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                                      For Immediate Release           
                            April 19, 1993

For more information, contact:
Ralph Brescia 202-456-6215

                      SIX MAJOR R&D INITIATIVES
                 INCLUDED IN PRESIDENT'S FY'94 BUDGET

President Clinton's FY'94 budget includes funding for six major research and development initiatives that will be implemented through coordinated efforts of a number of agencies. These six initiatives reflect the Administration's commitment to invest in America's future by investing in science and technology.

Jack Gibbons, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, says "These initiatives are essential to the President's economic program. They are an integral part of the President's overall strategy to use science and technology to achieve national goals. A strong economy and high quality of life depend on initiatives like these."

Specifically, the President has proposed $1.4 billion for Advanced Manufacturing Technology; $1 billion for High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC); $1.5 billion for Global Change Research; over $2 billion for Advanced Materials and Processing; $4.3 billion for Biotechnology Research; and $2.3 billion for Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education. In addition, $96 million is proposed for Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications, a component of the HPCC Initiative. (See attached Table for Department and agency budget requests.)

The initiatives were developed through the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology (FCCSET), chaired by Gibbons, who is also Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. "These FCCSET initiatives demonstrate that government can work cohesively to improve the efficiency in all our science and technology investments," Gibbons says.

The six FCCSET initiatives are summarized in a report supplementing the President's FY 1994 Budget entitled "FCCSET Initiatives in the FY 1994 Budget," now available from the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Gibbons adds, "In the current, very constrained budget climate, the support for the FCCSET Initiatives reflects the determination by the President and the Vice President to make research and development essential elements of economic growth."

The Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) Initiative will help industry harness technology to improve the Nation's economic strength. It will foster the shift from rigid mass production to flexible manufacturing that responds quickly and cost-effectively to rapidly changing market demands. A top priority is coordination of the public/private partnership to produce a low-pollution vehicle that can recapture world market share for the American auto industry.

The agencies participating in the HPCC Initiative intend to partner with industry to "network the nation," ensuring that each sector of the economy has access to state-of-the-art computing and communications equipment. This type of access will mean that students in Idaho can participate in lab experiments in New York, that the medical records of accident victims are available in distant States, that businesses can form regional alliances to develop and market new products, and that scientists modeling global change have ready discourse with their colleagues around the globe.

The U.S. Global Change Research Program Initiative seeks to reduce the uncertainties about the rate and consequences of global change by probing current atmospheric conditions and the historical record. The information generated by the basic research program is analyzed to develop policy options for response strategies -- mitigation and adaptation -- that provide cost-effective insurance against potentially severe effects of environmental change.

The Advanced Materials and Processing (AMP) Initiative will help establish the United States as the leader in advanced materials and processing. In FY '94, AMP participants will direct resources toward projects such as: improving the function and lowering the cost of superconducting materials for use in power lines; developing new refrigerants to replace ozone-depleting CFC's; and developing materials to enhance the suitability and durability of biomedical implants, such as artificial joints and organs.

The Biotechnology Initiative aims to sustain and extend U.S. leadership in biotechnology research, enhance the quality of life for all Americans, and spur the growth of the U.S. economy. Advances in health-related biotechnology can help contain spiralling health care costs through new diagnostic, prevention, and treatment techniques. Gene therapy offers hope for treating cystic fibrosis, cancer, AIDS, and other diseases. The Federal research program spurs much of the commercialization effort for biotechnology.

In support of the President's efforts to improve mathematics and science education, the Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education Initiative will help to ensure U.S. world leadership in basic science, mathematics, engineering, and technology, build a highly trained work force, and increase public understanding of science. It will address elementary and secondary system reform by fostering standards-based systemic reform, support curriculum revisions, provide pre- and post-doctoral student support, foster improvements in technical education, and assist technology transfer, particularly by helping transfer military expertise in education and training to the civilian sector.

Sixteen Cabinet Departments and independent agencies that are members of FCCSET are participating in one or more of the FY 1994 Initiatives. Seven FCCSET members are participating in all six Initiatives: Departments of Commerce, Defense, Energy, and Health and Human Services, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and National Science Foundation.

FCCSET plays a critical role in planning, budgeting, and coordinating government-wide R&D initiatives. It helps ensure efficient use of Federal R&D resources. In close cooperation with the Office of Management and Budget, FCCSET strives to achieve consensus on how to use R&D programs to reach national goals and to guide the actions of participating agencies.

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