SCIENCE

FOR THE 21st CENTURY

JULY 2004
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) was established by

Executive Order on November 23, 1993. This Cabinet-level Council is the 

principal means by which the President coordinates science and technology 

policies across the Federal Government. The NSTC acts as a virtual agency 

for science and technology to coordinate diverse parts of the Federal research 

and development enterprise.

An important objective of the NSTC is the establishment of clear national 

goals for Federal science and technology investments in areas ranging from 

information technologies and health research to improving transportation 

systems and strengthening fundamental research. The Council prepares research

and development strategies that are coordinated across the Federal agencies 

to form a comprehensive investment package aimed at accomplishing multiple

national goals.

To obtain additional information about the NSTC, contact the NSTC Executive

Secretariat at (202) 456-6101

About This Document

This document was produced under the direction of the National Science and

Technology Council’s Committee on Science. The document details, from a

Federal agency perspective, the science policies and accomplishments of the 

current Administration and illustrates how today’s science sets the stage 

for benefits to the economy and national quality of life far into the future.

The document is available electronically at http://www.ostp.gov/nstc/21stCentury. 

This website also provides links to 

• supplemental information about the examples provided in the text

• additional examples of agencies addressing the four major responsibilities of

the Federal science enterprise

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE 

AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL
SCIENCE

FOR THE 21st CENTURY
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20502

July 2004

Dear Colleague:

The Federal government plays a key role in supporting the country’s science infrastructure, a national treasure,

and scientific research, an investment in our future. Scientific discoveries transform the way we think about our

universe and ourselves, from the vastness of space to molecular-level biology. In innovations such as drugs

derived through biotechnology and new communications technologies we see constant evidence of the power

of science to improve lives and address national challenges. We had not yet learned to fly at the dawn of the

20th century, and could not have imagined the amazing 20th century inventions that we now take for granted.

As we move into the 21st century, we eagerly anticipate new insights, discoveries, and technologies that will

inspire and enrich us for many decades to come. 

This report presents the critical responsibilities of our Federal science enterprise and the actions taken by the

Federal research agencies, through the National Science and Technology Council, to align our programs with

scientific opportunity and with national needs. The many examples show how our science enterprise has

responded to the President’s priorities for homeland and national security, economic growth, health research,

and the environment. In addition, we show how the science agencies work together to set priorities; coordinate

related research programs; leverage investments to promote discovery, translate science into national benefits,

and sustain the national research enterprise; and promote excellence in math and science education and work

force development. 

Sincerely,

John H. Marburger, III

Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy

Science Advisor to the President
Science in Society

Enabling the US Research and Development Enterprise / 1

Responding to New Opportunities / 2

Ensuring Excellence in Education and the Workforce / 3

Delivering Accountability / 3

Science in This Administration / 3

Setting Priorities / 5

Responsibilities of the Federal Science Enterprise / 6

Four Major Responsibilities / 6

Promote Discovery and Sustain the Excellence 

of the Nation’s Scientific Research Enterprise 

Policies / 9

Strengthening Coordination / 9

Optimizing Performance / 10

Broad Collaboration / 11

Impact / 12

Respond to the Nation’s Challenges with Timely,

Innovative Approaches

Policies / 15

Identifying Priorities / 15

Homeland and National Security / 15

Health / 17

Energy / 18

Environment / 18

Impact / 19

Invest in and Accelerate the Transformation of

Science into National Benefits

Policies / 21

Developing New Products and Technologies / 21

Initiatives for Accelerating the Translation of Research 

into Applications / 23

Impact / 27

Achieve Excellence in Science and Technology

Education and in Workforce Development

Policies / 29

Engaging Schools and Communities / 29

Attracting and Retaining Talent / 31

Coordinating Education Programs / 32

Training Tomorrow’s Scientists / 34

Impact / 35

A Shared Vision

A National Priority / 37

Our Challenge for the Future / 38

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SCIENCE IN SOCIETY
SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 1

Since the founding of our nation,

leaders across the political spectrum

have recognized the importance of 

science and technology to our future

prosperity. This responsibility was

argued more than 50 years ago by

Vannevar Bush in his famous report,

Science: The Endless Frontier, establishing a policy that is as relevant now

as then. Today, as we embark upon

the 21st century, dynamic forces drive

the scientific enterprise. We must 

carefully analyze our research investments and engage in collective priority

setting as we respond to the requirements of a new age.

