In October 2005, when the National Academy of Sciences released its landmark report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm , which called for a dramatic increase in funding for basic science research and education, both the Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill moved quickly to embrace most of the recommendations. Little more than a month later, Democrats in the US House of Representatives unveiled their “innovation agenda,” which mirrored the “gathering storm” report. In February 2006, the Bush administration released a response in the form of the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI).
The idea of increasing funding for basic research was suddenly very popular among politicians, in part because the NAS report tied science research and education directly to both US national security and economic well-being. As Bush’s science adviser John Marburger often says, at the federal level science isn’t just about science, it’s about policy.
As the 110th Congress opens...
