RaDiUS: Tracking Federal R

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RaDiUS Tracking Federal RD Funding and
Activities
Presentation by Donna Fossum, PhD, JD RAND
Senior Analyst 703-413-1100/(703)
414-4755radius_at_rand.org
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Overview

• Sources of Information in RaDiUS
• Coverage of RaDiUS
• Obligations vs. Expenditures
• Timeliness of Data in RaDiUS (esp. Level 5)
• Potential Impact of E-Govt Act on RaDiUS
• Results of RAND Study of Federal RD
  Funding to Univ/Colleges Using RaDiUS

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The RaDiUS Approach

• Piggy-back on the rolling records already being
  created by official USG budget, transactional,
  and other data collections
• Match all data to the official RD baseline
  contained in the Federal Budget
• Systematically track all RD dollars through the
  federal bureaucracy to point where they are
  actually spent via contracts, grants, etc.
• Weave together all the pieces of data to form a
  complete picture of federal RD

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RaDiUS Pulls Federal RD Data from Existing
Sources
DOD CFO
R-1
MAX
49
DOD
TEAMS
R-2
NIH CFO
CFDA
IMPAC
24
FAADS
HHS
CRISP
8
RAMIS
NASA
FPDS
NASA CFO
Not created to track RD, but useful for doing
so.
DOE CFO
8
PADS
DOE
DOE Labs
Government-wide systems
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NSF Bud Just
NSF
STIS
CRIS
USDA CFO
Specifically created to track RD.
USDA
USDA Bud Just
NOAA CFO
DOC
NIST/OD
And Many Others
DVA RDCC
EPA CFO
Others
NRC CFO
DOT CFO
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RaDiUS Tracks Federal RD Dollars
from the Official RD Baseline
to Their Point of Obligation
DOD (49) 21-2040-0-1-999 17-1319-0-1-051 57-3600
-0-1-051 97-0400-0-1-051 etc.
HHS (24) 75-9915-0-1-552 75-0943-0-1-999 75-9911
-0-1-554 etc.
NASA (8) 80-0111-0-1-252 80-0112-0-1-999 80-011
0-0-1-999 etc.
DOE (8) 89-0240-0-1-053 89-0242-0-1-053 89-0222-0
-1-251 etc.
NSF (4) 49-0100-0-1-999 49-0106-0-1-251
Others (7) 12-1400-0-1-352 13-0500-0-1-376
69-1302-0-1-402 36-0161-0-1-703 etc.
Appropriation Accounts in Federal Budget THE
Official Federal RD Baseline

PE Project Numbers
Lab/Center Structure
UPN S1 S2 Codes
Directorate Program Structure
Center, Lab, etc. Structure
BR Codes
Linkage Systems and Codes
Agency Transaction Systems
TEAMS
CRISP
RAMIS
LAB DB/ PADS
STIS
Many other assorted collections
Prior to RaDiUS none of these databases had been
connected to related information collections or
placed in their bureaucratic contexts. In
addition, only those with an asterisk () were
accessible to various segments of the public.
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RaDiUS Weaves Data Together from Multiple Sources
to Form a Single Record
Level NSF Level 2 ENG Level 3
Bioengineer - envir. sys Level 4 Envir.
engineering sys
Level 2
Level 4
Level 1
Level 3
Access/Distribution Restriction A -
Distribution Unlimited - Unrestricted
Access RaDiUS ID 50122026289 Award
number 9424817 SBIR Award No Type of
Funding Mechanism Extramural / Grants /
Project Estimated Start/End Dates Feb 1996
to Jan 1998 Performer University of
Pittsburgh Performer Type Public
Educational Institution Performer Location
Pittsburgh, PA Contact Name John Doe
Phone [phone] Place of Performance
Pittsburgh, PA Funding Total for All
Years 358.2K Average Annual Funding
179.1K
Level 5 Award/Task Abstract . . . The objective
of this research is to determine the significance
in environmental engineering practice of the
presence and viability of the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in wastewater and
following various stages of treatment. The
overall objective of work during this renewal
period is to continue investigation of the
viability of the HIV in aqueous media and to
determine the effectiveness of disinfectants for
its inactivation . . . .
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Coverage of Federal RD Spending and
Activities by RaDiUS
Total Number of Records Currently in RaDiUS
Level 1 AGENCY
24
Level 2 BUREAU
170
Level 3 PROGRAM
1,700
5,170
Level 4 PROJECT
500,000
Level 5 AWARD / TASK
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Obligations vs. Expenditures

• Budget Authority Authority provided by law to
  incur (i.e., enter into) financial obligations
  that will result in immediate or future outlays
  of federal government funds. OMB/GAO
• Obligations Binding agreements that will
  result in outlays, immediately or in the future.
  That is, the amounts of orders placed, contracts
  awarded, services received, and similar
  transactions during a given period that will
  require payments during the same or a future
  period. OMB/GAO
• Outlays A payment to liquidate an obligation
  (other than the repayment of debt principal).
  OMB/GAO
• Expenditure The funds actually spent by an
  institution during its fiscal year. NSF only

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Timeliness of RaDiUS Data

• Levels 1 through 4 Annually (tied to Federal
  Budget Process)
• MAX and OMB Exhibits 84 Submission (by request
  only)
• Level 5 Specific to each RD agency
• Govt-Wide Quarterly (automatic) (60 of data
  in 4th qtr)
• DOD 2 to 3 times a year (by request only)
• HHS 2 to 3 times a year (by request only)
• NASA Annually (by request only)
• DOE Annually (by request only)
• NSF 2 to 3 times a year (sometimes must be
  requested)
• USDA Annually (by request only)
• Others Mostly annually (by request only)

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E-Government Act

• The Director of OMB shall ensure the
  development and maintenance of a repository that
  fully integrates information about RD funded by
  the Federal Government.
• The repository shall include integrate
  information about each separate RD task or award
  financially supported by the Federal Govenrment,
  including (1) start and end dates of work, (2)
  summary of works objective, performing entity,
  (3) total and annual amount of funds provided by
  Federal Government, and (4) any restrictions that
  would prevent sharing the data with the general
  public.
• The information in the repository shall be made
  available via one or more websites to (1)
  facilitate coordination of Federal RD
  activities (2) collaboration among those
  conducting Federal RD (3) the transfer of
  technology and (4) access by policy makers and
  the public to information concerning Federal RD
  activities.

