New Survey Spotlights Concerns about US Research Competitiveness

A new report from the Science and Technology Action Committee, a group of 25 leading figures in the U.S. research community, paints a grim picture of the trajectory of U.S. competitiveness relative to China and calls for increased federal funding for research.

The report draws from a survey of nearly 2,000 professionals in health care, K-12 education, STEM, national security, and business sectors. The survey found that 76% of respondents believe the U.S. is losing ground or has already been overtaken by other countries in science and technology, and that 60% of respondents believe China will take the lead within five years.

The report calls for the U.S. to at least double federal funding for S&T programs as a share of gross domestic product to 1.4% within five years and to develop a national S&T strategy overseen by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, echoing points from an action plan the committee has been promoting since 2020.

Among its other recommendations, the report proposes the government make it easier for international students to remain in the U.S. after they graduate and do more to expand the domestic workforce, with a focus on improving STEM education at K-12 levels. While identifying S&T competition as a major concern, the report argues the U.S. “must collaborate with countries like China, despite our complicated relationship.”