News Updates
New York Times Letter to the Editor
The Science & Technology Action Committee's letter to the editor calls for greater funding for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). This funding is critical for OSTP to have a substantive role in coordinating the cross-agency projects needed to deliver science and technology solutions to some of society’s greatest challenges.
Science: The Vital Piece of the Jobs Plan That Should be Bipartisan
President Biden's $250 billion American Jobs Plan proposal has the potential to make the US more competitive in a global market and better protected against biological and cyber threats of the future.
Science Committee Responds to Biden’s Prioritization of Science in First 100 Days
In response to President Biden’s focus on science and technology in the first 100 days of his administration, Keith Yamamoto, Vice Chancellor for Science Policy & Strategy at UCSF and co-chair of the Science and Technology Action Committee, released the following statement on behalf of the Science and Technology Action Committee.
S-TAC Supports Dr. Lander Confirmation, Calls for New Funding for OSTP
The Science and Technology Action Committee today released a statement declaring their support for the confirmation of President Biden’s nominee for the Director of the Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP), Dr. Eric Lander.
Former FDA Commissioner weighs in on the push to get more shots into American arms
Dr. Peggy Hamburg, former FDA Commissioner and assistant director of the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, discusses how the rollout of COVID vaccines is racing against a rise in infections at home and abroad.
Response to American Jobs Plan
Science and technology are critical to our nation’s future, but America invests just 0.7 percent of GDP in R&D today versus 1.9 percent in 1964. The U.S. has fallen to 14th globally in public investment in science and technology as a percentage of GDP. There is, however, a growing recognition that existential societal challenges, as well as maintaining global competitiveness, demand that we dramatically elevate U.S. investment in science and technology.
In the U.S.-China Competition Over Science and Technology, Only One Is In the Running
Competition among scientists and nations could end Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and AIDS, keep our nation technologically secure and help us feed and power the world as we address climate change. But instead of investing in the science and technology to maintain our competitive edge, U.S. investments are waning as China’s advantage has grown.
U.S. Must Not Fall Behind China in Research
Falling behind in R&D would hinder our ability to attract top science, technology, engineering and mathematics students and talent from the U.S. and abroad and continue to compete in the global economic arena.
Opinion: Supporting and funding science at the top is critical
The Jan. 20 news article “Biden to give White House science office Cabinet status” reported on the Biden administration’s plan to elevate the importance of science and technology to tackle the greatest challenges of our time — from food, water and energy security to the threat of further pandemics to climate challenges. President Biden should be lauded for taking this important step, which will bring rigorous scientific thinking to the highest level of government, and he should be congratulated for bringing together top scientific minds to lead the White House science team, including the nomination of Eric Lander to Office of Science and Technology Policy director.
Here’s How Biden Could Save the Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout
To figure out how he can reach his goals, Futurism asked numerous public health experts how the Biden administration will be able to turn the vaccination campaign around. Here are the steps they outlined.