• Budget cuts more than $600 million from Bioshield program

    Randall Larsen, executive director of the congressionally chartered Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism: “Using Bioshield funds for flu preparedness and other issues not associated with national security will severely diminish the nation’s efforts to prepare for WMD events and will leave the nation less, not more, prepared”

  • Senator Cochran’s earmark savvy benefits Mississippi biodefense center

    Republican Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi is famous for his support of federal earmarks and regularly ranks near the top among senators for the number and size of his annual earmark haul; on Sunday the Senate passed a $1.1 trillion omnibus federal spending bill for the 2010 fiscal year, and Cochran managed to insert $150 million worth of earmarks for Mississippi; among the beneficiaries is Jackson State University’s National Center for Biodefense Communications, which conducts research and compiles data on bioterrorism threats to agriculture, and which is slated to receive $750,000 through the bill

  • NIAID allocated $208 million to fight emerging infectious diseases from bioterrorism

    Using its own research funds, augmented by stimulus package money, NIH awarded $208 million to two programs that support research better to understand the human immune response to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, including those that may be introduced into a community through acts of bioterrorism

  • Why does aviation security receive so much money relative to ground transportation security?

    Each year, more than 26 million passengers travel through Logan Airport; on an average month, more than the 20 million ride the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; yet, more than $30 billion have been spent on aviation security since the terrorist attacks on 9/11, compared to just $1.5 billion for security on public transportation

  • Questions raised about Obama's smart grid funding

    For the smart grid project to succeed, the business case for it needs to be widely accepted by the stakeholders involved (skeptics would say that if efficiency-mindedness was at the top of the agenda in utility boardrooms and state regulatory agencies, then no federal stimulus money would be needed to install these kinds of technologies); also: the Obama plan envisions a joint public-private smart grid expenditure of $8.1 billion — the government’s $3.4 billion is being matched by $4.7 billion in private investment; a recent analysis of what it would take to build a unified national smart grid put the tab for such a grid at $400 billion

  • DHS to boost cybersecurity spending in 2010

    Of the $43 billion DHS 2010 budget, about $397 million is aimed at addressing cybersecurity issues; the amount is $84 million, or about 27 percent, higher than the $313 million that was allocated for information security spending in 2009

  • Obama announces $3.4 billion investment in smart grid

    President Barack Obama today announced the largest single energy grid modernization investment in U.S. history, funding a broad range of technologies that will spur the U.S. transition to the smart grid; applicants say investments will create tens of thousands of jobs

  • Tech projects to receive big chunk of second wave of stimulus spending

    Information technology projects will receive significant funds, implementation director says;

  • Obama announces $3.4 billion investment in smart grid

    President Barack Obama today announced the largest single energy grid modernization investment in U.S. history, funding a broad range of technologies that will spur the U.S. transition to the smart grid; applicants say investments will create tens of thousands of jobs

  • Earmarks in the 2010 DHS budget

    There were 186 earmarks the Homeland Security Appropriations bill approved by the House ten days ago; we offer a complete list of these earmarks, containing the names of the projects, how much money is involved, and the names of the lamwakers backing it; in a few days we will offer a list detailing which of these earmarks survived — and what earmarks were added during — the Senate authorization and the conference deliberations, and which were included in the $44.1 billion bill sent to President Obama on 20 October for siging

  • Boeing eyes energy sector amid defense cuts

    Boeing, the U.S. second largest military contractor, cites its expertise as it bids on slices of the $20 billion U.S. power-grid market; to compensate for cuts in funds for defense programs in which it was traditionally involved, the company is also moving into the helicopters, UAV, cyber-security, and intelligence businesses

  • U.S. bioterrorism efforts criticized

    The task force criticized President Obama for requesting $305 million in 2010 for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which it called “insufficient by a factor of 10”

  • Congress increases DHS funding 6.6 percent for 2010

    The U.S. Senate Wednesday approved $42.8 billion for DHS for fiscal year 2010, slightly below the White House’s request of $43.1 billion, but a 6.6 increase over 2009 expenditure; the measure provides $397 million for cybersecurity, a 27 percent increase over the 2009 appropriation

  • TSB funds technology development

    The U.K. Technology Strategy Board will award £39.5 million investment to help U.K. businesses develop technologies that address global challenges

  • Top U.S. federal contracts to exceed $180 billion In 2010

    New report says that the top 20 federal contracts, many involving IT purchases, will be worth 50 percent more than last year’s contracts