FY2011 Budget Planning Emphasizes Critical Role of Science and Technology to Economic Recover and Global Competitiveness

In a memorandum addressed to all the heads of federal executive departments and agencies, Peter Orszag, director of the office of management and budget and John Holdren, director of the office of science and technology policy, ask that agencies redirect available resources, as appropriate, from lower-priority areas to science and technology activities.  The memo contends that scientific discovery and technological innovation are major engines of increasing productivity and are indispensable for promoting economic growth, safeguarding the environment, improving the health of the population and safeguarding our national security in the technologically-driven 21st century.

 Agencies are being asked to explain in their budget submissions how they will redirect available resources to address four practical challenges including: 

• Applying science and technology strategies to drive economic recovery, job creation, and economic growth;
• Promoting innovative energy technologies to reduce dependence on energy imports and mitigate the impact of climate-change while creating green jobs and new businesses;
• Applying biomedical science and information technology to help Americans live longer, healthier lives while reducing health care costs; and
• Assuring we have the technologies needed to protect our troops, citizens, and national interests, including those needed to verify arms control and nonproliferation agreements essential to our security.

The memo further outlines that addressing these challenges will require:

• Increasing the productivity of our research institutions, including our research universities and major public and private laboratories and research centers;
• Strengthening science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education at every level, from pre-college to post-graduate to lifelong learning;
• Improving and protecting our information, communication, and transportation infrastructure, which is essential to our commerce, science, and security alike; and
• Enhancing our capabilities in space, which are essential for communications, geopositioning, intelligence gathering, Earth observation, and national defense, as well for increasing our understanding of the universe anour place in it.

To rea the full memo, click here