A new vision for American science
By: Sudip Parikh, Darío Gil, and Marica McNutt
America’s scientific success is no accident. It has been powered by a decades-long commitment to federal investment in fundamental research that, in turn, nurtured both domestic and foreign talent and prompted the translation of breakthroughs to fuel the economy, improve health, fortify national security, and inspire awe. The world has benefited from the proliferation of this model, and partnerships between the US and other countries have resulted in game-changing discoveries, from medicines to machine learning. Yet what got America to this point will not get the country to where it needs to go. A new vision is required to respond to an evolving global science and technology ecosystem.
Discovery and innovation across the world have changed in profound ways that require the US to find new approaches to how it develops people, builds and maintains infrastructure, and funds the scientific enterprise. Getting this right—and soon—is imperative for all sectors, industries, administrations, and political parties. Recognizing the urgency and magnitude of this challenge, a new task force has been forged (of which we are part) comprising nearly 70 influential leaders across science, industry, academia, philanthropy, and policy, from graduate students to executives, with a mission to crystallize a “Vision for American Science and Technology” (VAST). The goal is to equip decision-makers in Washington, DC, with an evolved idea of what science and technology can be and concrete policy recommendations to push American science and technology to new heights.
The world faces daunting problems and astounding opportunities. Emerging technologies are fundamentally changing the ways people communicate, treat disease, and power their lives. But unless America’s leaders and institutions can meet this moment, the country risks ceding discovery and development—and their economic rewards—to nations that have plans to act and greater will to invest. Even worse, scientific advancements will be slowed by a diminished US presence on the global science and technology stage.
Strategies built for a time when the US government dominated research and development (R&D) no longer work. In 1964, 67% of R&D was supported by the government. Today, business and industry finance most of the work (76% in 2022) and fund nearly as much basic research as the government (37% and 40%, respectively, in 2022). This shift is happening against the backdrop of America’s competitors investing heavily. The US share of global R&D declined 2% from 2010 to 2019, while the rest of the world is catching up. Long the world’s leader in patent applications, the US fell to second place in 2021. Science, of course, should be an international effort, not a zero-sum game. That makes declining American leadership in these efforts not only a grave problem for the US, but also threatens the progress possible in partnership with the rest of the world.
The development of US scientific talent is also of major concern. If the nation wants a skilled workforce that is future-ready, it must create an environment that will attract and retain domestic and foreign talent. And more creative attention is needed to develop education and training schemes that broaden career opportunities—including outside academia—for the next generation.
With these and other priorities, early next year, upon the arrival of a new Congress and administration, the VAST task force will unveil its narrative of what the American enterprise can be, and for whom. The goal is to ensure that American science and technology remain at the vanguard, for the country’s own prosperity as well as the world’s.
Nearly 80 years after Vannevar Bush’s groundbreaking report Science: The Endless Frontier, it is time to write the next chapter in America’s scientific story. Today’s modes of discovery and innovation are more complicated, more beautiful, and more powerful than Bush likely ever imagined. His vision is increasingly irrelevant to the pace and scope of science and technology and requires a new approach to optimize coordination across sectors and engage the public in considering what scientific questions to ask—and who benefits from the answers.
Change is essential to progress, but what must not change is the goal of a more prosperous, healthier, and safer world and the fact that science and technology remain among the most potent tools to achieve this for all.