Biden Boosterish on Federal Research Investment

Vice President Biden heralded the work of research universities at a round table Tuesday on the impact that federal stimulus funds have had in promoting job growth and economic competitiveness. At the start of the discussion, most of which was closed to reporters, Biden described research spending as “among the most critical parts” of the Obama administration’s stimulus package, and said criticism of federal spending on research was shortsighted -- and out of step with the view in competitive countries such as China and India. “Our economic future will grow from ideas that are incubating at universities. That’s the breeding ground and it always has been," he said, surrounded by presidents from Johns Hopkins, Purdue, and Washington State Universities and the Universities of California, Florida and Pennsylvania. “The rest of the world gets this, and we can’t afford to lag behind,” he said. “We cannot afford to not rededicate ourselves to the work you guys around the table do.”