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Policy

We Have Ignition! We Have Liftoff!

by Catherine T. Hunt, Immediate Past-President
December 15, 2008 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 86, Issue 50

Hunt
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Credit: Peter Cutts Photography
Credit: Peter Cutts Photography

THE RECENT presidential election was especially exciting for science. I cannot remember a time when both major candidates recognized the importance of science and technology and shared such a commitment to increase our national support.

The incoming Administration and Congress will immediately face a host of problems, from economic woes and unstable oil prices to climate-change issues and regions of unrest. To surmount these challenges, the U.S. will need a revitalized and thriving science enterprise. Scientific and technological innovations are essential to advancing the country's national and energy security, ensuring our food and water supplies, and generating high-paying jobs to rebuild the economy.

It is encouraging that President-Elect Barack Obama's campaign articulated his belief that the U.S. must continue to lead the world in science and technology, his support for a 10-year doubling of basic research funding, and his vision that federal R&D investments will help the U.S. address its many challenges.

But given the many competing demands for funding, it is up to us to ensure that science and technology remain a high priority for policymakers. As I said in my opening ACS presidential message (C&EN, Jan. 1, 2007, page 2), it is up to us, the scientists and technologists, to make the compelling case that funding science education and R&D is not simply an expense but an investment—an investment in the next generation and the future economic health of this nation.

Given the many competing demands for funding, it is up to us to ensure that science and technology remain a high priority for policymakers.

As a direct result of my campaign promise to give ACS "a face and a voice on Capitol Hill," I initiated a presidential task force focused on enhancing innovation and competitiveness. This blue-ribbon panel—under the direction of Sherwood Boehlert, a former congressman and chair of the House Science Committee, and Glenn S. Ruskin, director of ACS Office of Public Affairs—reviewed the programs and tools that the society's legislative and government relations programs provide to members, and it provided expert advice on how to more effectively educate and engage policymakers. These activities directly support Goal 5 of our strategic plan: "ACS will be a premier advocacy organization for members and the profession, creating and communicating policy statements in accordance with our Congressional charter."

Views expressed on this page are those of the author and not necessarily those of ACS.

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