NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
2101 Constitution Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20418
Oct. 9, 1998
The Honorable Vernon Ehlers
Vice Chairman
Committee on Science
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Vern:
We welcome the new report by the House Committee on Science entitled Unlocking our Future: Toward a New National Science Policy. By providing a concise baseline for agreement on the plethora of issues critical to science and technology policy, the report provides a firm basis for moving the dialogue forward. Because it is so clearly written, it is also an important first step for engaging Congress and the American people in a meaningful discussion about the role of the nation's science and technology enterprise in the 21st century.
The report presents many important findings that we can strongly support. For example, it notes the importance of understanding-driven research, while emphasizing the need to maintain diversity in the basic research portfolio, and to maximize success in research through public-private research partnerships. And it points out the need to strengthen the science and technological capabilities of our Department of State, as well as to increase the effectiveness of the interaction between the scientific community and the judiciary.
If there is one take-home message for the nation's scientists and engineers here, it is certainly that they must become much more deeply engaged in our education crisis. Science and mathematics education reform at all levels must become a national priority, with the goal of having an educated citizenry with the analytical skills needed to make informed decisions in an increasingly technological society. We must do better by our children by giving them the tools -- through high-quality science and math education that starts in kindergarten -- that they can use to make decisions responsibly, as well as to be productive in an increasingly demanding world of work.
As the report notes, by no means does it serve as an end point. It offers an important and timely opportunity to engage all of Congress -- and its constituencies -- in a discussion about the role of science and engineering in society, the need for citizens to take part, and the accountability on the part of all scientists and engineers to those who support their work. As the Science Committee moves further along in this dialogue on science and technology policy, we look forward to being an active partner in the process.
Sincerely,
Bruce Alberts
President
National Academy of Sciences
Wm. A Wulf
President
National Academy of Engineering |