Research and Innovation: Ensuring America’s Economic and Strategic Leadership
I had the honor and privilege of being invited to testify before the U.S. Senate earlier this month. The Senate subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries and Weather held a hearing on the topic, “Research and Innovation: Ensuring America’s Economic and Strategic Leadership.” I was joined by my National Science Board colleague, Dr. Diane Souvaine, as well as Dr. Rebecca Blank, Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Dr. David Shaw, Provost and Executive Vice President, Mississippi State University.
This discussion is important to ensuring America’s competitiveness and global leadership role, particularly when it comes to supporting and promoting innovative, robust science and technology research and development across the nation. My colleagues and I had the opportunity to express our individual viewpoints, as well as field questions from senators that allowed us to collectively address issues of key importance — namely, the roles leading research universities must play in ensuring the U.S. is in the vanguard of research and development in science and technology.
As part of my oral testimony, I touched on four key areas I believe are crucial to advancing the nation’s science and technology aspirations that will have a direct impact on our economic and national security:
A strong research and development ecosystem
A strong research environment in academia and industry, supported by a robust investment strategy, will guarantee a vibrant innovation economy for our nation. It is imperative that we increasingly focus on stimulating and seeding bold, large-scale foundational research with meaningful societal impact.
A strong learner ecosystem
Competitiveness in a global arena demands a strong focus on STEM education. It also requires a workforce comprised of lifelong learners with the ability to think critically, pivot when necessary, and successfully adapt to our ever-changing workplaces. A key element is in preparing all citizens for the future of work, regardless of their geographic location or socioeconomic status.
A strong partnership ecosystem
Partnerships and collaborations are vital to furthering our nation’s competitiveness, leadership position and prosperity. This requires the creation of synergistic alliances between academia, corporates, government, and non-profits. Programs that promote these strong partnerships can then take full advantage of the collective investments by federal agencies, states and businesses.
A strong economic development ecosystem
We create a robust economic development ecosystem when we rapidly translate basic scientific research to the marketplace. This comes about through bold translational research, corporate partnerships with seamless tech transfer, and incubating business ventures, all enabled through interagency and regional cooperation.
Innovation is not only a skill set but more importantly, a mindset. Therefore, we need to do everything possible to cultivate, nurture, and advance this innovative spirit to ensure America’s competitiveness and strategic leadership.
If you’re interested in gaining deeper insight into how these key areas are being discussed and debated at the national level, I urge you to read or watch the full testimony.
