ARISE I: Statements of Support

“Among the greatest risks America can take in its science and engineering research enterprise is to become risk averse or to overlook the immense contributions that have historically been made in these fields by younger researchers. The American Academy’s ARISE report points the way to address the opportunities implicit in these considerations.” 

—Norman R. Augustine, Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lockheed Martin Corporation; 
 

“Faculty in science and engineering are the idea engines that drive technological progress in America. The American Academy’s ARISE report provides a frank assessment of the danger we face if, due to increasingly constrained funding, we lose our most promising scientists from the basic science arena.” 

—Bonnie L. Bassler, Squibb Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University; Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator 
 

“It is in our own direct interest to pursue this study’s recommendations for nurturing a vibrant science pipeline. Professional excellence, technology, and innovation are the lifeblood of our competitive success as an economic system.” 

—Martin L. Leibowitz, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley; Chairman of the Board, Institute for Advanced Study 
 

“Tom Cech and his colleagues address two of the most significant problems in today’s research environment: the delays in establishing the independence of new investigators and the reluctance to support research that can fundamentally change the way we think. The recommendations will be of interest to those in government, other funding agencies, and universities who have the potential to change current practices.” 

—Harold Varmus, President, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center 
 

“Focused, sensible, realistic, well-researched, and well-documented, this report addresses two primary weaknesses in federal research strategy. Our national ability to innovate and compete ultimately depends on attracting the best and brightest young men and women to research careers and enabling them to pursue bold new ideas. Hence, the guidance in this report is critically important.” 

—Charles M. Vest, President, National Academy of Engineering
 

“In science and technology research as in life, without risk, there can be no reward. Yet far too often government, universities and foundations make their funding decisions by determining the 'safest' paths. The American Academy’s ARISE report alerts us to the dangers inherent in this approach, and thoughtfully makes the case for increased support for early-career faculty, and for high-risk, potentially transformative research. It is necessary to adopt these recommendations in order to optimally benefit from basic science discoveries that will lead to improvements in human health.” 

—Richard H. Scheller, Executive Vice President, Research, Genentech
 

“The care and nurturing of early-career researchers depends critically on our capacity to track individuals after graduate school. The American Academy’s very thoughtful report highlights the inadequacy of data on career paths, demographic characteristics, or even the size of this talent pool, and rightly recommends a coordinated effort to map this terrain.” 

—Debra W. Stewart, President, Council of Graduate Schools
 

“Despite all the successes of science in the USA, it is today in danger of losing two key drivers to discovery, especially those that open truly new vistas and opportunities: the commitment to long-term, high-risk/ high-payoff ventures and a system conducive to nurturing young investigators at the time when they have the freshest ideas but are most vulnerable. The report by Tom Cech and his colleagues makes cogent suggestions for how a systematic effort, by government, academia, and industry, can do so, and thereby restore a competitive edge in science with the consequent payoffs in innovative new products.” 

—Mark Fishman, President, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research
 

“The American Academy’s ARISE report is an important call to action for us all. The power of research is only as strong as our commitment to invest in it, to invest in young scientists and bold new ideas, without which big advances won’t happen. We must convert rhetoric into new approaches — to maintain an educated work force, economic growth, and our standard of living.” 

—Mary Woolley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Research!America
 

“Adopting the recommendations in the ARISE report will be of significant importance in bolstering our nation’s innovative and competitiveness capabilities. The recommendations will go far in transforming the culture of research funding and the research enterprise. These are essential steps in maintaining and nurturing the impact that basic research has on a strong and vibrant U.S. economy — we need more young, bright minds to be future innovators, we need to increase and sustain the level of federal research and development funding to incubate new ideas, and we must, as the ARISE report recommends, permit our future innovators the unshackled freedom to explore bold and innovative pathways that may lead to truly transformational breakthroughs.”  

—Bruce E. Bursten, President, American Chemical Society
 

“This report from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences provides sensible and well-thought-out recommendations, both for funding agencies and for universities, to address two problems that become especially acute when resources are limited: how to support young investigators, and how to fund transformative research. The health of the American research enterprise will be greatly enhanced by heeding the wisdom in this report.” 

—Arthur Bienenstock, President, American Physical Society
 

“The ARISE report discusses some very important issues relating to the future of scientific research in America— difficulties for young investigators and support for transformative research. The National Science Foundation’s Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate’s initiative on the 'Science of Science and Innovation Policy' currently supports important research that investigates the issues raised in the report. Last year’s COSSA Annual Meeting focused on the peer review system at federal agencies. The American Academy should be congratulated for further pushing these issues to the forefront of the nation’s science policy agenda and urging policymakers to deal with them.” 

—Howard J. Silver, Executive Director, Consortium of Social Science Associations
 

“The American Academy’s ARISE report highlights the growing threat of our inability as a nation to incentivize young scientists to devote their energies and careers to research and it provides a roadmap toward reversing the decay of the pipeline. Policymakers at all levels of government need to pay attention to the important call to action contained in this report.” 

