The Office of Science and Technology Policy

Executive Office of the President of the United States

Kate BeersAssistant Director

Physical Sciences and Engineering

June 7, 2007

What is Public Policy?

Policy IS NOT about politics

Policy IS about collaboration to find optimal solutions to

hard problems

Public policy is not restricted to government, but includes

private businesses, non-profits, industry, universities, etc

Public policy at its finest is when diverse groups work

together to find a solution that satisfies the concerns of all

The Office of Science and Technology Policy

• Advise the President and others within the Executive Office of the President on the impacts of science and technology on domestic and international affairs

• Lead an interagency effort to develop and implement sound science and technology policies and budgets

• Work with the private sector to ensure Federal investments in science and technology contribute to economic prosperity, environmental quality, and national security

• Build strong partnerships among Federal, State, and local governments, other countries, and the scientific community

• Evaluate the scale, quality, and effectiveness of the Federal effort in science and technology

Director

Assistant DirectorSpace

& Aeronautics

Assistant DirectorTechnology

R&D

Assistant DirectorLife Sciences

Assistant DirectorPhysical Sciences

& Engineering

Assistant DirectorSocial, Behavioral &Education Science

Assistant DirectorTelecom

& Information Tech

Assistant DirectorEnvironment

ADMINISTRATIVESTAFF

AdministrationBudgetSecurityOffice SupportComputing

FUNCTIONALSTAFF

Legal affairsLegislative affairsBudget analysisCommunicationsInternationalNSTCPCAST

Assistant DirectorHomeland Security

Assistant DirectorNational Security

Assistant DirectorNatl. Security/

EmergencyPreparedness Com.

Associate Director and Deputy Director for Technology

Deputy to the Associate Director Technology

Associate Director and Deputy Director for

Science

Deputy to the Associate Director Science

Senior DirectorHomeland and

National Security

Deputy Director forHomeland and

National SecurityChief of Staff

Deputy Chief of Staff

PCASTNSTC

OSTP FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION

Dr. John H. Marburger, III

OSTP Resources and Communication

Federal Agencies / National Labs DOE, NASA, NSF

PCAST and NSTC (Interagency Working Groups) Other EOP offices

OMB, CEQ, NSC, HSC, etc.

Congress Authorizing and Appropriating (Sub)Committees

National Academies Boards and Committees Decadal Surveys and other reports

Scientific Societies and User Groups Industry Representatives

With only 5% of the world’s population, the US employs nearly 1/3 of all scientists and engineers

The US accounts for 1/3 of all R&D spending in the world

US scientists publish 35% of all science and engineering articles in the world

US R&D spending is larger than any other nation

US Government provides the majority funding for fundamental research that may have no immediate application

Where are we today?

Unlocking Our Future: Toward a New National Science Policy

The growth of economies throughout the world since the industrial

revolution began has been driven by continual technological innovation

through the pursuit of scientific understanding and application of

engineering solutions. America has been particularly successful in

capturing the benefits of the scientific and engineering enterprise,

but it will take continued investment in this enterprise if we hope to

stay ahead of our economic competitors in the rest of the world.

Many of those challengers have learned well the lessons of our

employment of the research and technology enterprise for economic

gain.

-1998, Vernon Ehlers (R-MI)

Federal Non-Defense R&D Funding (Outlays in Billions, Constant 2000 Dollars)

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Year

Co

nst

ant

2004

Do

llars

(m

illio

ns)

Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Federal Spending on Life Sciences and Physical Sciences Research 1980-2005

HHS

NASA

Energy

NSF

AgricultureHomeland Security

Commerce

Veterans AffairsInteriorTransportationEnvironmental Protection AgencyEducationOther

Total Non-Defense R&D FY07 proposed

From 1993 to 2000, federal support for the physical sciences

and certain areas of engineering remained relatively flat, and

in some instances decreased. While it makes sense that

biological and life sciences support has increased given

fundamental advances in this field and the heightened interest

in health issues, long-term breakthroughs in biological and

life sciences will also rely on strengthening the physical

sciences and engineering as well.

