R&D TO DEFEND AMERICA AGAINST 21ST CENTURY THREATS

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R&D TO DEFEND AMERICA AGAINST 21^ST CENTURY THREATS

The President's FY 2000 budget includes substantial R&D increases to fight emerging terrorist threats and to fund basic science and technology for tomorrow's military technologies.

Fundamental Defense Science and Technology

The President continues his strong support for military S&T with a request for $7.38 billion for basic, applied, and advanced technology R&D, almost 3% over last year's request. Strong, sustained DOD investments in basic and applied research not only provide our military services with cutting edge technologies and systems, but also are a key element in our nation's science and technology enterprise. The vital stewardship role of defense science and technology is highlighted by the inclusion of defense basic and applied research in the Administration's 21^st Century Research Fund.

Combating Cyberterrorism and Infrastructure Threats

The budget provides $500 million, a 6.4% increase, in R&D funding for advanced critical infrastructure protection technologies. America's prosperity and national security depend upon critical infrastructures - banking and finance, energy, information and communications, transportation, water, emergency services, and government services. In today's Information Age, these infrastructures are dependent upon computer and information networks for their smooth, reliable, and continuous operations. Advanced technologies are a key element of the President's efforts to ensure that these critical infrastructures remain secure.

Chemical/Biological Terrorism

The budget strengthens American's defense against the threat of chemical and biological weapons, including increased preparedness at home. The budget will provide $166 million in R&D funding in these areas:

R&D on new vaccines, particularly new vaccines for smallpox and anthrax to protect civilian populations after a release of agent ($30 million new program at HHS).

Enhanced regulatory review of new devices, vaccines, and therapeutics for protecting against chemical or biological terrorism ($13.4 million increase at FDA).
Continued basic and applied research on treating and preventing diseases that might be caused by biological weapons ($24.3 million at NIH).
Continued development of rapid assays for a wide range of toxic substances, including chemical weapons agents, in clinical samples ($5 million at CDC).

R&D on detectors, forensics, pathogen gene sequencing, decontamination, modeling, and system analyses (increase of $13 million to $31 million at DOE).
R&D highly relevant to domestic preparedness at DOD (not including substantial R&D investments in battlefield chemical/biological defense R&D, much of which also can contribute to domestic preparedness) ($62 million at DOD).

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