—Doug Comer, Director, Legal and Technology Policy, Intel Corporation;
Chair, Task Force on the Future of American Innovation
 

"The ARISE report is significant in that it puts forth specific recommendations to ensure that proper attention is paid to key issues central to our nation's collective research efforts. It is evident that supporting early-career scientists and high-risk, high-reward research will significantly enhance our ability to remain competitive in the evolving global science and technology environment." 

—Peter S. Kim, President, Merck Research Laboratories
 

“The American Society for Cell Biology endorses the American Academy’s ARISE report and echoes its critical recommendations for federal funding agencies, foundations, and universities. The disastrous American funding climate for biomedical research is causing lab shutdowns, discouragement of graduate students, postdocs, and early-career faculty, early retirement by experienced researchers, job loss among skilled technicians, and a focus on ‘safer’ less innovative research proposals. Now is the time to act … before it’s too late.” 

—Joan R. Goldberg, Executive Director, American Society for Cell Biology
 

“The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) appreciates the ARISE report in its careful search of the landscape of challenges for the scientific community, focusing on two critical issues that have been much discussed in the human genetics community: potential (and impending) loss of bright young researchers, and the limited ability to take risks in innovative scientific inquiry. With the continued potential for participation in a vibrant and very rapidly growing area of research, human geneticists are very concerned, as the hope of application of genetic and genomics principles depends on both basic discovery and the long-term translation of the findings to patients. Therefore, ASHG encourages policymakers and decision leaders to focus on the important assessment and recommendations of the American Academy’s ARISE report.” 

—Joann Boughman, Executive Vice President, American Society of Human Genetics
 

“The ARISE report is timely and proposes several significant ideas and recommendations worthy of due consideration by policymakers, research administrators, and scientists. The recommendations for creating new mechanisms to support early-career researchers are timely, particularly for basic biological scientists. It is particularly encouraging to see discussion of the need to create mechanisms to support the career development of researchers who are also primary caregivers.” 

—Richard T. O’Grady, Executive Director, American Institute of Biological Sciences
 

“The American Geological Institute offers our strongest support for the American Academy’s report, ARISE – Advancing Research In Science and Engineering. The report calls for new and high-priority funding for early-career faculty and high-risk, high-reward and potentially transformative research. Geoscientists are at the forefront of finding innovations, creative and effective solutions, adaptation strategies and mitigation advances to deal with some of the planet’s greatest natural resource needs while maintaining a healthy environment, coping with global climate change and improving resiliency to natural hazards. The development and sustainability of energy resources, water resources, land use resources, and mineral resources, to name a few, require basic research, applied research and technological advances. Funding bright and creative young geoscientists and supporting transformative research in the geosciences is an effective and excellent strategy to understand Earth processes and meet natural resource needs while sustaining the planet, its ecosystems and its people.” 

—P. Patrick Leahy, Executive Director, American Geological Institute
 

“This report quite appropriately focuses on ways to encourage researchers in the early part of their careers, and also to encourage potentially valuable transformative research that is consequently highly risky. It is essential that we continually add new people, new ideas, and new excitement to the nation’s research pipeline. These goals are critical to maintaining a vibrant and innovative economy.” 

—Stuart I. Feldman, President, Association for Computing Machinery
 

“If the United States is to continue flourishing in the increasingly competitive global marketplace, the federal government must focus on ways to improve and broaden the technical expertise of its citizens. IEEE-USA believes that the policies outlined in the American Academy’s ARISE report can help sustain U.S. technological leadership and encourage the development of a skilled, creative and competitive workforce critical for U.S. prosperity.” 

—Russell J. Lefevre, President, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)-USA
 

"The revolution in health research is being driven by new ideas and new technologies that are transforming our understanding of human health and diseases like HIV/AIDS. Young researchers are the driving force of this revolution. The ARISE report is an important call to arms for the research community in tackling the obstacles that young investigators face today. It offers constructive suggestions for how we can ensure that we renew the next generation of scientists so that we continue to push the boundaries of scientific understanding." 

—Alan Bernstein, Executive Director, Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise
 

"America's research enterprise is the driving wheel behind our country's economic competitiveness. Absolutely necessary for that enterprise is both support for young researchers, who will otherwise be driven from the field, and sufficient resources to enable the high-risk high-reward research that opens new frontiers and creates innovations. The new American Academy of Arts & Sciences ARISE report presents a set of important and practical recommendations for both Federal agencies and for Universities and Foundations that could substantially improve the climate for fundamental research in America." 

—John Huchra, President, American Astronomical Society
 

“Science and engineering research are at the core of our nation's long tradition of innovation and progress. Should we fail to commit the necessary resources to those critical areas, we will greatly hinder our ability to continue to serve as the world's technological leader. The National Society of Professional Engineers encourages universities, private foundations, government officials at all levels, and other stakeholders to embrace the recommendations contained in the ARISE report to ensure our legacy of advancement and discovery continues into the future for the benefit of our nation and the world.” 

—Bernard R. Berson, President, National Society of Professional Engineers