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Senate Report on E-Govt Act
The National Science Foundation currently
operates a similar database and website, known as
Radius, although Radius is not currently
available to the public. The Committee intends
that the database and website required by
subsection 207(h) (now subsection 207(g)) may be
a continuation and improvement of the Radius
program. The committee does not intend the public
to have access to proprietary and other
restricted information. Although the website will
provide access to details on the research and
development work funded by the federal
government, the Committee does not intend that
the website will provide links to results
published in scientific journals. -- Senate
Report 107-174, June 24, 2002)
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Supplemental Slides
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What Difference Does RaDiUS Make?

• Enhances RD planning and use Facilitates
  resource allocation and technology transfer
• Leverages RD dollars Identifies opportunities
  for collaboration and avoiding duplication of
  effort
• Determines RD priorities and gauges progress
  Helps entities identify the scope, composition,
  and success of their federally supported RD
  activities
• Identifies opportunities for economic
  development Helps communities and regions spot
  strategic advantages and target development
  efforts on them

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For OSTP and NSTC, RaDiUS
Has . . .

• Supported structuring and organizing of NSTC
  (1994)
• Assisted strategic planning process of several
  NSTC Committees (1994, 1995)
• Helped develop national RD agenda to address the
  needs of Americas children (1996)
• Formed basis of first report to detail all
  federal RD activities by state -- Discovery
  and Innovation (2000)

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RaDiUS Has Also Supported OSTP and NSTC RD
Initiatives In . . .

• Electronics (1994)
• GPS (1994)
• Building and construction (1995 2001)
• Environmental change (1996)
• Education technology (1996)
• International cooperation (1997 2000)
• Opto-electronics (1998)
• Small spacecraft (1998)
• Aviation safety (1999)
• Cooperation between federal agencies and
  universities (1999)

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For DOC, RaDiUS Has . . .
For DOJ, RaDiUS Has . . .

• Provided critical data on federal RD focused
  on
• preventing violence and helping at-risk youth
  
• (1997 to 2002)

• Transferred crucial information on federal RD
  activities to big three auto-makers when federal
  agencies could not (1995)

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RaDiUS Has Also Supported the. . .

• Presidents Commission on Critical Infrastructure
  Protection (1997)
• National Bioethics Advisory Commission (1999)
• National Reconnaissance Office (2000)
• National Intelligence Council (2001)
• Congress via the Congressional Research Service
  (2003)

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Their Own Words . . .

• Last month, we were tasked to construct an
  understanding of research and technology programs
  throughout the Federal Government in chemical,
  biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN)
  weapons and relationships to terrorism. Our
  concerns focused on rapid identification of
  supporting expertise and the avoidance of
  duplication of effort. This task was
  intimidating, but RAND was able to produce a
  timely, thorough, and remarkably well-done
  document for us utilizing the RaDiUS program, . .
  . Without this capability we would still be
  polling various agencies and offices attempting
  to construct a consistent picture of CBRN
  activities. In fact, a number of agencies were
  identified through the RaDiUS program that we
  would not have thought of contacting.
• -- National
  Intelligence Council (Oct. 2001)

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Air Force Use of RaDiUS

• Since 1997, RaDiUS has been an indispensable
  tool of the Air Force IRD office that is used
  to assist AF, other Services, and other
  government, academic, and industry requesters in
  finding solutions to technical problems, and in
  influencing future planning strategies.
• -- Air Force Research Lab/WPAFB (AdTech)

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Contractor Use of RaDiUS

• Since 1998, searching RaDiUS has been a
  standard part of the protocol of two federal
  contractors whose central mission is to assist
  federal agencies (e.g., Navy, Marine Corps, Army,
  DOE, DOC, EPA, etc.), as well as others,
  effectively address their technology needs,
  transfer technology, and better leverage the
  resources devoted to technology.
• -- Foresight ST (Navy) and BRTRC
  (Navy)

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In 2002, RaDiUS Has . . . .

• Helped the National Security Council, the Centers
  for Disease Control, and other federal
  organizations address terrorism and homeland
  defense
• Assisted the Commission on the Future of the U.S.
  Aerospace Industry assess federal RD activity in
  aeronautics and space

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In 2003, RaDiUS Has . . . .

• Help Congress identify how each federal agency
  spends it RD dollars (i.e., via contract, grant,
  etc.) with a particular emphasis on the federal
  RD dollars going from each agency to
  universities and colleges
• Assisted several states, regions, and cities to
  identify the local federal RD resources that
  could be the basis for economic development

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Special Recognition

• In 1998, RaDiUS was showcased as a BEST
  PRACTICE of the Federal Government by the
  General Accounting Office (GAO/NSIAD/RCED-98-23)
• In 1998, RaDiUS cited as a useful starting
  point for the on-line dissemination of federally
  funded RD information by House Committee on
  Science in a Report to Congress (Unlocking Our
  Future, 9/24/98)
• In 2001, the Public Libraries Association and the
  American Association of School Libraries
  recommended that Discovery and Innovation be
  included in all public and high school libraries