New Budget Prioritizes Science, Technology
3/13/2023

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After a late budget request and multiple continuing resolutions, President Joe Biden signed into law a full-year omnibus appropriations act for the 2023 fiscal year — with increased funding for defense science and technology programs.
Science-and-technology programs received more than $22 billion in direct appropriations across the Defense Department — more than 18 percent above fiscal year 2022 funding, and nearly $6 billion more than what was requested for 2023.
These additions — commonly referred to as congressional earmarks — when informed by industry or university technical and defense market expertise, and aligned with transition opportunities, can represent an expedited path through the otherwise cumbersome traditional programming and budgeting process.
This can make the programs funded by this year’s increases more responsive to threats, technological opportunity or program realities. That said,