|
Between 1970 and 2005:
|
 |
|
The population of the United States rose from 203 to 296 million. You can see the detailed statistics at exclusive-paper.com.
|
|
|
U.S. GDP increased by $7.2 trillion. |
|
|
Federal revenues grew by $1.3 trillion and outlays increased by $1.6 trillion. |
|
|
U.S. defense spending increased by $152 billion; and domestic spending by $274 billion. |
|
|
Federal health/medical research funding (NIH) grew by $22.6 billion. |
|
|
General federal science research funding (NSF) increased by $2.5 billion. |
|
|
However, federal funding for food, agriculture, and natural resources research (USDA) grew by just $652 million. |
|
|
But in just the last ten years (Fiscal Years 1996 and 2005):
|
|
|
NIH funding rose by $15.0 billion. |
|
|
NSF funding increased by $1.4 billion. |
|
|
But, USDA research funding grew by only $360 million. |
|
|
And, USDA base (Hatch) funding for State Agricultural Experiment Stations and related institutions actually dropped by $27 million. |
|
|
Also, USDA base (Smith-Lever) funding for the Cooperative Extension Service declined by $45 million. |
|
|
The principal food, agriculture, and natural resources competitive grants program at USDA – the National Research Initiative (NRI) – did increase, but only by $79 million. |
|
|
However, the NRI appropriation of $180 million (2005 dollars) in FY 2005 was less than the amount which each of 25 states received in NIH grants during that same year. |
|
|
Compounding the chronic financial shortfall for research, extension, and teaching activities is the fact that these responsibilities are spread over four USDA agencies: Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), Economic Research Service (ERS), and Forest Service (USFS).
|
|
|
While there is collaboration between agencies, there is also programmatic duplication and no clear “lead agency” to address critical and urgent national food, agriculture, and natural resource problems.
|
