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| Wilson preserves funding for critical research programs at nation’s laboratories |
November 01, 2001 |
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| R&D; dollars for Sandia and Los Alamos stay in Energy and Water bill
Washington, DC - Congresswoman Heather Wilson was pleased to see critical New Mexico programs funded in the final version of the Energy and Water funding bill due to be voted on this week in the U.S. House. The Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program, one of Wilson’s top priority projects, maintained a six percent funding level, marking an important victory for critical research that could continue to help our nation’s battle against terrorism.
Wilson received a personal assurance today from Rep. Sonny Callahan, chairman of the Energy and Water appropriations subcommittee, that House and Senate conference negotiators recognized the importance of LDRD and maintained funding for the program.
The LDRD program, under the Department of Energy’s semi-autonomous nuclear security branch, is structured to pursue innovative and creative science and technology specifically selected to address national security needs. Projects undertaken under the auspices of the LDRD program often contribute to the needs of multiple programs and federal agencies.
Wilson worked behind the scenes with her colleagues to preserve LDRD funding, despite harsh criticisms by some members after a DOE report on the program failed to effectively tout the program’s benefits.
“While some of my colleagues are critical of LDRD, I believe the program is invaluable and strongly support continued funding for it,” said Wilson. “The LDRD program provides flexibility to invest in long-term, high-risk, and potentially high-payoff creative and innovative research and development activities that extend our national laboratories science and technology capabilities. Many of the technologies being used today to battle terrorism, and to help with environmental clean-up, come as a direct result of the LDRD program. I’m glad that House and Senate negotiators saw fit to keep LDRD at the six percent funding level.”
Funding for the LDRD program has been threatened in years past by committee staff leery of the benefits of the program. Wilson has consistently argued in favor of LDRD and the support it gives to our national security missions by helping the labs attract and retain top-notch new staff and seeding the development of technologies that might not otherwise see the light of day.
Examples of recent LDRD successes include:
Flow cytometry-Has played a key role in development of the U.S. Army Solider Biological and Chemical command’s Biological Integrated Detection system that detects biological agents (spores or cells), even when present only in minute amounts in the air.
Counterproliferation Analysis and Planning System (CAPS) -Enables users to make end-to-end analysis of proliferator’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) production capabilities and to assess interdiction options. CAPS is now part of the counter-proliferation planning process for the U.S. Strategic Command and Special Operations Command.
Information, Operations, Warfare, and Assurance (IOWA) -A software toolset for visualizing massive information networks, analyzing their vulnerabilities, simulating cyber-attacks and defenses.
Improved Rocket Fuels - Improved rocket fuels are on the horizon thanks to LDRD researchers who recently developed a number of novel chemical compounds being evaluated by the armed services for application as low smoke fuel, to provide a concealment advantage in tactical operations and higher stability compounds, to provide a safer rocket fuel.
Robots-LDRD has led to innovations in the development of dexterous robots with capabilities to safely and quickly respond to encounters with unexploded ordinance as well as neutralize devices utilized by terrorists.
The Energy and Water Conference report up for a vote today in the House provides a total of $24.6 billion in new discretionary spending authority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Civil, the Department of Interior including the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy, and several independent agencies. |
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