Obama Promises Massive Commitment To Scientific Research
Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Microsoft strategy officer Craig Mundie among those named to help the administration shape its science policy.
By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
April 27, 2009 06:08 PM
In a speech to the members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), President Obama pledged to commit 3% of the U.S. gross domestic product to scientific research, development, and education, an amount that exceeds scientific funding during the height of the space race with the former Soviet Union in 1964.
"This represents the largest commitment to scientific research and innovation in American history," he said, referring to funding plans outlined in the Recovery Act and his proposed budget.
The president said science is "more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, our environment, and our quality of life than it has ever been before."
He cited the emergent swine flu outbreak as an example of why the nation cannot afford to fall behind in science. "Our capacity to deal with a public health challenge of this sort rests heavily on the work of our scientific and medical community," he said.
Noting that President Lincoln created the NAS at a time of civil war, in a refusal to accept that the nation's sole purpose was survival, Obama recounted that how his 19th century predecessor said that we must add "'the fuel of interest to the fire of genius in the discovery of new and useful things.'"
more:
http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/policy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217200263
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