate the terms of a possible conference report,
which provides the amount of discretionary budget for FY2010. The conference committee may
also decide whether or not to include Section 603 of the House bill.
Following the budget resolution, the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate
Committee on Appropriations subdivides the budget allocations among the appropriations
committees’ 12 subcommittees.15 The committee’s jurisdictions16 for the federal agencies that
have programs authorized by the America COMPETES Act programs are divided among at least
three Appropriations subcommittees:

13 CRS Report 97-684, The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction, by Sandy Streeter.
14 CRS Report 98-721, Introduction to the Federal Budget Process, by Robert Keith. This process is set forth in the
Congressional Budget Act, Titles I-IX of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-
344; July 12, 1974; 88 Stat. 297-339), as amended and codified at 2 U.S.C. 621-692.
15 These allocations for FY2009 are available at http://www.cbo.gov/budget/approps/approps.pdf. For additional
information on the appropriations process, see CRS Report 97-684, The Congressional Appropriations Process: An
Introduction, by Sandy Streeter.
16 It is important to note that the House and Senate Parliamentarians are the sole definitive authorities on questions
relating to the jurisdiction of congressional committees and should be consulted for a formal opinion on any specific
jurisdictional question.
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• Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS): NSF, NIST, NASA,
and OSTP;
• Energy and Water Development (Energy-Water): DOE;
• Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-
HHS-Education): ED.
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As noted earlier, the America COMPETES Act is an authorization act. New programs established
by the act would not be initiated, and authorized increases in appropriations for existing programs
would not occur unless funded through subsequent appropriation acts. The 110th Congress
provided FY2008 appropriations to establish ED’s Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow
program, and NIST’s Technology Improvement Program (TIP), which replaced the existing
Advanced Technology Program. The 111th Congress provided FY2009 appropriations to establish
DOE’s ARPA-E and NSF’s PSM program. In addition, portions of the P-16 Alignment of
Secondary School Graduate Requirements with the Demands of 21st Century Postsecondary
Endeavors and Support for P-16 Education Data Systems was funded through the ARRA.17
Although some America COMPETES Act research and STEM education programs received
appropriations at authorized levels in FY2009, others did not, as described below.
As Congress deliberates the FY2010 budget, an issue for Congress is what level, if any, will it
provide America COMPETES Act programs an appropriation, and whether or not the President’s
budget request will propose to do so. Several programs newly authorized in the act have never
been appropriated funds. An issue for these programs is whether or not they will receive the
funding necessary to establish them. The America COMPETES Act provides authorization levels
only through FY2010.

17 P.L. 111-5 indicates that part of the funding provided to States for Institutions of Higher Education as part of the
State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (Title XIV) should be used for “IMPROVING COLLECTION AND USE OF DATA.—
The State will establish a longitudinal data system that includes the elements described in section 6401(e)(2)(D) of the
America COMPETES Act (20 U.S.C. 9871).” In addition, the State “will take steps to improve State academic content
standards and student academic achievement standards consistent with 6401(e)(1)(A)(ii) of the America COMPETES
Act.” No specific appropriation is noted for either purpose. Section 6401 of the America COMPETES Act addresses
the “Alignment of secondary school graduate requirements with the demands of 21st century postsecondary endeavors
and support for P-16 education systems.” With that Section, subsection (e)(2)(D) provides required elements of a
statewide P-16 education data system such as demographic information, yearly test records, teacher identification
information, and student-level transcripts and college readiness test scores. Section (e)(1)(A)(ii) discusses the use of
grant funds for “identifying and making changes that need to be made to the State’s secondary school graduation
requirements, academic content standards, academic achievement standards, and assessments preceding graduation
from secondary school in order to align requirements, standards, and assessments with the knowledge and skills
necessary for success in academic credit-bearing coursework in postsecondary education, in the 21st century workforce,
and in the Armed Forces without the need for remediation.”
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One issue is whether or not new STEM education programs authorized in the act that have not
received funding in previous years will be appropriated funds for the first time in FY2010. Or
alternatively, whether or not the Obama Administration will state clearly that existing STEM
education programs will be modified so that they meet the requirements in the America
COMPETES Act.
This is particularly the case with the act’s DOE STEM education programs; the Secretary of DOE
has not thus far appointed an individual to the position of Director of Science, Engineering, and
Mathematics Education newly authorized by the act. Since DOE’s FY2009 proposed budget did
not align with that in the America COMPETES Act, determining the status of these programs is
challenging.18 If the Obama Administration does align its existing programs with the America
COMPETES Act, the situation regarding DOE STEM education activities may be clearer. At ED,
several of the new STEM Education programs were proposed for funding by the Bush
Administration; however, Congress choose not to appropriate funds for them. In addition, as at
DOE, there are some existing programs that could possibly be modified to comply with
requirements in the America COMPETES Act. At NSF, the Bush Administration did not propose
funding for either of the new STEM education programs.
At this time, there is insufficient evidence that the following new America COMPETES Act
programs were appropriated funds in FY2009, and a policy question for Congress is whether or
not they will be funded or proposed for FY2010:
DOE
• Pilot Program of Grants to Specialty Schools for Science and Mathematics
• Experiential Based Learning Opportunities
• Summer Institutes
• National Energy Education Development
• Nuclear Science Talent Expansion Program
• Hydrocarbon Systems Science Talent Expansion Program
• Early Career Awards for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Researchers

