President-Elect Armen, on Behalf of ASME/DOD Task Force, Urges Congress to Support U.S. Dept. of Defense Science, Engineering and Technology Programs (5/06/04)

WASHINGTON — ASME President-Elect Harry Armen yesterday testified before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee urging support for increased funding for U.S. Department of Defense science, engineering and technology (SET) programs that are critical to fundamental scientific advances and to the next generation of highly skilled scientists and engineers.

Armen spoke on behalf of the ASME DOD Task Force of the Inter-Council Committee on Federal Research and Development.

In his testimony, Armen stressed the importance of providing robust and stable investments in DOD's SET programs. "A stated goal of the administration and Congress is to maintain defense SET funding at three percent of the defense budget. This would require $12.1 billion for fiscal year 2005 — an increase of approximately $1.6 billion above the administration's request," Armen said. "We urge you to support this level of funding for the SET accounts within the DOD budget to enhance both security and the economic vitality of the nation."

ASME President-Elect Harry Armen yesterday gave his testimony regarding science, engineering and technology funding before the US Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee .

The administration's proposed request for the DOD SET programs in FY05 is $10.55 billion, which is 15 percent lower than the $12.5 billion appropriated by Congress in FY04. The SET budget has three components: an account for basic research, one for applied research and a third for advanced technology development. The administration's request in all three of these areas is less than the amount appropriated by Congress in FY04.

Armen also called on members of the subcommittee to undertake a five-year program to reverse the declining percentage of funding that supports basic research within the SET portfolio. "In the early 1980's, DOD basic research was 20 percent of SET funding," he said. "That level has declined to less than 12 percent of the SET budget."

A Rand study released earlier this month concluded that approximately two-thirds of the federal funds going to universities and colleges to conduct of research and development, focus on only one field of science — life science. The study found that in 2002, two-thirds of all R&D funding that went to institutes of higher learning was provided by the Department of Health and Human Services. In sharp contrast, the Department of Defense provided seven percent.

"Students follow the dollars," Armen said. "We have an opportunity now to reverse this situation by attracting the best and the brightest young minds to consider a career in defense R&D. We have an opportunity to build upon the valuable contributions of the past generation of engineers and scientists who have been a constant and powerful force over the past four decades."

Last month, ASME's DOD Task Force of the Inter-Council Committee on Federal Research and Development issued a position statement on the FY05 budget request for DOD SET programs. The statement is available at http://www.asme.org/gric/ps/ps04.html.

Armen, a resident of Glen Cove, N.Y., will become the 123rd president of ASME in June 2004. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of New York and is director of technology development at Northrop Grumman, Bethpage, N.Y.



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