. "4 Assessing the U.S. Position." Scientific Opportunities with a Rare-Isotope Facility in the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2007.
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Scientific Opportunities with a Rare-Isotope Facility in the United States
Moreover, students trained in the science that drives a new FRIB fill an important niche in the national need for nuclear scientists. These scientists have already made innovative contributions in many areas such as nuclear medicine, stockpile stewardship, homeland security, and nuclear energy.
In a final note, the committee considered the broader impact of a U.S. FRIB in light of the national attention on economic competitiveness, recently highlighted in a report by the National Academies—Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future.14 The report argued that strong public support of basic research can help fuel the national economic engine; one of the suggested pathways was through technological developments that occur as part of the progress of science and engineering. While it is nearly impossible to argue that any one specific investment is critically necessary to maintaining the future health of the enterprise, the committee does recognize the value of a U.S. FRIB as one element of a much broader portfolio in the physical sciences.
14
NAS, NAE, and IOM, Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for aBrighter Economic Future, Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press, 2007.
