A Call to Bolster American Science

The preeminence of American science and technology is at risk and requires "bold investments," according to a report issued Friday by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. The report notes that other countries are improving their research infrastructures, and that corporate support of research in the United States is increasingly focused on "near-term results," and not the basic research that can ultimately be more transformative.

Among the recommendations in the report;

• Long-term growth in research and development spending such that it increases from 2.9 percent of gross domestic product to 3 percent.
• New efforts by the administration and Congress to promote the "stability and predictability" of federal research support.
• Immigration reform to make it possible for those from abroad who graduate with science and technology degrees to stay in the United States.
• Significant improvements in science and technology education at the undergraduate level.