On December 18, the US federal government’s $1.15 trillion budget for fiscal 2016 (October 1, 2015–September 30, 2016) was signed into law. The 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act, also known as the Omnibus bill, increases funding for many research agencies. According to preliminary estimates from the American Association for the Advancement of Scientists (AAAS), the fiscal 2016 budget provides $148.6 billion in total R&D funding, an 8.1% increase from fiscal 2015 (see IBO 12/31/14) and 1.5% above the President’s requested amount. Basic research funding is estimated to have risen 5.1%, while funding for applied research increased an estimated 5.5%. Defense R&D rose by 2% to $78.3 billion and nondefense R&D rose 1% to $70.3 billion.

The information in this article is the result of IBO estimates, unless otherwise indicated. The estimates for fiscal 2016 are based on Congressional documents, White House explanatory statements and Appropriations Committee press releases.

NIH

For fiscal 2016, the NIH received a significant $2 billion rise in its budget authority, or a 5.8% increase, rounding out fiscal 2016’s budget with $32.1 billion (including Ebola funding) (see table, page 3). This increase is the largest hike the NIH budget has received in over 10 years. According to the AAAS, NIH R&D accounts for $31.3 billion of the NIH’s budget.

Virtually all institutes received increases to their discretionary budgets, including General Medical Sciences at 5.9%, now totaling a budget of $1.7 billion; Environmental Health Sciences at 3.9%, totaling $693.7 million; Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at 5.0%, totaling $346.8 million; and Complementary and Integrative Health at 4.9%, totaling $130.8 million. The BRAIN Initiative funding jumped up $85 million to $150 million, while the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) received a budget of $200 million, with $70 million allocated to the National Cancer Institute and $130 million to the Common Fund.

According to AAAS, all NIH institutes received a budget bump of 3.5% or higher, with only NIH Buildings and Facilities, and the Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program’s budgets stationary at $128.9 million and $77 million, respectively.

FDA

The FDA’s total budget rose 5.4% to $4.7 billion, including user fees and proposals, or $2.7 billion in discretionary funding, excluding user fees. The Act contained a $104.5 million increase in budget authority for food safety–related activities and a $10.6 million increase for medical product safety initiatives, including $2.4 million for the PMI.

Funding for Animal Drugs, Feeds, and Related Products increased 6.8% to $158.7 million, while funding for the Center of Drug Evaluation and Research increased 1.9% to $491.5 million. The budget authority for Biologics, including the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, totaled $215.4 million, up 1.9%, while the budget authority for Human Drugs, including the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, totaled $491.5 million, also up 1.9% from last year.

NSF

The NSF’s budget increased 1.6%, totaling $7.5 billion for fiscal 2016. Included in the NSF budget authority is $160 million for the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, which encourages scientific R&D at government, industry and academic institutions. The total budget for Research and Related Activities increased 1.7% to $6 billion. The discretionary budget for NSF’s six research doctorates was bumped up 1.7%, totaling $6,034 million. The budget for the Office of the National Science Board remained stationary at $4.4 million.

DOE

The DOE received a total of $29.7 billion for the funding of science, energy, environment and national security programs. According to the AAAS, many line items within the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program saw a rise in budget authority, including Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology, which rose 4.1% to $101 million; and Advanced Manufacturing, which rose 14.3% to $229 million. Bioenergy Technologies’ budget remained stationary.

EPA

The EPA’s funding was unchanged from last year, frozen at $8.1 billion. All federal environmental agencies, including the Department of the Interior, experienced slight or no increases to their federal budget appropriations.

Earlier in 2015, Congress had considered adding numerous policy riders to the Omnibus bill that would have blocked the EPA from implementing certain environmental initiatives, but virtually none of them were included in the enacted bill. A significant rider that was included, however, was an end to the 40-year ban on exporting crude oil overseas. At the same time, certain environmental riders that were widely assumed to be included in the bill, such as provisions for the Clean Water Rule, were left out.

Within Science and Technology, Air, Climate and Energy research, Chemical Safety and Sustainability research, Safe and Sustainable Water Resources research, and Toxic Risk Review and Prevention funding all remained unchanged, at $91.9 million, $126.9 million, $107.4 million, and $92.5 million, respectively. All Categorical Grants remained frozen as well, save for the Section 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution grant, which increased $5.7 million, or 3.6%, totaling $164.9 million. State and Tribal Assistance Grants decreased for certain grants, leveling the EPA budget at the fiscal 2015 amount.

NIST

Funding for the Department of Commerce’s NIST rose 11.6% to $964 million, with $690 million allocated to Scientific and Technical Research Services. Included in the $690 million was funding for Quantum-Based Sensors and Measurements, and the Materials Genome Initiative.

Out of total NIST funding, $155 million was appropriated to Industrial Technology Services, a 12.2% increase, including $25 million for the new National Network for Manufacturing Innovation for center establishment funding and $5 million for coordination activities. The Act included $119 million for the construction of NIST research facilities, a 136.6% increase.

USDA

The Department of Agriculture’s fiscal 2016 budget decreased 4.6% to $141.3 billion in discretionary funds (including grants and excluding loan authorizations). Funding for the Agricultural Research Service increased 15.9% to $1.34 billion, including buildings and facilities, and $1.14 billion excluding them. The AAAS reports that the total R&D funding for the USDA, including the Forest Service, increased 8.2% to $2.65 billion ($2.35 billion excluding the Forest Service). Included in the budget increases is the President’s provision to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act. Funding for the Food Safety and Inspection Service fell 0.2% to $1 billion.

CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s funding dropped 17.1%to $7.23 billion, including Ebola funding, but discretionary funding increased 4.7% to $6.27 billion. Funding for Environmental Health dropped 0.6% to $185.3 million.