18 According to an email communication between CRS and the Bush Administration OMB and OSTP received on
October 14, 2008, OMB contends that the following DOE programs correspond to programs authorized by the America
COMPETES Act: DOE Summer Institutes (§5003) to the pre-existing DOE Academies Creating Teacher Scientists
program (DOE ACTS); and the Protecting America’s Competitive Edge (PACE) Fellowship program (§5009) to pre-
existing Computer Science Graduate Fellowships; Graduate Research Environmental Fellowships; American
Meteorological Society/Industry/Government Graduate Fellowships; Spallation Neutron Source Instrumentation
Fellowships, and the Fusion Energy Sciences Graduate Fellowships. Note that the information above is not included in
DOE’s FY2009 budget request as, according to OMB, DOE did not reorganize its budget structure to match the
America COMPETES Act categories. It is unknown the degree to which the Obama Administration agrees with the
views of the Bush Administration on this issue.
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• Protecting America’s Competitive Edge Graduate Fellowship Program
ED
• Advanced Placement & International Baccalaureate Program
• Math Now
• Summer Term Education Program
• Math Skills for Secondary Skill Students
• Advancing America Through Foreign Language Partnership Program
• Mathematics and Science Partnership Bonus Grants
NSF
• Laboratory Science Pilot Program
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In the case of research funding, the programs that are the focus of the act’s provisions—NIST’s
STRS and construction activities, the DOE Office of Science, ARPA-E, and NSF—received
FY2009 appropriations above authorized levels in FY2009, due to the combination of both the
Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-8) and the supplemental appropriation in the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA; P.L. 111-5).
A policy issue for many congressional policymakers is the degree to which this increased FY2009
funding will influence FY2010 appropriations. This issue is heightened for ARPA-E, whose
funding in the supplemental, $400 million, is greater than the $15 million in the regular FY2009
appropriation. In response to questions following congressional testimony, Secretary of Energy
Steven Chu indicated that DOE staff had told him that it would take a year to establish ARPA-E.
Although he was attempting to advance that timeline, he was unsure when it would be
established.19
The issue is similar for NSF. Although funded above the authorization level in FY2009 due to the
Omnibus and the supplemental, the Obama Administration’s budget outline states that it proposes
to fund NSF below the authorization level in FY2010. The same may be true for other America
COMPETES Act research program for which the proposed budget is not yet known.
Another issue for Congress is whether or not it will appropriate funds for DOE’s Discovery
Science and Engineering Innovation Institutes, which have never received funding. Further, as is
the case with STEM Education, an issue for Congress is whether or not DOE will propose to

19 Congressional Quarterly Congressional Transcripts, " House Committee on Science And Technology Holds a
Hearing On New Directions For Energy Research And Development At Energy Department,” March 17, 2009. In
response to a question from the Chair, House Committee on Science and Technology, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
stated the following: “So I met with those—a team of people that were trying to see what the structure should be like. I
think it's very consistent with this committee's views. I did ask specifically how long it would take. I didn't like the
answer. The answer was, quite frankly the first pass answer was one year, and so I instruct them go back and I want to
see exactly the timeline of why it would take so long. There might be regulations, things like that, and I have not gotten
back the answer to that. So I hope it would take much shorter than one year.”
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clearly establish new or modify existing early career researcher and distinguished scientist
programs to align with the America COMPETES Act Early Career Awards for Science,
Engineering, and Mathematics Researchers; and Distinguished Scientist programs. 20