Enabling the US Research and

Development Enterprise

Across the varied institutions that

make up the US science enterprise—

academe, Federal research agencies

and government laboratories, nonprofit institutions, professional and

advisory organizations (e.g., the

National Academies), and industry—

and with the international community,

a high degree of collaboration has

evolved over time in shaping directions of scientific progress. The

Federal investment in research and

development (R&D), although 

only about 28% of our national

investment (see Figure 1), plays a 

crucial role in maintaining our

nation’s preeminence in science. 

The Federal Government supports 

• The majority of funding for 

fundamental research that may

have no immediate application; 

• Research that requires sustained

levels of long-term investment; 

• Major research facilities that are

beyond the capacity of private

industry to build or sustain; 

• An infrastructure of measurements

and standards that pervade the

nation’s science and technology

base and that are essential to the

progress of science and innovation;

• Applied research and development

for national priorities combined

with partnership efforts that accelerate the transition of Federal

research results into practical 

applications; and

• Programs for ensuring excellence 

in our national science and 

technology (S&T) education and

workforce development.

Through science we generate new knowledge and discovery, become inspired as we coax

nature to reveal her myriad secrets, and expand our understanding of the physical and 

living world. A strong scientific enterprise produces new tools for analysis and investigation and increases our capacity to question, learn, and build on previous accomplishments.

Science points us toward innovative solutions to today’s major challenges, provides 

the foundation for economic growth and development, and enhances our quality of life. 

This model of the small 

"30S" subunit of the 

ribosome molecule, nature's

protein factory, is based on

data gathered at Argonne

National Laboratory’s

Advanced Photon Source.

DOE, ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY
These Federal investments provide the

foundation for tomorrow’s great discoveries and inventions and facilitate

the timely realization of benefits from

our investments.

Responding to New

Opportunities

The increasingly interdisciplinary

nature of science is driving many

changes. Some disciplines are becoming irrevocably intertwined, as in

particle physics and astronomy, where

the discovery of dark energy in 1998

radically altered our view of the universe. Progress in one field of science

makes possible progress in seemingly

disparate fields, and increasingly 

the most exciting research problems

involve multidisciplinary collaborations, require the use of large-scale

research facilities, and use advanced

information technology. The explosive

growth of computing capabilities and

the development of advanced instrumentation have spawned a revolution

that is transforming all science. 

Ultra-high-resolution imaging, sensornetwork technology, and increasing

supercomputing simulation power are

allowing the creation of data sets that

can be fully exploited only through

broad access by a diverse scientific

community—a development that

allows new types of research investigations, more speedily conducted, in a

highly cost-effective framework.

Recent Nobel Prize selections highlight this trend of increasing scale in

scientific research and in bridging the

traditional scientific disciplines. One

of the recipients of the 2003 prize for

physiology or medicine was a chemist

who entitled his Nobel lecture “All

Science Is Interdisciplinary.” The 2003

prize for chemistry was given for the

discovery of ion channels in cells,

incorporating both new discoveries in

biology and the large-scale instrumentation normally associated with the

field of physics.

Given the increasing scale and 

interdisciplinary nature of today’s

investigations, a healthy scientific

enterprise depends on the vigorous

pursuit of progress across the full

spectrum of inquiry and the proper

balance of funding among scientific

disciplines. Many arguments have

been put forward for increased support in the physical sciences, in part

because the benefits of investments in

the physical sciences extend well

beyond new disciplinary knowledge

and address needs across science for

more computing power, scientific

instrumentation, and other tools that

enable investigation and experimentation (e.g., advances in robotics, which

could transform some types of medical research and clinical applications).

Others argue for increased support of

social sciences research, including

potential for applications directed

toward homeland and national security and understanding the ethical and

social implications of research to

develop new technologies. These arguments, and competing ideas for what

constitutes the proper mix of ingredients in a robust scientific enterprise,

must be evaluated and translated into

priorities for a finite Federal R&D

budget. It requires a variety of mechanisms, both within the Government

and across the broad scientific community, to develop these priorities.

