Briefing on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

for the MAX Spring 2009 Member MeetingJune 24, 2009

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)

• Passed by the House and the Senate on Friday, February 13, 2009

• Signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009

– $461 billion in spending (appropriations)– $326 billion in personal/ business tax cuts– $787 billion total

Some Highlights:

• $27.5 billion to states for highway, bridge & road projects

• $8.4 billion for mass transit• $8.6 billion for inter-city high speed rail• $1.3 billion for Amtrak• $1.1 billion for FAA airport projects• $11 billion for electrical grid projects• $4 billion for Clean Water projects

 

Energy and Science Funding

• $37.5 billion for energy programs

• $11 billion for electrical grid projects

• $18 billion for various science and technology programs (more later)

Today’s Briefing:

• Science & Technology

• Health Information Technology

• Broadband

Science & Technology Programs

• National Science Foundation - $3 billion• $2.5 billion for “research & related activities”

– $300 million for Major Research Instrumentation

– $200 million for Academic Research Infrastructure

• $400 million for Major Equipment & Facilities Construction

• $100 million for Education & Human Resources

Science & Technology Programs

• Energy Department Office of Science - $ 1.6 billion

• New Energy Department “Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy” (ARPA-E) - $400 million

Science & Technology Programs

• National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - $836 million

• $600 million for procurement, acquisition & construction• $230 million for operations, research, facilities

• National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) - $ 1 billion

• $400 million for science, emphasis on climate research• $150 million for aeronautics research• $400 million for exploration

Science & Technology Programs

• National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) - $600 million

• $240 million for research• $360 million for R&D facility construction

» $180 million of that for “the competitive construction grant program for research science buildings, including fiscal year 2008 & 2009 competitions”

Science & Technology Programs

• National Institutes of Health (NIH) - $10 billion• $1.3 billion for National Center for

Research Resources• $7.4 billion for Centers• $800 million for Director’s discretion• $500 million for Buildings & Facilities

Health Information Technology – $20 billion

• $17.2 billion through Medicare/Medicaid payments to doctors & hospitals as incentives to adopt Electronic Medical Records

• $2 billion to Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT (ONC) in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)

Health Information Technology – $20 billion

• Of the $2 billion for ONC (HHS)• $300 million to Regional Health Information

Exchanges• $20 million on Standards Development with

NIST• Remaining funds in detailed plan due to

Congress by November 1, 2009

Health Information Technology – $20 billion

• $1.5 billion to HHS for grants to health systems for construction, renovation and purchase of Health Information Technology Systems

• $85 million to Indian Health Service “to improve telehealth services and related infrastructure”

• $50 million to improve IT security at HHS• $40 million to Social Security for research on using

Electronic Medical Records for disability claims

NSF ACADEMIC RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM

RECOVERY AND INVESTMENT

(ARI-R2)NSF 09-562

DEADLINES

• July 1, 2009 (Letters of Intent)

• August 24, 2009 (full proposals)

PROPOSAL INTENT

• Invest in repair/renovation/replacement of existing research facilities

• Augment campus and inter-organizational cyberinfrastructure (other than general purpose computing or data storage systems) to create environments that enhance research and integrate research with education

• Enhance historically underrepresented institutions to improve their research environments

PROPOSAL DETAILS

• Funding is anticipated for:

-100 awards from $250K-$2M for up to 3 years

-6-10 awards from $2M-$5M for up to

4 years

-3-5 awards from $5M-$10M for up to

4 years• Overall funding pool of $200M

PROPOSAL DETAILS (continued)

• Support underlying infrastructure, including routine sustaining infrastructure, equipment integral to operation, and network connectivity among research facilities, including circuit access, fiber deployment and associated hardware/software

• Intent is to revitalize existing research facilities where NSF-supported science is conducted

• Funding for improvement of physical space, mechanical building systems, and fixed equipment, rather than free-standing equipment

• Will not fund new construction, offices, basic building requirements, indirect costs, research activities, operational or maintenance costs, or salaries of organization employees

NSF MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION PROGRAM

RECOVERY AND INVESTMENT

(MRI-R2)NSF 09-561

NSF MRI-R2 SOLICITATION

• Increase access to shared instruments too costly/ineligible for NSF support

• Improve scientific workforce through improved use of equipment

• Develop next generation instrumentation, especially items capitalizing on CI investment

