President Commits to Raise Federal R&D Spending to 3 Percent of GDP

President Obama announced earlier this week that the U.S. would increase its investment in basic and applied research and science and mathematics education to match the historic levels reached during the height of the space race. The president pledged to raise total government and industry spending on R&D to 3 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), equal to the record set in 1964. In addition to the increases in R&D spending already included in the Recovery Act, President Obama committed to finish the doubling of funds for federal science agencies and create several new programs to encourage students to pursue careers in STEM fields.

Most of the components of the new R&D push were announced earlier this year. The administration remains committed to double the research budgets of the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology. DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), which was launched with $400 million made available through the stimulus package, will fund the development of cutting-edge energy technologies. The president's FY10 budget would make the federal R&D tax credit permanent to promote private investment in innovative research.

Much of the president's announcement focused on the need to improve student achievement and participation in math and science. This fall the Department of Education's Race to the Top fund will distribute $5 billion in awards to states making the strongest commitments to produce and keep science and math teachers. Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania will coordinate an effort with the National Governors Association to encourage states to make STEM education a priority. The president also announced a partnership between the Department of Energy and NSF to encourage students to pursue STEM careers and entrepreneurship, particularly those involving clean energy.

Current U.S. R&D investment hovers around 2.6 percent of GDP, which means an additional $70 billion a year from government and industry would be required to reach the new goal. New Scientist noted that while the increase would be substantial, no timetable was provided in the president's speech and even after the increase U.S. R&D spending would still lag behind Japan and South Korea as a share of GDP.

President Obama also used the occasion to announce the new members of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The council will be co-chaired by John Holdren, who was confirmed last month as Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP); Eric Lander, Director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and principal member of the Human Genome Project; and Harold Varmus, President and CEO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and former head of NIH. The balance of the 20-person committee includes representatives from academia, medicine, university administration and private industry.

More information about the president's announcement is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Fact-Sheet-A-Historic-Commitment-To-Research-And-Education/

A webcast version of the President's address to the National Academies of Science is available at: http://www.nap.edu/obama/?utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=National%20Academies%20Press&utm_campaign=ObamaBlast&utm_content=Downloader&utm_term=