Beginning a Dialogue on the Changing Environment for the Physical and Mathematical Sciences Report of a Conference (1994) / Chapter Skim
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The Pursuit of Science in the National Interest
The Pursuit of Science in the National Interest
Pages 22-27
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From page 22... ...
Unfortunately, public confidence in the benefit of scientific research has recently eroded. The success of foreign competitors in challenging the economic dominance of the United States has made it clear that the correlation between a nation's scientific excellence and its prosperity is not as direct as the public had once believed.
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From page 23... ...
Finally, the realization that the real threat to national security is an economic struggle in which many foreign nations have achieved startling successes without sizable investments in basic science is causing a critical reassessment of national research priorities. The current situation, in which other countries are converting U.S.
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From page 24... ...
They usually operate concurrently rather than sequentially, and at times utility leads to discovery. In this admittedly simplistic but nonetheless useful model, increasing the return on investment does not mean "moving science closer to application." Rather, it means concentrating sufficient effort in the utility phase, with appropriate emphasis on areas of highest practical potential, to support national economic objectives, while at the same tune safeguarding adequate investments to sustain the national basic-science base.
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From page 25... ...
. A requirement for science to thrive is a new social contract that supports the discovery phase not only because it is the social responsibility of a wealthy nation to enrich the human spirit and challenge human intellect, but also because it recognizes the critical dependence of continued human progress on a steady flow of new ideas.
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From page 26... ...
The much larger challenge lies in devising and improving accountability for the second phase the successful blending of scientific discovery and technological innovation in support of national needs, on a time scale set by global competitive forces. Science investments aimed at this broad objective must strive for an appropriate balance among a number of important areas competing for federal support.
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From page 27... ...
It is not surprising, therefore, that product realization has often been substantially slower in the United States than in countries that emphasize greater vertical integration in their product realization efforts. There has been a recent trend toward more effective coupling of research to applications, especially in the federally funded laboratories.
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