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Policy

ACS among science organizations calling for Trump to appoint a science adviser

Groups ask president-elect to prioritize science in transition

by Andrea Widener
December 1, 2016 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 94, Issue 48

The nation’s top science advocacy organizations—including the American Chemical Society—are urging U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to quickly appoint a science adviser. This person should have direct access to the President-elect and advise Trump on appointments during the transition, they say.

In a letter sent on Nov. 23, the groups also ask Trump to prioritize science in his administration. The organizations emphasize R&D’s role in the economy, which was one of Trump’s talking points during the presidential campaign.

“If we are to maintain America’s global leadership and respond to the economic and security challenges currently facing the nation, we must build on our strong history of federal support for innovation, entrepreneurship, and science and technology,” it says.

The letter was signed by the leaders of 29 science and higher education organizations. ACS President Donna J. Nelson signed it on behalf of the society, which publishes C&EN.

Individual researchers are also advocating for science with Trump’s team. Over 2,300 scientists, including Nobel Prize and National Medal of Science awardees, signed a letter calling on Trump to ensure that government scientists can work without political interference.

Trump has made few appointments directly related to either science research or environmental regulations. He has named Heritage Foundation analyst James Carafano to his transition team. In June, Carafano coauthored a white paper recommending the elimination of the Office of Science & Technology Policy, among other suggestions.

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