DHS funding finalized.

The US House of Representatives and Senate finalized changes to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) fiscal 2006 budget at the end of September. Funding for the Office of Research and Development, part of the Agency's Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), increased 4.1% to $1.3 billion, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). in fiscal 2005, the Office of Research and Development received 46% of the S&T budget, the Homeland Security Advanced Research and Development Agency received 32% and Systems Engineering and Development received 22%.

For fiscal 2006, the Biological Countermeasures Office received the largest share of the S&T budget at $380 million, a 4.8% increase over fiscal 2005. Biological Countermeasure projects include the BioWatch environmental monitoring program, the BioShield program for development of medical countermeasures and the BioSense national health surveillance system, The Biological Countermeasures budget also provides funding for the proposed National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, which will house the National Bioforensic Analysis Center and the Biological Threat Characterization Center, and for planning of the National Bio and Agrodefense Facility for agriculture security.

Receiving the largest funding increase was the Explosives Countermeasures Office, whose budget rose 123.4% to $44 million. The budget includes funding for air cargo and vehicle screening projects and development of technologies to detect suicidal bombers. The AAAS reports a reduction in R&D funding for aviation screening projects. Radiological & Nuclear Countermeasures received a 73% funding increase to $212 million, making it the second-largest recipient of S&T fiscal 2006 funding. The budget includes funds for the new Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, which will centralize previous multi-department efforts for development of domestic systems for detection of nuclear devices and materials. Funding for Chemical Countermeasures rose 79.2% to $95 million and includes funding for the Chemical Security Analysis Center and the Water Security Demonstration project.

The Support of DHS Components budget, which includes the Border Watch and Transportation Watch projects as well as Emergency Preparedness and Response programs, increased 46.4% to $80 million. R&D Consolidation, a new budget item, received $100 million in funding in accord with the DHS' plan to centralize R&D resources under S&T. Cuts were also made to several programs. Funding for the University and Fellowship Program declined 10% to $63 million. In fiscal 2005, the Program funded four university Centers of Excellence. Standards funding was also reduced, declining 11.8% to $35 million.

US Dept. of Homeland Security Estimated
FY 2005 Funding Recipients

University Programs               7%
Other Public Sector Government    8%
Private Sector                   61%
National Laboratories            24%

Source: Dept. of Homeland Security.

Note: Table made from a pie chart.