Network World — The National Science Foundation is looking to spend a good chunk of its proposed $7.045 billion budget for FY 2010 on advanced network technologies.

The overall budget would be an 8.5% increase over FY 2009’s and would include $1.1 billion on Networking and Information Technology R&D, or NITRD in NSF-speak. NITRD coordinates network and IT investments across agencies, its proposed portion of the budget would represent a 10.6% increase vs. what it is in FY 2009.

20 kick-ass network research projects 

Also on the IT front, the NSF is looking to devote $46.7 million to accelerate innovation in silicon technology, which is on pace is reach the limits of Moore’s Law in 10 to 20 years. Funding in part would go toward establishing partnerships with commercial entities and national labs.

Some $57.8 million would go to setting up Science and Technology Centers dedicated to cutting edge research. The funding would support the opening of 5 new centers, making 17 in all.Cybersecurity research would get $126.7 million, with an emphasis on usability and privacy. Cyber-enabled discovery and innovation would get $102.6 million, up 44.7% from FY 2009’s figure.

NSF is also earmarking $92 million across research divisions to do transformative research – high risk work that could have a big payoff.

Funding would also go to climate change research, energy science and many educational programs.

NSF Director Arden Bement, Jr., said: "With this budget, the President makes it absolutely clear that science and engineering research and education are vital to the nation's future.”

The requested budget will put the agency on a path to doubling its budget from FY 2006 to FY 2016, as envisioned in the President's Plan for Science and Innovation.

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