20 According to an email communication between CRS and the Bush Administration OMB and OSTP received on
October 14, 2008, OMB contends that the following DOE programs correspond to programs authorized by the America
COMPETES Act: DOE Early Career Awards (§5006) to pre-existing High Energy Physics Outstanding Junior
Investigator, Nuclear Physics Outstanding Junior Investigator, Fusion Energy Sciences Plasma Physics Junior Faculty
Development; Advanced Scientific Computing Research Early Career Principle Investigator; and the Office of Science
Early Career Scientist and Engineer Award programs; and Discovery Science and Engineering Innovation Institutes
§5008) with pre-existing Bioenergy Research Centers, SciDAC Institutes, and the proposed Energy Frontier Research
Centers. Note that the information above is not included in DOE’s FY2009 budget request as, according to OMB, DOE
did not reorganize its budget structure to match the America COMPETES Act categories. It is unknown the degree to
which the Obama Administration agrees with the views of the Bush Administration on this issue.
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Table 1. America COMPETES Act Programs and Appropriations Status
(in millions of dollars)
FY2008
FY2009
Consolidated Appropriations Act,
Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009
Programs with Specific
2008 (P.L. 110-161); Supplemental (P.L. 111-8); American Recovery and
FY2010
Authorized Budgets in the
Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-
Reinvestment Act (ARRA; P.L. 111-
America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-
America COMPETES Act
252))
5)
69) Authorization of Appropriation
Department of Commerce

National Institute of Standards

and Technology (Sec. 3001)
—Scientific & Technical Research and
$440.5 $692.0 $584.8
Services (STRS) (Sec. 3001)
(472.0 omnibus
+ 220.0 ARRA)
—Construction & Maintenance
160.5 532.0 49.7
(Sec. 3001)
(172.0 omnibus
+360.0 ARRA)
—Technology Innovation Program
65.2a 65.0 140.5
(TIP) (Sec. 3001/3012) [NEW]
—Manufacturing Extension
89.6 110.0 131.8
Partnership (MEP) (Sec. 3001/3003)
Department of Energy

DOE Science, Engineering and

Mathematics Programs
(Sec. 5003)
—Pilot Program of Grants to
Not Included
Not Included
30.0
Specialty Schools for Science and
Mathematics (Sec. 5003) [NEW]

—Experiential Based Learning
Not Included
Not Included
7.5
Opportunities (Sec. 5003) [NEW]

—Summer Institutes (Sec. 5003)
Not Included
Not Included
25.0
[NEW]

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FY2008
FY2009
Consolidated Appropriations Act,
Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009
Programs with Specific
2008 (P.L. 110-161); Supplemental (P.L. 111-8); American Recovery and
FY2010
Authorized Budgets in the
Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-
Reinvestment Act (ARRA; P.L. 111-
America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-
America COMPETES Act
252))
5)
69) Authorization of Appropriation
Major Research Equipment and
220.7 552.0 280.0
Facilities Construction (Sec.7002)
(152.0 omnibus
+400.0 ARRA)
Agency Operations and Award
281.8 294.0 329.5
Management (Sec.7002)
National Science Board
4.0 4.0 4.3
(Sec.7002)
Inspector General (Sec.7002)
11.4
14.0
13.2
(12.0 omnibus
+2.0 ARRA)
Laboratory Science Pilot
Not Included
Not Included
Such sums as may be necessary
Program (Sec. 7026) [NEW]

