House Committee on Science

COMMITTEE PRINT 105-B

UNLOCKING OUR FUTURE:
TOWARD A NEW NATIONAL SCIENCE POLICY

Table of Contents

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Cover

Letter of Transmittal

Report Overview

I. Background and Introduction

A. The Speaker's Charge

B. Committee Actions

C. A Vision for the Future

D. Science in Context

E. Toward an Updated National Science Policy

II. Ensuring the Flow of New Ideas

A. The Importance of Understanding-driven Research

1. The basic research investment

2. Making choices in the face of limited federal resources

3. The role of the individual investigator in the research enterprise

4. Stimulating innovation in basic research

5. Maintaining diversity in the basic research portfolio

B. Science for Society

1. Research with a mission

2. Maximizing efficiency, accountability and success in the federal research enterprise

2a. Maximizing efficiency within the national labs

2b. Maximizing accountability through the Government Performance and Results Act

2c. Maximizing success through research partnerships

(1) Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs)

(2) University/industry partnerships

(3) International collaborations

C. New Roles and Responsibilities for American Science

III. The Private Sector's Role in the Scientific Enterprise

A. Stimulating Research in Industry 39

1. Capitalization of small companies

2. The Research and Experimentation Tax Credit

3. Partnerships for technology development

3a. Informal partnerships

3b. State-based partnerships

3c. Distribution of funding

4. Efficient dissemination of results from federally funded research to the private sector

5. Intellectual property protections

B. Implications for Industry

IV. Ensuring that Technical Decisions Made by Government Bodies are Founded in Sound Science

A. Bringing Legitimacy to Technical Policy Decisions

1. Ensuring access to sound scientific data

B. Protecting the Integrity of Science Performed in Support of Decision-making

1. Open disclosure

2. The importance of peer review

C. Accepting Scientific Uncertainty

D. Risk Assessment

E. Science in the Judiciary

F. Addressing the Fractured Nature of Science Policy Decision-making at the Federal Level

V. Sustaining the Research Enterprise -- the Importance of Education and Communication

A. Improving Science and Math Education at the K-12 Level

1. Improved science and math curricula

2. Teacher training, recruitment, and retention

3. Research in education

B. College and Graduate Math, Science and Engineering Programs

1. Bringing flexibility to graduate training programs in science and engineering

2. The link between education and research at the graduate level

3. Masters of science programs

4. Length of time spent in training for a scientific career

C. Communicating Science

1. Building bridges between scientists and journalists

2. The importance of communication in maintaining support for science

3. Keeping the public abreast of publicly-funded research

Summary of Recommendations

Endnotes

APPENDICES

Letter from the Chairman of the Committee on Science to Committee Members

List of Members signing the Report

Additional Views

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Page# /congress/house/science/cp105-b/toc.html     June 25, 1999