• Promote instrumentation development between private and academic sectors

• This solicitation is separate from NSF’s annual MRI program• Eligible applicants: PhD-granting, non-PhD granting, and

non-degree-granting organizations (consortia may apply with eligible organization as lead)

PROPOSAL DETAILS

• 400 awards anticipated within $200M pool

• 5 year Development and 3 year Acquisition proposals

• $40M likely for midscale instrumentation instrumentation ($2M-$6M)

Broadband Programs - $7.2 billion

• National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)• $4.7 billion

• Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service (RUS)• $2.5 billion

NTIA Broadband Grants – 4 Programs

• Broadband mapping - $350 million• “Expanding public computer center capacity,

including at community colleges & public libraries” - $200 million

• “Innovative programs to encourage sustainable broadband adoption”…”to schools, libraries, medical & healthcare providers, community colleges, and other institutions of higher education” -- $250 million

NTIA: “Broadband Technology Opportunities Program”

• Balance of $4.7 billion after other three programs & admin costs (3%) -- $3.7 billion+

• NTIA pays for 80%; cost share of 20%

• Competitive grant program, technology neutral, wireline or wireless

• Last mile, middle-mile, & long-haul

NTIA: “Broadband Technology Opportunities Program”

• Eligible: state & municipal governments, non-profits, private companies, public-private partnerships

• All parts of the country – rural, suburban, urban

• At least one grant per state• Projects must be completed within 2

years of award

NTIA: “Broadband Technology Opportunities Program”

• Equipment, instrumentation, networking capability, hardware & software, digital network technology, and infrastructure for broadband services

• Preference to “highest-possible next-generation broadband speeds”

• Non-discrimination & interconnection obligations (NTIA & FCC)

Role of the States

• NTIA retains sole discretion in awarding grants• Expected to seek the “advice” of the states – ID of

“unserved” and “underserved” areas & allocation of funds within state

• States encouraged to coalesce stakeholders and partners, assess community needs, aggregate demand for services, evaluate demand for technical assistance

• States provide post-grant monitoring• States themselves qualify for grants

Rural Utility Service - $2.5 billion

• Existing Ag Dept RUS “Distance Learning, Telemedicine & Broadband Program”

• Grants, loans, & loan guarantees• 75% to rural areas lacking sufficient speed• Priority to: unserved areas, incumbent RUS

borrowers, projects that give end users choice of providers, projects that will commence promptly & be completed.

• Cannot also get NTIA funding

NTIA/RUS Broadband Programs

• Testimony of NTIA’s Mark Seifert on April 2, 2009 before the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology & the Internet, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce:• http://www.ntia.doc.gov/congress/2009/NTI

A_Seifert_Testimony_20090402.html

NTIA/RUS Broadband Programs• Excerpts from Seifert’s Testimony:

• “The Obama Administration is committed to harnessing the power of broadband technology to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and help lay the foundation for long-term prosperity for all Americans.”

• “…we want to begin to close the broadband gap in America. We, therefore, want to extend high-capacity pipes closer to users in rural, remote, and underserved communities. As Congress has instructed, other entities will be able to connect to those pipes, which will spur competition and get service to people and businesses.”

• “…we want to start taking steps to ensure that our schools, universities, libraries, community centers, job training centers, hospitals, and public safety personnel have high-speed access. We have been asked by Congress to focus on funding highspeed connections to these community anchor institutions.

NTIA/RUS Broadband Programs• Excerpts from Seifert’s Testimony:

• “With access to broadband, students are able to learn and access resources far beyond their own classrooms or local libraries. Using telemedicine applications over broadband connections, doctors and other medical professionals can bring the latest medical advancements to patients in remote areas, resulting in immediate, efficient, and cost-effective treatment. …Researchers and scientists require high-speed connections to collaboratively develop the new ideas that will keep our country in the lead.”

NTIA/RUS Broadband Programs• Excerpts from Seifert’s Testimony:

• ‘…we anticipate receiving applications that will allow people who live in unserved and underserved areas to work online at speeds that permit videoconferencing. We hope to see applications that propose to make broadband available for smart grid technology and health information technology applications. We want applications that will provide researchers and scientists at universities and other institutions the broadband connectivity they need to compete with the rest of the world. Schools, universities, libraries, community centers, job training centers and hospitals are all community anchor institutions that need broadband connectivity. We view these grants as a test-bed or proof of concept for sustainable, viable, and scalable projects. For example, we encourage partnerships between small businesses, municipalities, and others that may demonstrate nontraditional but effective ways of getting broadband into communities.”

