Today, Charles Yang of the Center for Industrial Strategy and I led a coalition letter to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy signed by senior leaders from non-traditional science institutions and bipartisan think tanks in order to affirm the value of public science funding and universities, while also supporting new models of science funding.
Re: Advancing American Scientific Competitiveness
Dear Director Kratsios,
We represent a broad coalition of bipartisan science policy organizations and non-traditional science institutions. Collectively, we have a proven record in translating foundational scientific research into successful commercial outcomes and bipartisan policymaking.
We are writing to express our support for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s critical mission to accelerate America’s scientific progress and technological innovation, and to highlight four priorities we believe are essential to strengthening American scientific and industrial competitiveness:
1. Scientific innovation is critical to U.S. competition with China: A flourishing scientific enterprise is a cornerstone of the technological supremacy necessary for securing economic competitiveness. Maintaining and expanding America's competitive advantage in critical scientific technology domains—such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, materials and manufacturing, and energy innovation—is essential to our economic prosperity and national security.
2. Public funding plays a crucial role in supporting scientific discoveries: Robust and efficient public investments in scientific research cultivate the intellectual and cultural dynamism which serve as the foundation for America's ability to maintain global leadership in strategic industries in the face of increasing technological competition from China. History demonstrates that substantial public funding has repeatedly enabled transformative innovations that the private sector alone would not initially pursue, securing long-term economic and strategic benefits for the nation.
3. New ways of structuring scientific funding are needed: Existing federal science funding structures are often paperwork heavy and risk light. We support the administration’s emphasis on regulatory reform, open science, and novel funding structures, such as focused research organizations, which were included in the recent AI action plan. Ensuring American-funded science contributes to the development of American industrial strength, rather than that of our competitors, is also of national importance.
4. Universities remain an indispensable part of the scientific ecosystem: American universities remain unrivaled incubators of foundational research, talent, and innovation. As global competition intensifies, it is essential that our university system is aligned with the national interest. At the same time, preserving academic integrity, institutional accountability, and political independence at our research universities is vital to their continued excellence and their ability to attract and retain the world’s top talent.
At this critical juncture, the Office of Science and Technology Policy plays a critical role in leading America to the "next frontiers of science". We look forward to working with you and your administration to sustain America's global leadership in science and technology.
Charles Yang
Executive Director
Center for Industrial Strategy
Ian Banks
Director of Science Policy
Foundation for American Innovation
Caleb Watney
Co-founder and Co-CEO
Institute for Progress
Anastasia Gamick,
Cofounder and President
Convergent Research
Elizabeth Kennedy
Director of Government Relations
Activate
Ben Downing
Chief Growth Officer
The Engine
Arthur Daemmrich
Director
ASU Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes
Ben Reinhardt
Cofounder and CEO
Speculative Technologies
