NRC Sees Industry-Govt. Partnerships Critical To U.S. Economic Growth

Serious deficiencies in pre-college education and wavering support for basic research may erode the nation's ability to convert science and technology into new products, jobs, and profits and decrease the prospects of better lives for U.S. citizens, according to a new book from the National Research Council (NRC).

Harnessing Science and Technology for America's Economic Future: National & Regional Priorities identifies goals and actions to guide the science and engineering community and government policy-makers in meeting the nation's future economic needs. The book presents the findings, recommendations and papers of the National Forum on Harnessing Science and Technology for America's Economic Future and an NRC committee co-chaired by former governor and SSTI Board chairman Dick Thornburgh and William Spencer, CEO of Sematech.

The goals and recommendations outlined by the committee include:

• Achieve a level of productivity growth that will allow a rising standard of living and non-inflationary economic expansion. The committee endorses bipartisan efforts to boost federal research funding. It also recommends using tax credits and other incentives to increase industry's support of research conducted at universities from 7 percent to 20 percent over the next 10 years. In addition, federal, state, and local governments should set up matching grant programs to promote more research partnerships with industry and universities.

• Increase the number of people prepared for scientific and engineering careers, focusing on under-represented groups. The committee recommends significant improvements in science education at the pre-college level as well as greater efforts to attract minorities and women to the engineering work force. Scientists and engineers should continue to work with states and communities to set K-12 education standards, promote best practices for teaching and learning, and increase science and technology literacy. The committee also said that companies and people who have benefitted from the high-technology boom should invest their time and money into programs to improve teaching in urban and rural schools.

• Improve the domestic and international market environment for U.S. innovation so the nation can prosper in a global economy. The committee felt national standards to limit frivolous lawsuits in product liability and securities fraud should be adopted. It also recommends that policy-makers continue their focus on trade, antitrust, and intellectual property policies that can open global markets for U.S. products and services.

The Carnegie Corp. of New York funded the report. It conveys the findings of the second forum in a series supported jointly by the Kellogg Endowment Fund of the National Research Council and the Carnegie Corp.

Copies of Harnessing Science and Technology for America's Economic Future: National & Regional Priorities are available from the National Academy Press for $29.00 (prepaid) plus shipping charges tel. (202) 334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242. The report may be viewed online at the National Academies website: http://www.national-academies.org/