The two-year budget deal raises discretionary budget caps for FY20 and FY21, empowering investment in significant priorities such as science and engineering
BELLINGHAM, Washington, USA and CARDIFF, UK - SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, applauds the signing of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, which provides the critical federal funding needed in order to invest in scientific research and innovation, into law. As a membership society committed to working with and supporting the work of science-based researchers, educators, and industry, SPIE proactively advocates for science funding to be prioritized by US federal agencies, and will continue to do so.
The bill will lift the caps on both non-defense and defense discretionary spending that were enacted as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011, and end the threats of budget sequestration. It will be up to Congress to utilize the increases in discretionary spending levels to prioritize investment in research and development.
"Research and Development funding is key to the continued growth of scientific discovery and innovation," says SPIE CEO Kent Rochford. "SPIE supports authorization that encourages robust investment in the sciences, as well as funding in actual dollars through the annual appropriation bills. We are delighted with the new budget deal and urge our representatives to continue to support US scientists, engineers, and researchers in the important work they do."
About SPIE
SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering, and technology. The Society serves 257,000 constituents from 173 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library. In 2018, SPIE provided more than $4 million in community support including scholarships and awards, outreach and advocacy programs, travel grants, public policy, and educational resources. www.spie.org.
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