2 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

100

80

60

40

20

0

Development

Federal

Government

28%

Universities

and colleges

2%

Other non-profits

3%

Industry

66%

Applied Research Basic Research

Source of Funds

Federal

Government

Industry

 Universities

and colleges

 Other non-profit Source of Funds PERCENT

Figure 1. National R&D expenditure by

source of funds and character of the work

for FY 2001. 
SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 3

Ensuring Excellence in

Education and the Workforce

The Federal Government also takes

responsibility for ensuring excellence

in our national science and technology

education and workforce development. Our ability to produce the

trained scientists, post-doctoral

researchers, and graduate students

who work on investigator-initiated

research proposals that are analyzed

through a rigorous peer-review

process maintains US scientific 

preeminence. Fostering a highly

skilled US S&T workforce supports

this research and helps in the translation of scientific discoveries into

practical applications, societal benefits, and relevant policies. Promoting 

a scientifically educated and aware

public is necessary if we are to make

the appropriate decisions about the

nation’s R&D investments, guide the

adoption and debate the societal

implications of new science and technologies, and reap the maximum

benefits from our investments. The

quality of these efforts underpins the

entire US scientific enterprise.

Delivering Accountability

It is also the responsibility of the

Federal Government to ensure that

the people’s investments in Federally

sponsored research are well managed

and wisely used, which is the focus of

the President’s Management Agenda.

The American people, in the words of

President Bush, deserve a government

that is “not just making promises, but

making good on promises.” To this

end, the Federal agencies, through

entities such as the National Science

and Technology Council (NSTC), 

regularly review and revise program

management and evaluation practices,

priority-setting processes, and partnership mechanisms with the scientific

community to ensure the maximum

return on the people’s investment. 

Science in This Administration

This Administration has, as a first 

priority, responded to the urgent need

to combat terrorism and safeguard

homeland and national security.

Second, together with security we

must ensure continued economic

growth, both in the short term and in

setting the stage for innovations and

technologies that will ensure our

NASA / WILKINSON MICROWAVE ANISOTROPY PROBE SCIENCE TEAM

Discovery of dark energy

driving physics and 

astronomy research

In 1998, scientists discovered that the

universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, meaning that some

previously unknown energy source is

counteracting the force of gravity.

Called “dark energy,” this repulsive

force is literally tearing the universe

apart. In February 2003, dark energy

was shown to be the dominant force

in our universe when the Wilkinson

Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)

released the best “baby picture” of

the universe ever taken. It shows that

the first generation of stars in the universe ignited only 200 million years

after the Big Bang, much earlier than

scientists had expected. The new portrait also precisely pegs the age of the

universe at 13.7 billion years old and

determines the content of the 

universe to be 4% ordinary matter,

23% “dark matter,” and a remarkable

73% “dark energy.” 

These discoveries are shaping

research in the very small arena of

particle physics as well as the vast

universe of astronomy, and are also

reshaping the scientific community’s

research agenda and research investment strategy. Recently, the nation’s

leading physicists and astronomers

proposed 11 compelling science questions for the new century in the

National Research Council’s report,

Connecting Quarks with the Cosmos.

The NSTC report, Physics of the

Universe, provides an interagency

blueprint for future Federal investments based on these questions. 

Full sky map of the oldest light in 

the universe.
4 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

nation’s future growth and prosperity.

We must also take steps to maintain

and increase the quality of American

life—sufficient, affordable health care;

affordable and abundant supplies of

energy; and a healthy environment

now and into the future.

Solutions to these and other challenges will depend on scientific

discoveries and new technologies just

as surely as the development of

today’s remarkable medical diagnostic

tests or the information technology

revolution depended on the fundamental breakthroughs in biology,

physics, and mathematics that 

preceded them. Funding for R&D 

has increased steadily in this

Administration (Figure 2). To sustain

the needed science and technology, the

President’s 2005 budget request commits 16% of total discretionary

budget authority to R&D. Funding

requested for R&D in 2005 is the

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005

Who are the Government’s

scientists?

Federal science funding supports hundreds of thousands of researchers in

the private sector, particularly at universities (the Government provides the

majority of all funding for academic

R&D). The funding also supports,

behind the many agency acronyms, a

small cadre of Federal scientists, engineers, and other highly skilled research

staff. According to an NSF survey of

the nation’s PhD workforce, the slightly

more than 38,000 Federal workers (in

2001) who held PhDs in science and

engineering represent only about 7%

of the total US doctoral scientists and

engineers, but they perform critical

roles. They and other Government 

scientists conduct their own research,

often in areas that are inherently governmental in nature; collaborate with

colleagues in academia and industry;

and contribute their expertise to the

management of Federal science and

technology programs and the development of national science policy. 

