Unlocking Our Future: Toward a New National Science Policy

By Sensenbrenner, F. James

Book Id: WPLBN0000232206
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 1.00 MB
Reproduction Date: 2008

Title:	Unlocking Our Future: Toward a New National Science Policy
Author:	Sensenbrenner, F. James
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Government publications, Legislation., Government Printing Office (U.S.)
Collections:	Government Library Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	Government Printing Office


Citation APA MLA Chicago James Sensenbrenner, B. F. (n.d.). Unlocking Our Future: Toward a New National Science Policy. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.cc/

Excerpt
Excerpt: The notion of state support for scientific research has existed for centuries; Francis Bacon called for such funding as far back as the early 1600s, and some monarchs and nobles responded to his call. It was not until 1862, however, when the Land Grant Colleges were established, that the United States began to organize and provide federal support for its science and engineering enterprise. Even so, it took until the outbreak of World War II for the Nation to fully grasp the benefits of substantial federal support for scientific research. It was at the culmination of that war, fresh from its lessons, that Vannevar Bush wrote his seminal document Science: The Endless Frontier.

Table of Contents
Table of Contents etter of Transmittal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .v Report Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 I. Background and Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 A.The Speaker’s Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 B. Committee Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 C. A Vision for the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 D. Science in Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 E.Toward an Updated National Science Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 II. Ensuring the Flow of New Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 A.The Importance of Understanding-driven Research . . . . . . . . . . . .14 1. The basic research investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 2. Making choices in the face of limited federal resources . . . . .17 3. The role of the individual investigator in the research enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 4. Stimulating innovation in basic research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 5. Maintaining diversity in the basic research portfolio . . . . . . .21 B. Science for Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 1. Research with a mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 2. Maximizing efficiency, accountability and success in the federal research enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 2a. Maximizing efficiency within the national labs . . . . . . . . .26 2b. Maximizing accountability through the Government Performance and Results Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 2c. Maximizing success through research partnerships . . . . .29 (1) Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 (2) University/industry partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 (3) International collaborations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 C. New Roles and Responsibilities for American Science . . . . . . . . . .35 III. The Private Sector’s Role in the Scientific Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 A. Stimulating Research in Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 1. Capitalization of small companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 2. The Research and Experimentation Tax Credit . . . . . . . . . . . .40 3. Partnerships for technology development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 3a. Informal partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 3b. State-based partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42