Project

New Models for U.S. Science and Technology Policy

Science & Technology
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This project assembled recognized leaders from all sectors of science, engineering, and technology to recommend policy actions to help ensure the long-term sustainability of the U.S. science and engineering research enterprise.

Overview

Scientific and technological advances are fundamental to the prosperity, health, and security of America. Innovation and rapid integration of new knowledge and technologies emerge from investments in research and development, and rely on the partnership between universities, federal and state governments, and industry. Staying globally competitive will require a stronger partnership and a greater focus on long-term planning in scientific and engineering research.

The Restoring the Foundation report in 2014 and The Perils of Complacency report in 2020 offer actionable recommendations for the long-term sustainability of the U.S. science and engineering research system to ensure a healthy research enterprise that continues to benefit the American people.

People

People

Cochairs
Committee Members

Nancy C. Andrews

Boston Children's Hospital
Dean Emerita & Vice Chancellor Emerita; Nanaline H. Duke Professor
Academy Member

Steven Chu

Stanford University
William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Humanities and Sciences
Academy Member

Jared Leigh Cohon

Carnegie Mellon University
President Emeritus and University Professor
Academy Member

James Johnson Duderstadt

University of Michigan
President Emeritus; University Prof. of Science and Engineering
Academy Member

M.R.C. Greenwood

University of California System
President Emerita; Professor of Medicine
Academy Member

John L. Hennessy

Stanford University
President Emeritus and Shriram Family Director of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
Academy Member

Peter S. Kim

Stanford School of Medicine
Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor of Biochemistry at Stanford University
Academy Member

Dana G. Mead

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Former Chairman of the MIT Corporation
Academy Member

C. Dan Mote

University of Maryland
Regents Professor & Glenn L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering and Former President
Academy Member

Robert F. Sproull

University of Massachusetts Amherst
Adjunct Professor, Computer Science
Academy Member

Subra Suresh

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
President
Academy Member

Shirley M. Tilghman

Princeton University
President Emerita and Professor of Biology and Public Affairs
Academy Member
Project Advisors

John C. Crowley

Charlottesville, VA

Kirstin Matthews

Rice University
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Publications

Publications

News & Updates

News & Updates
In the News
|

Chinese innovation is surging — we must fund science to compete

Neal Lane and Norman Augustine, cochairs of the Academy project on New Models for U.S. Science and Technology Policy, discuss the project’s latest report on the perils of complacency and how the U.S. can compete with China.
Source
The Hill
In the News
|

One lesson the U.S. can learn from China to improve its competitiveness

Joseph Kannarkat and Norm Augustine, cochair of Academy project on New Models for U.S. Science and Technology Policy, discuss the project’s final report and what the U.S. can learn from China to improve its competitiveness in technology development.
Source
Brookings
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In the News
|

Federal Funding Drives U.S. Innovation

Following World War II, our government forged a commitment to support scientific research. Today, our nation’s standing is threatened due to the under-prioritization of investment in scientific research.
Source
Huffington Post
In the News
|

What if America had a plan for scientific research?

Norm Augustine and Neal Lane, cochairs of Academy project on “New Models for U.S. Science and Technology Policy,” argue for a coherent national roadmap to strengthen U.S. R&D, basic research in particular, and to drive American innovation throughout the 21st century.
Source
InsideSources
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Events

Events

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Project Outcomes

Project Outcomes

Since the release of Restoring the Foundation, the Academy has built support for the report’s recommendations among stakeholders in government, industry, academia, and philanthropy. The project’s efforts included collaborations with scientific and business organizations; media outreach; conversations with leaders in Congress and at federal research agencies; and forums, roundtable discussions, and symposia at universities and public halls across the nation.

Project members participated in over 150 meetings with congressional offices and testified before the Senate Commerce Committee before the release of the Restoring the Foundation report in 2014 and again in 2016. A working group of partner organizations, including the Academy, issued “Innovation: An American Imperative,” a public statement of support for recommendations from Restoring the Foundation. It was signed by CEOs and chairs from nine major corporations as well as more than 500 leading organizations from American industry, higher education, and science and engineering organizations. “Innovation: An American Imperative” was endorsed in a bipartisan, bicameral “Dear Colleague” letter circulated in Congress. These activities provided input to the 2016 American Innovation and Competitiveness Act passed by Congress.

Successes to date include congressional actions to: increase investment in some of the federal research institutes; make permanent and extend the federal R&D tax credit; reaffirm merit-based peer review; eliminate, reduce, and streamline research-related regulations; and further support domestic advanced manufacturing. The efforts of the project members and the working group helped support this progress.

Learn more about the influence of Restoring the Foundation and “Innovation: An American Imperative.”

Outreach Activities & Impact

Media Coverage

Project Information

This project was supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Hellman Foundation.

Project Date
-
Contact Information
Peter Robinson
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