Early career researchers reenergize 

the Federal workforce as they grow

into satisfying careers, applying their

skills to a variety of agency programs

and projects. Nearly 20% of the

Government’s doctoral scientists and

engineers are recent (within five years)

degree recipients. Others bring established expertise to Federal service after

many years in academia or industry. 

At all career levels, scientists working

for the Federal Government make

important contributions, and many 

have achieved wide recognition. They 

serve as editors of scientific and professional journals, lead major scientific

societies, and some have won notable

awards, including Nobel Prizes. The

Government’s scientists are active in

the larger science community and

often move between Federal service

and employment in academia and

industry. An expert, engaged, and

mobile Federal science and engineering

workforce helps improve science planning, inform policy, and strengthen 

the collaborative nature of the nation’s

research enterprise. 

Left: Leslie G. Ungerleider, Chief, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute 

of Mental Health. Member, National Academy of Sciences. Center: NIST physicist 

Eric A. Cornell, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics. Right: J. Marshall Shepherd,

NASA, winner of a 2002 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. COURTESY OF L.G. UNGERLEIDER, NIH COURTESY OF E. CORNELL, NIST

COURTESY OF J.M. SHEPHERD, NASA GSFC

Figure 2. Federal R&D spending, 1991–2005

(constant 2005 dollars).

BUDGET AUTHORITY IN BILLIONS
highest level ever, and among the

highest in recent decades when measured as a share of discretionary

funding or gross domestic product. In

President Bush’s words, “Science and

technology have never been more

essential to the defense of the nation

and the health of the economy.”

Setting Priorities

The President has outlined broad policies that apply across the board to the

conduct of Federal research and development and the making of investment

decisions. The Office of Science and

Technology Policy (OSTP) and Office

of Management and Budget (OMB)

provide an annual memorandum on

research and development priorities in

the Federal budget that gives early

guidance to the research agencies in

developing responsive agency and

interagency research initiatives. 

The memorandum directs that the

conduct of Federally funded research

be optimized through interagency

coordination of related programs.

This memorandum also outlines the

Administration’s performance assessment and review policies for R&D

programs. Programs must be relevant;

they must set clear goals that are germane to agency missions, national

priorities, and stakeholder requirements. They must be of high quality,

as determined by the appropriate use

of outside expert assessment, peer

review, merit-based competitions, and

the preservation and development of

unique capabilities and infrastructure.

They must demonstrate a record of

performance, as evidenced by strategic

planning, an outline of appropriate

SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 5

RNAi: Discovery of 

ubiquitous cellular 

system leads to 

powerful research tool

It is not every day scientists uncover

one of nature’s deepest secrets. The

discovery of a simple way to turn off

genes—gene silencing by RNA 

interference (RNAi)—is this kind of

breakthrough. RNAi has been found in

plants, animals, and man. Researchers

believe that RNAi’s natural role is to

modulate the activity of genes, reducing their expression for purposes of

growth and/or self-defense. Viruses,

for example, direct the cells they

infect to produce specialized RNAs

that help the virus survive.

Researchers believe that RNAi is an

ancient mechanism used to wipe

away such unwanted, extra RNA. 

RNAi was discovered after a simple

experiment produced results completely opposite to what was

expected. Scientists studying the

genetics of plant growth were

attempting to deliver an extra “purple” gene to petunias, but the flowers

bloomed stark white. How could

adding genetic material somehow

silence an inherited trait? The mystery

remained until researchers funded by

NIH and NSF identified a similar

process in diverse organisms and discovered RNAi, which operates like a

molecular “mute button” to quiet individual genes. Further investigations

found that the RNAi technique could

be applied nearly universally to manipulate gene activity.

Researchers believe that RNAi holds

promise for new medical therapies.

Scientists have crafted clever tools 

for getting living cells to produce 

specific forms of RNAi, enhancing

researchers’ ability to explore RNAi’s

medical promise in research animals

and with human cells. For example, in

recent lab tests with isolated human

cells, researchers have succeeded in

using RNAi to kill HIV, the virus that

causes AIDS. 

