A task force of more than 70 leaders in science, academia, industry, philanthropy, and the public sector, including Dean Antonia M. Villarruel of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of Penn’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, has released its Vision for American Science and Technology (VAST), called Unleashing American Potential.
The nonpartisan Science and Technology Action Committee spearheaded the initiative, designed to identify challenges and opportunities facing science and technology in the United States and devise strategies amid increasing global competitiveness, especially with China.
The Vision provides recommendations for philanthropy, education, industry, and governments at all levels. These include:
Strengthening the Research & Development Tax Credit and enhancing the Federal Advanced Manufacturing Investment and Production Credits
Reducing the administrative workload of researchers by eliminating obsolete regulations
Cultivating more K-12 STEM educators through professional development, salary enhancements, and externships
Creating new science and research career pathways for technicians and operators
Setting aside new green cards for vetted U.S.-educated scientists and engineers
Strengthening investment in artificial intelligence, materials science, and quantum computing
Bolstering research security to protect scientific discoveries from foreign adversaries=
The VAST Task Force formed in August and was formally announced in October. Its leaders consulted with the Trump Administration and Congress during the presidential transition period to ensure the policy recommendations are impactful and could be meaningfully implemented.
VAST’s work is supported by the Simons Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Rita Allen Foundation, and Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, with additional in-kind support provided by Research!America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