NTIA and RUS Broadband Programs

• “Unofficial sources tell us….”• Common application, web portal

--but different programs because of legislation

• “Point Scoring” evaluation system• NOT state block grants or control; “points”

for support from your state• “Pay attention to the legislation”• Funds flowing by November…

NTIA and RUS Broadband Programs

ARRA legislative language:• Access to consumers in unserved areas; improved

access to consumers in underserved areas• Schools, libraries, medical and healthcare providers,

community colleges and other institutions of higher education, and other community support organizations

• Low-income, unemployed, aged and otherwise vulnerable populations, and providing educational and employment opportunities to members of such populations

NTIA and RUS Broadband Programs

ARRA legislative language:• Public safety agencies and public safety broadband

communications• Job-creating strategic facilities in designated

economic zones• Community anchor institutions• Enhance service for health care delivery, education

or children…• Expanding public computer center capacity,

including at community colleges and public libraries

NTIA/RUS Broadband Programs• Microsoft filing with NTIA/RUS/FCC:

• Focus limited $ “to ensure all the nation’s schools, public libraries and hospitals have robust, affordable connections to the Internet.”

• “By robust connections, we mean at least 100 Mbps, symmetrical, capacity.”

• “By ‘schools’ we mean K-12 institutions, community colleges and at least those universities that engage in basic research and, often at the same time, serve as hubs for creating connections to other schools and colleges.”

• “By ‘hospitals’ we mean traditional hospitals, as well as the approximately 3,500 stand-alone ambulatory care facilities that often serve as stand-ins for hospitals in rural and inner city areas.”

• “Once these connections are pulled deeper into every community in the nation, ..the US government also will have created jumping off points (or interconnection points) for commercial providers to step up and use for the deployment of broadband to Main Street and to neighborhoods.”

Schools, Healthcare, & Libraries Broadband Coalition

The Coalition believes that adhering to the following principles will help the U.S. to achieve this mission:

• Because of the essential services that they provide to the public, it should be a priority of federal policy that schools, libraries and health care institutions have affordable access to “future-proof” high capacity broadband technologies that can be easily upgraded to meet the enormous growth in demand that is expected from high-definition video, distance learning, telemedicine, job-training and other socially-beneficial applications.

Schools, Healthcare, & Libraries Broadband Coalition

• Broadband facilities deployed to serve anchor institutions should be open to interconnection by other broadband facilities serving the community as a way to spur additional broadband investment. Interconnection to networks serving anchor institutions will provide jumping off points for distributing additional broadband services into surrounding neighborhoods, including residences and other community anchor institutions.

• As the statutory language recognizes, community anchor institutions have unique needs for very high-capacity bandwidth that are different from those of residential consumers. The eligibility of community anchor institutions to apply for funding should not be governed by geographic boundaries or definitions that are more appropriate for households. Any community anchor institution lacking high-capacity broadband facilities, whether located in an urban, suburban or rural area, should be permitted to apply for funding and its application should be considered on its merits on a case-by-case basis.

Schools, Healthcare & Libraries Broadband Coalition

• American Association of Community Colleges

• American Hospital Association

• American Library Association

• Benton Foundation

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

• Center for Media Justice

• Center for Rural Strategies

• Chief Officers of State Library Agencies

• Community Telestructure Initiative

• Consortium for School Networking

• Consumer’s Union

• Council of Chief State School Officers

• Education Networks of America

• EDUCAUSE

• Free Press

• Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

• International Society for Technology in Education

• Internet2

• Main Street Project

• Media Access Project

Schools, Healthcare & Libraries Broadband Coalition

• Media and Democracy Project• Microsoft• National Alliance for Media, Arts

and Culture• National Hispanice Media

Coalition• National Rural Health

Association• New America Foundation• New York State Education and

Research Network (NYSERNet)• North Carolina Research and

Education Network

• OSHEAN

• Public Knowledge

• Sunesys

• Texas Media Empowerment Project

• United Church of Christ

• U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG)

For resources, seehttp://www.internet2.edu/government/stimulus

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