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White House Seeks Input on Bioeconomy Plan

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) is soliciting advice on how to best stimulate job creation through investments in biological research and development. In a new Request for Information (RFI), OSTP asks for input on national challenges related to biotechnology research, eduction, entrepreneurship and partnerships. Submissions, which are due by December 6, 2011, will help shape the administration's bioeconomy strategy.

Last month at the signing of the America Invents Act, President Obama announced that the administration would develop a long-term roadmap to address national challenges in health, energy and agriculture. The resulting National Bioeconomy Blueprint is expected by January 2012.

OSTP is requesting input in the following areas:

  • Grand challenges — long-term, vital goals related to health, energy, the environment and agriculture that would benefit from action by the federal government, companies, nonprofit foundations or other stakeholders;
  • Research and development — priorities for federal investment, critical technical challenges that are slowing technological progress, and multidisciplinary pathways to predict the protein functions of genes;
  • Commercialization and entrepreneurship — opportunities to increase the rate of successful life science commercialization and the creation of bioeconomy firms;
  • Workforce development — steps to help align life science training at all levels of higher education with the needs of bioeconomy companies and ways the federal government can encourage academics to engage in entrepreneurship;
  • Regulatory reforms — ways to improve and streamline federal regulation; and,
  • Public-private partnerships — federal options and priorities in facilitating collaboration in the life sciences.

Responses may address any or all of the above items. Submissions may be sent electronically to: bioeconomy@ostp.gov. Responses received after December 6, 2011 may still be considered during the implementation of the National Bioeconomy Blueprint.

Read the RFI at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/10/12/building-bioeconomy.

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