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The Biden Administration Releases FY23 Budget Request

4/01/2022
WIH

On March 28, the Biden Administration released its fiscal year FY (2023) budget request. The Administration proposes funding non-defense discretionary programs at $829.2 billion and defense programs at $813.3 billion. For more information about the FY23 Budget Request, please see the CGS document, President Biden’s FY2023 Budget Request: CGS Programs of Interest.

 Below are Highlights from the FY23 Budget Request:

  • U.S. Department of Education:
    • FY23 budget proposes $32.2 billion for the Federal Pell Grant Program, a 30 percent increase from FY22 enacted levels.
    • FY23 budget proposes $3.8 billion for Higher Education programs, a 27 percent increase from FY22 enacted levels.
      • 5 percent increase in promoting postbaccalaureate opportunities for Hispanic Americans.
      • $9.2 million increase in strengthening historically black graduate institutions.
      • $6.2 million increase in strengthening master’s degree programs at HBCUs.
      • $160.8 million increase in Federal TRIO programs, including $51.1 million for the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program.
  • U.S. Department of Energy: 
    • FY23 budget proposes $7.79 billion for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which is an 11 percent increase above the FY22 enacted level of $7 billion.
    • The Office of Science administers the Graduate Student Research Program as well as the Computational Science Graduate Fellowship, which are integral to the United States remaining at the forefront of energy technology development and innovation.
    • The FY23 budget proposes $700 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), which is an increase of $273 million above the FY22 enacted amount of $427 million.
  • National Science Foundation 
    • FY23 budget proposes $10.5 billion for NSF, an 18.8 percent increase from FY22 enacted levels.
    • The budget renames the Education and Human Resources Directorate to the STEM Education Directorate. The budget proposes $1.377 billion for the STEM Education Directorate. Within this newly renamed directorate, the budget proposes $519 million for the Division of Graduate Education.
    • Below is a breakdown of graduate education programs:
      • Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP): For FY23, the Administration proposes $355.5 million for the program. According to the NSF Budget Justification, this level of funding would support a total of 2,750 new fellows an education allowance of $12,000 and a stipend of $37,000.
      • NSF Research Traineeships (NRT): For FY23, the Administration proposes $62.5 million for the NRT program.
      • CyberCorps: Scholarships for Service: The Administration proposes $75 million for this cybersecurity training program.

A Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Legislation Calling for More Trained Mental Health Care Professionals

Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Todd Young (R-IN), Gary Peters (D-MI) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) recently introduced the Mental Health Excellence in Schools Act (H.R. 4198). The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for trained mental health professionals in the nation’s K-12 schools, as well as in our communities. “This bipartisan bill would boost the pipeline of graduate students trained to become school psychologists, counselors and social workers responding to the youth mental health crisis that’s been worsened by the pandemic. Specifically, this bill calls on Congress to appropriate $20 million in FY23, $30 million in FY24, and $50 million in FY25.”

Senator Shaheen mentioned in a press release, “By helping more students afford graduate programs centered on school-based mental health, we can attract more workers to this critical field. The mental health crisis isn’t going away, and it is past time we dedicate resources and energy towards holistically helping those in need. We owe it to our children to empower them with tools to heal and succeed.”

Text of the bill can be found here. The bill has been referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee for consideration.

Bill Introduced to Secure Affordable Student Loans for Every Borrower

Earlier this week, Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced the Affordable Loans for Any Student Act of 2022.The bill seeks to streamline existing student loan programs by creating two options for borrowers to choose from: a fixed repayment plan over a period of 10 years or an income-based repayment plan over a period of 20 years. “Young college graduates with good jobs are struggling to make the first big investments in their lives like buying a home or even to purchase necessities and pay rent because of the debt that they hold. For our next generation to fulfill their dreams, contribute to economic innovation and create a prosperous future for themselves and their families, we must simplify the repayment process and make it more affordable for student borrowers,” said DeLauro in a press release. Text of the bill can be found here.

NSF Guidance on Graduate Research Fellowship Program

The National Science Foundation recently released new guidance for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The program recognizes and supports graduate students in NSF-supported disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees. The new guidance includes an overview of award structure, responsibilities of fellows, and responsibilities of institutes of higher education.

CGS Supports Nomination of Dr. Nasser Paydar

Earlier this week, CGS President Suzanne Ortega sent a letter to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in support of the nomination of Dr. Nasser Paydar to be assistant secretary of postsecondary education at the U.S. Department of Education. In the letter, CGS President Ortega said, “During his tenure as chancellor of IUPUI and executive vice president at Indiana University, Dr. Paydar advanced key strategic priorities concerning student success, research, and engagement. In this regard, he paid particularly close attention to reinforcing IUPUI’s deep and longstanding commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), by overseeing the creation of a DEI track for faculty promotion and tenure, as well as convening taskforces focused on recruiting and retaining African American and LatinX students. Dr. Paydar also has a strong and unwavering commitment to graduate education.”

Advisory Committee Meeting Announcements

The Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality have all issued notice of meetings in the Federal Register this week. The DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee will meet on April 28 from 10 AM – 3:15 PM EST. The purpose of the Board is to provide advice and guidance on a continuing basis to the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation on scientific priorities within the field of basic nuclear science research.

The Secretary of Energy Advisory Board will meet on April 19 from 9 AM – 2:50 PM Pacific Daylight Time. The board provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary on the Administration’s energy policies; the Department’s basic and applied research and development activities; economic and national security policy; and other activities as directed by the Secretary. Registration for the meeting can be accessed here.

The Department of Energy’s Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee will meet on April 21 and April 22 from 11 AM – 5:30 PM EST. The purpose of the committee is to provide advice to the Office of Science Director on the many complex scientific and technical issues that arise in the development and implementation of the Biological and Environmental Research Program. Access to the virtual meeting can be found here.

The National Science Foundation’s Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee will meet on June 6 from Noon – 4 PM EST. The purpose of the meeting is to provide advice and recommendations to the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on issues within the field of astronomy and astrophysics that are of mutual interest and concern to the agencies. Information regarding attendance will be updated here.

The National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality will meet on May 12 from 10 AM – 3 PM EST. The purpose of the council is to advise the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Director of AHRQ on matters related to AHRQ’s conduct of its mission including providing guidance on priorities for health care research, the field of health care research including training needs and information dissemination on health care quality and the role of the Agency in light of private sector activity and opportunities for public private partnerships.