That White House R&D Memo NASA Won't Talk About

Multi-Agency Research and Development Priorities for the FY 2023 Budget, OMN/OSTP
“This memorandum outlines the Administration’s multi-agency R&D priorities for formulating fiscal year (FY) 2023 Budget submissions to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The priorities covered in this memo require continued investments in R&D; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and engagement; STEM workforce development; technology transfer and commercialization; and research infrastructure, with emphasis on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, other Minority Serving Institutions, and disadvantaged communities who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. These priorities should be addressed within the FY 2023 Budget guidance levels provided by OMB.”
Keith’s note: The word “space” is mentioned once in this memo – and only in a long list of other things. To be certain you do not need to use that word to imply that NASA is or is not involved in something – or that the White House is/isn’t either. But it is curious that space is only mentioned once given all of the Moon rock in the Oval Office and Mars helicopter references that President Biden made early in his Administration. What happened to all that Oval Office Space Love?
To be certain, NASA PAO will almost certainly make no mention whatsoever of this memo since the current NASA management team seems to have only a passive interest in what the Biden Administration says. And despite the frequent mention of STEM and related topics NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement will continue to sleep its way through any meaningful mention of this news. There may well be more interest regarding Biden science and R&D priorities inside the agency. But you have to wonder why so little of that theoretical interest ever trickles out. By contrast, the Trump Administration, with its chronic lack of interest in science – or a fundamental understanding thereof – still made sure that NASA talked about it. A lot. Joe Biden’s NASA? Not so much.
Joe Biden’s NASA Needs A Wake Up Call, earlier post