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his includes wireless broadband, science and tech education, protection from cyber attacks, intellectual property rights and technology in government.
Follow along as Mashable digs up the details on the 2013 budget proposal.
Overall Research & Development
Obama’s proposed budget calls for $140.8 billion in overall research and development projects, aiming that money towards areas “most likely to directly contribute to the creation of transformational technologies that can create the businesses and jobs of the future.”
The specifics? Investment in non-defense research will be increased by 5 percent from this year. $13.1 billion will be divided between the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy’s Office of Science and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. That money will go to research on clean energy, biology, advanced manufacturing, “smart” infrastructure, wireless internet and cybersecurity. An additional $51 million is dedicated to the NSF for solving wireless spectrum problems.
Additionally, NASA would get $1.3 billion to develop new technology that would “keep the aerospace industry . . . at the cutting edge in the years to come.” However, NASA as a whole will see a drop of $59 million from this year’s funding level.
Wireless Broadband
Obama’s budget considers nationwide wireless broadband access an essential part of the U.S.’ future. $10 billion will be made available for a nationwide wireless broadband network and “spectrum innovation.”
“High-speed, wireless broadband is fast becoming a critical component of business operations and economic growth. The United States needs to lead the world in providing broad access to the fastest networks possible.”
To do that, the president wants owners of mobile spectrum to be able to rent out their spectrum in voluntary auctions. In exchange, spectrum owners will share any profits made over their signal. According to the budget, this repurposing is “critical” to get more wireless access for smartphones and tablet devices across the country.
Spectrum will also be made available for “unlicensed” use and to first responders who need to communicate quickly and easily during a crisis.
Intellectual Property Rights
The Obama plan seeks to get the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office an additional $2.9 billion in resources by providing it with full access to its fee collections. The plan also calls for a quickening of the patent process as required under the America Invents Act, signed into law in September of last year. By quickening the rate of patents, the office would be able to collect more in fees in a given time frame.
The budget supports stronger intellectual property protection both in the U.S. and around the world, citing the PRO-IP act passed in 2008 as a blueprint for future enforcement (The Obama administration came out against SOPA and PIPA last month).
Cybersecurity
The Obama budget includes cybersecurity as one of the “emerging threats for which the United States must be prepared,” alongside nuclear attack, biochemical warfare and terrorism.
Specifically, the plan calls for an enhancement of all existing Department of Defense cybersecurity programs, both defensive and offensive. $769 million would head to the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cyber Security Division to help develop new cyberdefense capabilities.
The budget also allows the Department of Defense to find new ways to work with businesses that operate “critical information infrastructures” to protect them from cyberattack.
Science and Tech Education
Obama’s 2013 plan calls for preparing 100,000 new teachers in science, technology, education and math over the next ten years while recruiting 10,000 new teachers over the next two years. The budget puts aside $80 million for a state grant-based program to to accomplish those goals.
President Obama is also calling for a new partnership between the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation that will help improve science education for students from the time they enter kindergarden through college graduation.
Tech in Government
Finally, The Obama plan also puts money aside for revamping and improving the way the government itself uses technology.
“The American people expect the Government to use information technology (IT) to provide the same level of service they experience in their everyday lives,” reads the proposed budget.
By moving data to central servers, the Obama administration plans to save $3 to $5 billion. And by moving services to the cloud, federal agencies will be able to pay only for services they use instead of a one-size-fits-all software package.
Your Take
A president’s proposed budget is an executive wish list: President Obama wants these reforms and projects, but he likely won’t get all of them approved by Congress. But the budget does show where the president’s heart lies in terms of the country’s future.
We’ve embedded the full proposed budget below. What do you think of the tech and science investments in Obama’s plan? Sound off in the comments below.
President Obama’s Proposed 2013 Budget