Interference: Mice with hepatitis given a placebo suffered serious liver scarring 

(left, lines) from inflammation, whereas the livers of those receiving targeted RNAi

were protected.

JUDY LIEBERMAN, CENTER FOR BLOOD RESEARCH, INSTITUTE FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH ANDHARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
measures to achieve priorities and

goals, and use of insightful metrics

that demonstrate results. 

As we enter the 21st century, the

Federal agencies are using interagency

collaboration and joint priority-setting

more than ever to outline cohesive

strategies that maximize the return on

the Federal research investment,

including strategies for forming effective private-sector partnerships and

international collaborations. Working

through the NSTC and other interagency mechanisms, we have identified

four broad responsibilities for the

Federal science enterprise that will

guide us in sustaining the global preeminence of the US science enterprise,

foster critical national and international partnerships, and focus

activities on areas of critical national

interest. The agencies have produced

immediate results that respond to the

President’s challenges and have laid a

strong foundation for the realization

of multiple, long-term benefits from

today’s Federal science investments.

Responsibilities of the Federal

Science Enterprise 

Broad investments in basic research,

sometimes called discovery science,

result in new knowledge and spur

invention and innovation in ways that

are sure but unpredictable. We don’t

know what the next fundamental discovery will be, or where and when it

will lead to new economic growth or

benefits for our quality of life. Yet, we

know enough of history to see that it

is America’s investment in research

and development, and the innovation

that results, that underlie our national

prosperity. Activities emanating from

Federal R&D investments that produce new economic growth have

never been higher. Of the increasing

numbers of patents issued each year,

40% cite Federal research as 

their source. 

The Federal research enterprise is

agile, able to direct great expertise

and inventiveness to the challenges of

the day. Directing funding to specific

priorities such as homeland security,

energy technology, environmental

quality, or research on specific health

challenges enables us to increase the

rate of progress in those sectors and

will spur the development of new

knowledge products and technologies.

Perhaps the greatest recent example of

mobilizing the Federal scientific enterprise on a national challenge occurred

after September 11, 2001, when the

research agencies quickly began to

work together on measures for

enhancing national and global security

while minimizing the impact on our

daily lives and accustomed freedoms.

Four Major Responsibilities

Federal agencies, through the auspices

of the NSTC and other coordinating

mechanisms, work together to 

develop priorities for the Federal 

science budget; to coordinate crossagency programs that address broad

national priorities; to simplify science

management practices; and to make

sure that our activities bring to students and the general public the

excitement of discovery and help them

prepare to be productive in a rapidly

changing world.

6 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Three galaxies collide

(lower right) in the early

universe: from Hubble’s

ultra-deep field photo. 

NASA, EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY, S. BECKWITH (SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE), AND THE HUBBLE ULTRA-DEEP FIELD TEAM
These activities support the execution

of four major responsibilities of the

Federal science enterprise

1. Promote discovery and sustain the

excellence of the Nation’s scientific

research enterprise.

2. Respond to the Nation’s challenges

with timely, innovative approaches.

3. Invest in and accelerate the 

transformation of science into

national benefits.

4. Achieve excellence in science and

technology education and in workforce development.

Each of these responsibilities, and the

related science policies that flow from

them, are addressed in this report

with examples that illustrate how the

stage is being set for benefits that will

continue long into the future.

SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 7

A Quantum Leap for

Quantum Physics

It’s been an amazing decade for accomplishing things in science once thought

to be impossible. In 1995, a team of

physicists created a superatom—a set

of 2000 rubidium atoms all doing

exactly the same thing at exactly the

same time. They had produced a new

form of matter called a Bose-Einstein

condensate, a “Holy Grail” that physicists had been pursuing for more than

70 years. The accomplishment earned

Eric Cornell of the National Institute of

Standards and Technology (NIST) 

and Carl Wieman of the University of

Colorado, Boulder a Nobel Prize in

Physics in 2001. In also helped set off

a renaissance of research in all things

quantum, the study of the unusual,

often downright strange, behavior of

the smallest particles of matter. 

Two years later, in December 2003,

another NIST/CU Boulder team, this

one led by NIST physicist Deborah Jin,

created yet another, new form of 

matter, a fermion condensate. To a

physicist even the term “Fermion 

condensate” sounds like an oxymoron.