Source: America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69); Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (P.L. 111-8) and explanatory statement; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 (P.L. 111-5); H.Conf.Rept. 111-16 and joint explanatory statement. For FY2008, information is from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-161) and
joint explanatory statement; Congressional Record, December 17, 2007; Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-252); H.Rept. 110-240; S.Rept. 110-124; H.Rept.
110-231; and S.Rept. 110-107.
Notes: Section numbers refer to the America COMPETES Act. “[NEW]” means a program that was not authorized prior to the America COMPETES Act. “Not Included”
means that these programs were not specifically identified in the budget request, bill, act, or report. * = as reported. All other appropriations are numbers from bill
language.
a. The following statement is in the Consolidated Appropriations Act joint explanatory statement: “Of the amounts provided to ITS [Industrial Technology Services],
$65,200,000 is for the Technology Innovation Program as authorized by P.L. 110-69 [the America COMPETES Act]. TIP is structured to fund high-risk, high reward
research focused on broad national needs such as advanced automotive batteries, aquaculture, novel lightweight materials, and other emerging technologies. The
funding provided for TIP will address mortgage obligations relating to projects created under the Advanced Technology Program (ATP). The amended bill also includes
language to allow the TIP immediate access to an additional $5,000,000 from deobligations and prior-year recoveries from ATP.”
b. The P.L. 111-8 explanatory statement provides $4,772.6 million for science at DOE with $15.0 million of that total for the organizationally separate Advanced
Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) and the remainder for DOE Office of Science Activities.
c. The Secretary of Energy can decide to establish up to three institutes per fiscal year. Each institute could receive $10 million per year for three fiscal years.
d. The title for this program in the America COMPETES Act is the Foreign Language Partnership Program. The table uses the title for this program from the ED FY2009
congressional budget justification to help distinguish it from other ED foreign language programs such as the existing Foreign Language Assistance program.
e. P.L. 111-5 indicates that part of the funding provided to States for Institutions of Higher Education as part of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (Title XIV) should be
used for “IMPROVING COLLECTION AND USE OF DATA.—The State will establish a longitudinal data system that includes the elements described in section
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6401(e)(2)(D) of the America COMPETES Act (20 U.S.C. 9871).” In addition, the State “will take steps to improve State academic content standards and student
academic achievement standards consistent with 6401(e)(1)(A)(ii) of the America COMPETES Act.” No specific appropriation is noted for either purpose. Section
6401 of the America COMPETES Act addresses the “Alignment of secondary school graduate requirements with the demands of 21st century postsecondary
endeavors and support for P-16 education systems.” With that Section, subsection (e)(2)(D) provides required elements of a statewide P-16 education data system
such as demographic information, yearly test records, teacher identification information, and student-level transcripts and college readiness test scores. Section
(e)(1)(A)(ii) discusses the use of grant funds for “identifying and making changes that need to be made to the State’s secondary school graduation requirements,
academic content standards, academic achievement standards, and assessments preceding graduation from secondary school in order to align requirements, standards,
and assessments with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in academic credit-bearing coursework in postsecondary education, in the 21st century workforce,
and in the Armed Forces without the need for remediation.”
f. The following statement is in the Consolidated Appropriations Act joint explanatory statement: ”The Appropriations Committees strongly support increases for the
math and physical sciences, computer sciences, and engineering directorates in fiscal year 2008 for research and related activities (R&RA). However, the Committees
also believe the Foundation should maintain comparable growth in fiscal year 2008, to the extent possible, for the biological sciences and social, behavioral and
economic sciences directorates. Each of the science disciplines is valuable in maintaining U.S. competitiveness. The Committees urge NSF to provide each directorate
with funding levels that are consistent with the goals of the America COMPETES Act and look forward to the Foundation’s operating plan in addressing these
concerns.”
g. Although included in the FY2008 supplemental appropriation, the act specifies a section in the America COMPETES Act authorizing funding for the FY2009 EPSCoR
program.
h. The explanatory statement indicates that “The increase provided in the bill for the Noyce Program is for the purpose of expanding participation in the grants program
established in section10 and section 10A of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-1) as amended by the America COMPETES
Act.”
i. Two directorates of the NSF manage the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program—the Education and Human Resources
Directorate (EHR) and the Research and Related Activities (R&RA) directorate. The America COMPETES Act and the NSF budget request both identify the allocations
for each directorate.
j. The America COMPETES Act provides the authorization amount within R&RA; however, the explanatory language for P.L. 111-5 places the program within EHR.
k. Of this $40 million, $20 million is for the general Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, and $20 million is for the NSF Teaching Fellowships and Master
Teaching Fellowships that are part of the Noyce program.

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Deborah D. Stine

Specialist in Science and Technology Policy
dstine@crs.loc.gov, 7-8431

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