"The time has come to sound the alarm." - Chairman
Frank Wolf on U.S. S&T position
Earlier this month, three of the most prominent members of the House
with jurisdiction over science and technology policy and funding announced
that a conference will be held this fall on science, technology, innovation
and manufacturing. Appearing at a Capitol Hill press briefing to discuss
this conference were Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), Rep. Sherwood Boehlert
(R-NY), and Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI). Joining the representatives were
senior officials from the National Association of Manufacturers, American
Electronics Association, Business Roundtable, and the Council on Competitiveness.
There is long-standing concern on Capitol Hill about the level of federal
support for science and technology funding. This concern seems to have
taken on a sense of greater urgency as countries such as China and India
become more competitive.
Wolf, chairman of the newly-formed House Appropriations Subcommittee
on Science, State, Justice and Commerce, has in recent months given
this issue more prominence through a letter to President Bush and introduction
of a bill that would benefit college students in math and science (see
http://www.aip.org/fyi/2005/064.html
and http://www.aip.org/fyi/2005/061.html
.) The May 12 briefing was held to highlight a provision in an emergency
supplemental appropriations bill that was signed by President Bush the
day before. While most of this legislation centered on national security
funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, language was inserted
in the bill stating, "the Secretary of Commerce shall convene
a national conference on science, technology, trade and manufacturing."
The conference will be held in Washington this fall. Wolf announced
that Boehlert and Ehlers will select its participants. Wolf remarked,
"our hope is that the conference will bring together the nation's
best and brightest to help develop a blueprint for the future of American
science and innovation. It also will look at where there has been slippage
and why, and what needs to be done to reverse the trend." Boehlert
said of the conference: "It can help forge a national consensus
on what is needed to retain U.S. leadership in innovation. A summit
like this, with the right leaders, under the aegis of the federal government,
can bring renewed attention to science and technology concerns so that
we can remain the nation that the world looks to for the newest ideas
and the most skilled people."
When describing the rationale for the conference, Wolf stated, "Last
week I met with a leading group of scientists and posed this question:
Do you think we - the United States - are doing okay when it comes to
science and innovation, are in a stall, or are we in a decline? None
said we are doing ‘okay.' About 40% said we were in a stall and
the remainder - 60% - said we were in decline. I asked the executive
board of a prominent high-tech association . . . they all said we are
in decline. Regardless of whether you categorize our current situation
as a stall or decline, there is general agreement that America's dominance
in science and innovation is slipping. Just look at three measuring
sticks: patents awarded to American scientists; papers published by
American scientists; and Nobel prizes won by American scientists. All
three are down." Said Ehlers: "we have a lot to do."
Enlarge text
Shrink text
Print
E-mail
Digg this
Del.icio.us
Furl