http://www.cattlenetwork.com/Content.asp?ContentID=282848Stimulus Plan Has Funding For Medical, Scientific Research
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Medical and scientific research would receive about $10 billion of an $825 billion fiscal stimulus package unveiled Thursday by House Democrats. The plan would beef up funding for a host of projects, from
updating air traffic control systems to countering a potentially devastating flu pandemic.The National Science Foundation would receive a big chunk of the funding, as the plan calls for $3 billion to help it add staff, buy equipment and build and repair research facilities.
Under the plan, another $3.5 billion would be directed to the National Institutes of Health, with $1.5 billion targeted to biomedical research into
cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease and other illnesses. Separately, the NIH would get $1.5 billion to renovate university research facilities and help those labs compete for biomedical research grants.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would receive $462 million for building and construction and for renovations to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, according to a summary of the plan released Thursday.
Another $900 million would be devoted to preparing for an influenza pandemic, developing medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear attacks, and for computer security at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Nearly $2 billion would flow to the U.S. Department of Energy for basic research, including high-energy physics, nuclear physics, and fusion energy science, and for improvements to DOE labs and scientific facilities. The plan also calls for $400 million for the Advanced Research Project Agency for research on energy sources and energy efficiency.
NASA would get an additional $600 million, including $400 million for research on climate change, using satellite sensors that measure solar radiation. Some $50 million would be slated to repair NASA centers damaged by hurricanes and floods last year.
The plan also calls for
developing a thermal infrared sensor for the Landsat Continuing Mapper to help with water management, particularly in western parts of the U.S., and $150 million for research, development, and demonstration to
improve aviation safety and air traffic control.NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would receive $600 million for satellite development and acquisitions, including climate sensors and climate modeling systems.In addition, the plan would provide $300 million to the
National Institute of Standards and Technology, mostly for construction grants for research science buildings at colleges, universities and other research facilities. Another $209 million would be directed to
agricultural research and the
U.S. Geological Survey would get $200 million to modernize and repair its labs, expand its computing capacity and improve its earthquake monitoring systems.-By Judith Burns, Dow Jones Newswires, 202-862-6692;
Judith.Burns@dowjones.com