International competition is stronger than ever.

http://www.ostp.gov/pcast/pcast.html

PCAST Report – October 2002Assessing the U.S. R&D Investment

The Voices Behind Competitiveness

No Child Left Behind Act

Funding Trends – 2001 to present

PCAST – Science for the 21st Century – 2004

President Bush’s A New Generation of

American Innovation - 2004

Council on Competitiveness – 2004

Rising Above the Gathering Storm – 2005

Keeping America Competitive

America's economic strength and global leadership depend on innovation. A comprehensive strategy will sustain U.S. economic competitiveness, including:

Federal investment in R&D;

Education system that equips Americans with a strong foundation in technical subjects;

Universities that provide world-class education and research opportunities;

Immigration policies that attract the best and brightest to enhance entrepreneurship, competitiveness, and job creation in America;

Favorable environment for private sector R&D; and

Business environment that encourages entrepreneurship and protects intellectual property.

Keeping America Competitive

Principles of ACI ACI is not based on fear; rather, it is based on optimism and confidence

about the future and on trust in American entrepreneurship.

The ACI focuses on long term investment – in basic research, in early stage education, in creating business conditions that encourage long term private sector investments in R&D, and in creating a research environment that attracts the best and brightest from around the world.

The ACI is about priorities

Cutting-edge basic research that supports the development of valuable and marketable technologies, processes and techniques;

Large scale facilities and instruments that enable innovation;

Research in areas that are under funded (physical sciences/engineering) or that have a broad impact on other fields of science.

Supporting High Impact Research

Over ten years, the ACI commits $50 billion to increase funding for research and $86 billion in tax incentives for R&D. In FY07, ACI commits $5.9 billion for research, education, and tax incentives. ACI includes:

Doubling funding for research at NSF, DoE Office of Science, and DoC’s National Institute for Standards and Technology; $910M in FY07, $50B over 10 years

Making the research and experimentation (R&E) tax credit permanent

and working with Congress to modernize it to make it more effective. $4.6B in FY07, $86.4B over 10 years

R&D Budget Process

1. OSTP & OMB issue guidance

memorandum on R&D priorities

2. Agencies prepare and submit

proposed budgetsto OMB

3. Passback, negotiations, &

appeals between agencies and EOP

4. President makes final decisions and

sends Budget Request to Congress

5. Congress reviews, considers, & approves overall

Budget Request

6. Appropriations hearings with agencies & EOP on

individual programs

7. Congress marks up & passes

agency appropriations bills

8. President signs or vetoes

appropriations bills

9. Agencies make decisions on allocation of resources consistent with enacted appropriations

and program plans

Mandatory Spending is Overwhelming the Rest of the Budget

Current Trends are not Sustainable

Prioritization of Future Projects

Everything is getting more expensive

Competition between apples and oranges is stiff

Ground-based Telescopes, Space-based Experiments (astrophysics, earth science, heliophysics, etc.), Accelerators (colliders, light sources, SNS), other Neutron Sources

Arctic / Oceanic Research Vessels, Exploration, Super-Computing Facilities, Pandemic Influenza, Disease Surveillance, Food Supply Regulation (contamination threats), Data Archiving / Management, Chemical Security, Genomics Facilities, Nanofabs, Alternative Energy Technology, etc.

A new model for Life Sciences Infrastructure?

Construction vs. Operating Costs

Opportunity / Need for Cooperation and Communication

Interagency Cooperation Physics of the Universe Interagency Working Group

National Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee

International Cooperation Less international duplication / competition in large-scale High Energy

Physics Facilities

How to plan for an ILC?

Are there good examples? Case studies?

Science of Science Policy Measuring and understanding the impact of our investments

How do we value the human imperative to discover the nature of the physical universe?