Different ends of the political spectrum can and do disagree on the best way to keep our nation competitive. But there is one issue on which there is consensus: science, technology, research, and higher education are invaluable investments in America’s — and Texas’ — future.

We are a country unparalleled in science, technology, and medicine, which have healed the sick, improved lives, and been a generator for business and job-creation. America owes much of its success to our history of unprecedented investment in, and commitment to, research and innovation. Historical data reveals that since World War II, more than half of U.S. economic growth can be attributed to technological innovation. In fact, America’s inventions have kept our economy vibrant as our traditional manufacturing base has eroded due to lower-cost foreign competition, and new innovation will be essential to securing an even more prosperous future. Encouraging investment in energy, life sciences, and information and computer technologies can make our state a global destination for science, medicine, technology, and engineering.

In 2004, I asked two of Texas’ own Nobel laureates, Dr. Michael Brown of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the late Dr. Richard Smalley of Rice University, to form the Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas, or TAMEST. We wanted to establish a vehicle for our state’s best researchers to collaborate across institutions — to share their discoveries, utilize each other’s resources, and get peer-level feedback.

Before TAMEST’s founding, there had been world-class research being conducted in Texas research centers, but it had been performed virtually in isolation — we had a rich resource pool, but few were sharing their work. In some cases this led to duplication; in some cases it meant that the input of other skilled experts wasn’t being sought or utilized. When TAMEST was formed, it created a community of nationally recognized researchers who could work across organizational lines, sharing the results of their research and refining and perfecting practices.

Criteria for membership in TAMEST is election to the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Engineering, or National Academy of Sciences, and Texas residency. TAMEST has served as a launching ground, developing the best scientific talent from across the state and giving them national recognition. For example, TAMEST annually bestows the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards created to recognize rising Texas researchers who are responsible for cutting edge research in medicine, engineering, science, and technology innovation. Two O’Donnell Awards recipients, Dr. David Mangelsdorf, professor of pharmacology at UT Southwestern, and Dr. Antonios Mikos, professor of bioengineering, chemical, and biomolecular engineering at Rice University, were subsequently elected to the National Academies. This past year alone, TAMEST welcomed 11 new members and currently has 253 members of the National Academies — the nation’s premiere professional organizations for medicine, science, engineering, and research — including our state’s 10 living Nobel laureates.

Part of our dominance in science and technology is a direct result of federal investment. I have fought hard to bring Texas from sixth to third as a recipient of that support, and in 2011 we secured almost $1.1 billion in funding from the National Institutes of Health alone. This Texas academy has been a crucial part of making our case, and I am proud of what our state has achieved. I have always said that research and innovation are investments for our future, and Texas has benefited greatly from our development of these sectors: our world-class research institutions and university-based innovation centers bring new technology and research together with savvy entrepreneurs, creating new businesses and, most importantly, creating jobs.

I am so pleased that 2013 marks TAMEST’s 10th year of advocating for science and technology. Texas’ scientific community does so much to increase our national and global competitive advantage. On this anniversary, I join all Texans in saying both “congratulations” and “thank you.”