The Coalition for National Security Research, of which AAU is a member, sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III urging him to “reverse recent trends of requesting cuts for defense basic research.” The letter requests Austin to craft a FY23 budget that funds the defense science and technology program at 3% of the defense budget and defense basic research at 20% of the S&T budget. The increases would be consistent with the Biden administration’s commitment to supporting cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that will help advance our military and national security. Lower funding levels for defense S&T could threaten the dominance of the U.S. military, the letter states.