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Invest in and Accelerate the Transformation of Science into National Benefits

One of the major responsibilities of the federal science enterprise identified in The White House Report "Science for the 21st Century" is investment in and acceleration of the transformation of science into national benefits. The report notes that the translation of science into solutions is not automatic; that is, scientific accomplishments do not necessarily produce new technology nor is the information gained necessarily transferred into applications. Thus it is important to direct research efforts towards the production of applications and to continually examine the potential uses of scientific advancements.

EPA balances its scientific research activities across the broad categories of problem-driven research: (1) to solve current environmental problems of high risk and high scientific uncertainty and (2) to conduct core research to improve the underlying scientific foundation for understanding and protecting human health and the environment. These two aspects of EPA's research program at times overlap and can be mutually reinforcing: work on a particular problem can lead to a fundamental breakthrough, and discoveries made while conducting core research can solve a particular environmental problem. EPA needs both types of research, and the synergy between them enhances the Agency's overall research program.

The following examples of EPA science in action show the Agency's support of this area of responsibility:

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