Subcommittee Reviews NIST’s FY 2014 Budget Request
(Washington, DC) – Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Technology held a hearing to review the Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2014 budget request for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Testifying before the Subcommittee was the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of NIST, Dr. Patrick Gallagher.
Ranking Member of the Technology Subcommittee, Frederica Wilson (D-FL) said in her opening statement, “NIST is an economic engine for this nation. For more than 100 years, the institute’s broad and deep technical expertise has advanced measurement science, standards, and technological innovation – strengthening our manufacturing sector and boosting innovation ultimately creating jobs. In this time of painfully high unemployment, we need NIST’s expertise more than ever. In this time in which developing nations are taking the lead not only in assembling products but also in inventing products, we need strategic investments in research, development, and education.
Dr. Gallagher and Democratic Members discussed a number of areas in the NIST budget request including cybersecurity, health IT, forensic science, and disaster resiliency. Additionally, advanced manufacturing dominated a large part of the conversation.
Dr. Gallagher described recent positive signs in American manufacturing and NIST’s role in helping the U.S. manufacturing sector continue to innovate and grow. He said, “To accelerate and strengthen these trends the President has laid out a comprehensive set of programs and priorities including new partnerships, investments in R&D, workforce training, and tax-reform. NIST plays a key role in this effort and the NIST FY2014 budget includes robust investments in a set of initiatives that covers the entire range of the manufacturing lifecycle spectrum to reduce the gap between cutting-edge science and development and the deployment of advanced manufacturing technologies. Providing the measurement tools and other essential technical assistance that U.S. manufacturers need to invent, innovate, and produce—more rapidly and more efficiently than their competitors—is a top NIST priority.”
Ms. Wilson said, “I am pleased that the President’s budget recognizes the strategic importance of NIST and gives the agency a prominent role in efforts to revitalize American manufacturing. The budget includes a number of initiatives that can strengthen and reinforce the competitive position of the United States.” She then discussed the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia program (AMTech); bio- and nanomanufacturing; the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI); and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).
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