Washington

Spending on science and technology in the United States should be doubled in the name of national security, says a report by a high-powered bipartisan panel.

The report, “Road Map for National Security: Imperative for Change”, was prepared by the US Commission on National Security/21st Century. The commission, a 14-strong body established by Congress in 1998, is led by former senators Warren Rudman (Republican, New Hampshire) and Gary Hart (Democrat, Colorado).

Although the report contains scant evidence to support its assertion that US science and technology are “in crisis”, its bombastic tone is likely to help drum up support in Washington for extra funding.

The commission's main thrust is to call for a complete overhaul of the defence department and civilian agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But it also urges President George W. Bush and Congress to double the funding of basic research and technology development — from the government's current annual investment of $90 billion — by 2010.

It recommends that the president should give his science adviser more authority to set research objectives, and to coordinate the budgets of the 20 or so research agencies. The commission further suggests that Congress should pass a National Security Science and Technology Education Act, which would fund a programme to train more scientists and engineers and to produce better-qualified science and maths teachers for schools.

Rita Colwell, director of the National Science Foundation, which funds most non-biomedical research at US universities, described the report as “absolutely correct”.

→ http://www.nssg.gov/phaseIIIwoc.pdf