Where is the
Perspectives on the National
Research Enterprise
Kelvin K. Droegemeier
Office of the Vice President for Research
University of Oklahoma
OSRHE 2010 Summer Grant Writing Institute
27 July 2010
?
The Importance of Research
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“The solution of virtually all the problems with
which the government is concerned – health,
education, environment, energy, urban
development, international relations, space,
economic competitiveness, and defense and
national security – all depend on creating new
knowledge.”
Eric Bloch, Director
National Science Foundation
1986
The Importance of Research
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“The organization known as Microsoft Research
exists – and research itself must be done – so
we can be prepared for the unknown.”
Rick Rashid, President
Microsoft Research
2007
What Has Research Facilitated
During the Past 100 Years?
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Internal combustion engine
Air travel
The laser
Computers
Nuclear energy
Carbon dating
DNA sequencing
Vaccines and penicillin
Disease-resistant plants
And on and on…..
Original Mode of Scholarship
Raphael (1509-1510)
Industrial Revolution and World War II
Lead to Contemporary Structure of
Academia: Specialized and Separated
Engineering
Chemistry
Political
Science
Physics
Sociology
Hurricane Katrina
What Went Wrong??? Right?
Problems at the Boundaries
Social and
Behavioral
Technology
Physical Sciences
and
Science
Engineering
Economics
Policy
The Research Spectrum
Transdisciplinary
Interdisciplinary
Multi-Disciplinary
Disciplinary
D. Lightfoot NSF
The 21st Century Will Require
Different Structures and Approaches
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Stovepipes Facilitated Great Things + New
Disciplines and Industries
Some of the great intellectual challenges of the
future do not lend themselves to a mostly singlediscipline approach
Traditional education will need to transform into
active learning and engagement
Transferring knowledge and technology into
practical applications – and building wealth – will
be the primary driver…not prestige
Where are We
Today?
A Sea Change in 2007
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America COMPETES (Creating
Opportunities to Meaningfully
Promote Excellence in
Technology, Education and
Science) Act
– Signed by President Bush on 9
August 2007
– Authorized $33.6B (FY08-10)
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Highlights
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Doubling the NSF budget (5 yrs)
Doubling DOE OS budget (10 yrs)
Increases to NIST budget
Permanent R&D tax credit
Special programs for young
researchers
– Created ARPA-E
– New education program
Challenges (Opportunities)
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War effort and deficit continue to squeeze the
non-defense discretionary budget
Rise of China: major energy consumer, huge
investments in infrastructure
Rise of India and China major competitors for
talent and high-tech jobs
Stronger position of European Union (e.g.,
ITER)
US recruitment of prospective graduate
students and visa/immigration issues
STEM talent pool
R&D Investment, 1981-2008
Total R&D Share of GDP, 1993-2006
RPG = Research Project Grants
RPG = Research Project Grants
RPG = Research Project Grants
What Policy Organizations
Control all this Stuff???
“Public” Policy
 Is
a process that draws out the
collective wisdom of a diverse group
to reach a common public goal
 Does not involve the generation of
knowledge, but the (wise) use of it
Development of Science Policy
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Scientists discover and communicate facts and
uncertainties
Policy analysts consider the above in light of values
held by various sectors and frame the problems as
well as propose courses of action
Decision makers (company leaders, legislators)
make the final decision
Communicators (media) facilitate understanding by
the public
Policymakers assess the significance by making
value judgments to determine how research
outcomes will be applied
So Who Advises the Government?
FORMALLY
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Office of Science and Technology Policy (in the Office of
the White House – President’s Science Advisor) (OSTP)
President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
(PCAST)
National Academies (via the National Research Council, the
NAS operating arm)
National Science Board (NSB)
National Science and Technology Council (NSTC)
Professionals (via formal Congressional hearings)
Others (e.g., Council on Environmental Quality)
So Who Advises the Government?
INFORMALLY
Lobbying firms
 Professional societies, trade organizations
 Political action committees
 Civic organizations, Chambers of Commerce
 Non-profits and think tanks
 For-profit companies
 Individual citizens
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The National Science Board
Origin of the National Science
Foundation: The Manhattan Project
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Intensive 2-year, $2B (in 1940 dollars)
effort to build a fission weapon to end
World War II
Involved hundreds of academic scientists
and technicians – universities were raided
Los Alamos was created to bring everyone
together in a secure location
At end of war, scientists were heroes
(penicillin, radar, the bomb)
Office of Scientific Research and
Development (OSRD) was created to fund
research projects in university and industrial
laboratories – precursor to the NSF
Key Individual
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Vannevar Bush – President
Roosevelt’s science advisor
Directed the OSRD
Convinced President Roosevelt that
the best way to continue using US
researchers was to keep them on
their campuses and fund them with
Federal dollars
This was a bold new idea
– $20 M in research at universities in
1930s
– $90 M by mid 1940s
Manifesto that Created NSF
V. Bush (1945)
Available at http://www.nsf.gov
The NSF Act of 1950
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So-called “Organic Act” that established the NSF
Signed into law by President Truman on May 10, 1950
Mission: To promote the progress of science; to advance
the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the
national defense; and for other purposes.
