Biden names science advisor, makes position cabinet level

President Joe Biden has named geneticist Eric Lander the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the president’s science advisor. Biden also promoted the science advisor role to a cabinet-level position, becoming the first president to do so, stating that, “science will always be at the forefront of my administration.”

The exact role Biden envisions for OSTP is not entirely clear but is likely to revolve around using bioscience to address the pandemic and leveraging research and innovations to improve America’s economic competitiveness. As Science points out, Biden has already named multiple officials to address climate change in other offices and so this may not be a significant part of OSTP’s portfolio. A public letter accompanying Lander’s nomination directs him to work to answer five questions for the country:

1. What can we learn from the pandemic about what is possible — or what ought to be possible — to address the widest range of needs related to our public health?
2. How can breakthroughs in science and technology create powerful new solutions to address climate change — propelling market-driven change, jump-starting economic growth, improving health, and growing jobs, especially in communities that have been left behind?
3. How can the United States ensure that it is the world leader in the technologies and industries of the future that will be critical to our economic prosperity and national security, especially in competition with China?
4. How can we guarantee that the fruits of science and technology are fully shared across America and among all Americans?
5. How can we ensure the long-term health of science and technology in our nation?

The OSTP director must be confirmed by the Senate. At this time, hearings to consider the nominee have not been scheduled.

Biden has announced many other members of his science policy team, including: Alondra Nelson for OSTP deputy director for science and society; Kei Koizumi for OSTP chief of staff; and, Frances H. Arnold and Maria Zuber as co-chairs of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.