“The NSF Shall Consist of a National Science Board … and
a Director”
Unlike ALL other agencies that have science components
(NASA, NOAA, DOE, DOD, EPA, USGS, etc), the NSF does
not reside within a Cabinet Department – it is completely
independent
NSF thus is not a traditional “mission agency” though it
has a clear mission!
One of the best run agencies in Government
Total Federal Support:
Basic Research at Academic Institutions
$12.6B
NIH
61%
NSF
20%
Other
19%
The NSF Today
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Annual budget of $7+B
The NSF is unique – it funds all
areas of science and engineering
(exclusive of clinical medicine)
National Science Board Roles and
Responsibilities
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The NSB is part of the NSF
The NSB
– Establishes Policies of the
National Science Foundation
– Oversees and guides the
activities of the National
Science Foundation
– Serves as an independent
national science policy body
that provides advice to the
President and the Congress on
matters of national science and
engineering policy
National Science Board
Membership
24 members with the NSF Director an ex-officio
• Every 2 years, 8 people are nominated by the
President, confirmed by the Senate for 6-year terms
• Nomination based upon distinguished service and
preeminence in research, education, or public service
• Represent academia, industry, and a range of science
and engineering disciplines and geographic areas
Meet 5-6 times per year in person including a retreat,
supplemented with teleconferences
Most work done in committees
National Science Board
Executive
Committee
A. Bement
Programs
and Plans
K. Droegemeier
Chair
S. Beering
Task Forces
- Polar Issues
- Sustainable Energy
Audit and
Oversight
D. Arvizu
Education
& Human
Resources
J. Bruer
Strategy and
Budget
A. Reilly
NSB Office
C. Robinson
Office of the
Inspector General
C. Boesz
Science & Engineering
Indicators
Task Forces
Honorary Awards
Nominations
- Cost Sharing
National Science Board
Review and Oversight Activities
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Review Major Proposals
– > 1% of Directorate Budget
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Review Major New Programs
– > 3% of Directorate Budget
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Oversee NSF Project Planning
– MREFC
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Office of Inspector General
National Science Board
Publications
Oversight and Policy-Making for NSF
“The Foundation shall consist of
the National Science Board and a Director.”
National Science Board
Provide oversight and
establish broad policies
National Science Foundation
Implement policies
Approve budget
requests
Operate programs
Approve major
projects
Fund research and
education projects
Advising the President and
Congress
Responding to Congressional Inquiries
 Initiating its own activities
 The NSB is very unique and valuable as an
advisory body because it
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– Answers to no Cabinet department
– Can be fully candid and not fear political
pressure
Recent Example
Advising the President and
Congress
Responding to Congressional Inquiries
 Initiating its own activities
 The NSB is very unique and valuable as an
advisory body because it
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– Answers to no Cabinet department
– Can be fully candid and not fear political
pressure
NSF Activities in Response
Recent and Current Activities
Grant size, duration, success rate
 Cost sharing
 Institutional limits on proposals
 Workforce planning
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Early Career Investigators and
Transformative, High-Risk Research
FY11 Interagency Presidential
R&D Priorities
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Sustainable economic growth and job creation
Defeating dangerous diseases
Clean energy future
Understanding, adapting to and mitigating
impacts of global climate change
Managing demands on land, fresh water and
oceans
Technologies to protect troops, citizens and
national interests
FY11 Crosscutting Areas
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STEM education
Vitality of research universities, labs, basic
research
Capacity and robustness of infrastrucdture
High impact collaborations
Capabilities in space
Economic policy that promotes and rewards
stewardship, entrepreneurship, innovation
FY11 NSF-Wide Initiatives
Cyber-Enabled Learning and Discovery
 Climate Change Education
 Science and Engineering Beyond Moore’s Law
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The Social Contract
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Historically, the government and private
foundations have funded inquiry-driven, peer
reviewed research because good things happen
from it!
That contract is being challenged due to
Rising occurrence and publicity of academic
misconduct
Perception that research detracts from education
Faculty attitudes of entitlement – academic snobbery
Public demand for clear returns on investment and
short-term gains
Continued large increases in tuition that are not tied
directly to classroom learning
Research and the Public
Public sentiment is
everything. With
public sentiment,
nothing can fail;
without it, nothing
can succeed.
-- Abraham Lincoln
Courtesy A. Leshner, AAAS
Final Thoughts: Where is the
Science Enterprise Headed?
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Funding will be problematic regardless of the
election outcome
Rise of China and India will continue but is
really good for science overall and for the US
IF we respond appropriately
Stovepipe struggles in academia and agencies
More agency partnerships with industry
Continued emphasis on practical outcomes
and less inquiry-based research
Increasing integration of social, behavioral,
economic sciences in traditional S&E fields
Some (of the Many) Research
Administration Challenges
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Increasing accountability management
without more resources
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Time and effort reporting – a major can of worms
Cost sharing, especially voluntary
Export controls
Ethical conduct of research
F&A recovery and policy implementation
Moving intellectual outcomes into practice –
alliances with industry
International and multi-lateral agreements
Research space and funding start-up
Maybe Not Clear Sailing, But the
Future is Bright!!