The bosons in Bose-Einstein condensates are inherently gregarious; they

would rather adopt their neighbor’s

motion than go it alone. But fermions,

the other half of the particle family tree

and the basic building blocks of all matter, are inherently loners. No fermion

can be in exactly the same quantum

state as another fermion. To get around

this problem, the Jin team used ultracold temperatures and finely tuned

magnetic fields to match up the

fermion atoms into pairs. A similar phenomenon appears to be happening in

superconductors, in which pairs of

electrons (also fermions) flow without

any resistance. Physicists hope that

further research with such fermion 

condensates eventually may lead to

ways to produce superconductivity in

room- temperature materials, a development that would dramatically

improve energy efficiency across a

broad range of applications. 

DOC, NIST

False color images of a condensate formed from pairs of fermion potassium atoms.

Higher areas indicate a greater density of atoms.
8 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

PROMOTE DISCOVERY 

and Sustain the Excellence of the Nation’s 

Scientific Research Enterprise
Policies

Some basic policies guide the agencies’

programs of discovery science

• Sustaining the nation’s preeminence

in fundamental scientific research is

a major Federal responsibility;

• The programs in the basic discovery sciences are shaped by the

needs and advice of the scientific

community; and

• The results of Federally supported

basic research should be readily

accessible to all.

Strengthening Coordination 

The Federal research agencies coordinate the ongoing evaluation of

opportunities and identify collective

priorities both in the fundamental 

scientific disciplines and increasingly

at the intersections of disciplines in

the life sciences, physical sciences,

social and behavioral sciences, mathematics, and engineering. Various

interagency mechanisms, such as the

NSTC, exist to enhance the communication between interrelated discipline 

communities and encourage the crossfertilization of ideas. This improves

strategic planning, development and

implementation of complementary

programs, and creation of integrated

program management mechanisms. 

A few examples illustrate agency 

and interagency priority setting 

and coordination

• The role of the social and behavioral sciences in the Federal

research portfolio is becoming

increasingly important in a rapidly

changing world. Several agencies

coordinate programs in this area,

including the National Science

Foundation (NSF), National

Institutes of Health (NIH),

Department of Defense (DOD),

Department of Homeland Security

(DHS), National Institute of Justice

(NIJ), National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration (NASA), and

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA). The agencies address a wide variety of topics

such as health behaviors (behavioral and social factors are linked

SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 9

Many secrets of nature are revealed through “accidents” of science that require prepared

minds, the right tools, and a view that extends beyond the horizon. A long-term strategy 

will seek discoveries and new knowledge from both expected and unexpected sources and

will have the flexibility to follow new paths as they emerge. The serendipitous nature of

many scientific discoveries and the increasingly interdisciplinary character of science raise 

the importance of the breadth of scientific excellence. Discovery today in one discipline 

can lead to major progress in another area tomorrow. Anticipated long-term breakthroughs

in life and medical sciences also rely on strengthening the physical sciences, mathematics,

and engineering.

Basic laboratory science

remains essential for 

promoting discovery. Here 

a researcher demonstrates

stimuli sensitive polymers 

that remain in a liquid form

when dissolved in water, 

but form a solid gel under 

various stimuli.

DOE/PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY
to half of all causes of disease and

death in the United States), maximizing performance of border

guards and airport personnel, and

evaluating the societal impacts of

emerging technologies (e.g.,

genomics, nanotechnology, reproductive technologies). Recent

breakthroughs have occurred in the

analysis of the stability of social

institutions in response to terrorism

and other disasters and in the linguistic and text analysis of large

arrays of information. To facilitate

coordination across Federal agencies, the NSTC Subcommittee on

Social, Behavioral, and Economic

Sciences was established in 2003. 

• The NSTC Subcommittee on Water

Availability and Quality has been

formed to address science and technology issues relevant to the US

and global water supply. The subcommittee brings together expertise

across multiple agencies and is

coordinating with the National

Academies and the international

research community (through the

Department of State) on research

directions and recommendations to

address the important issues of

water availability and quality, especially in relationship to land use. 

• Systematics is a discipline that supports a wide range of scientific

research through the development

of taxonomies that organize the

relationships between plants and

animals as well as through the

preservation of unique collections

of species from around the world.

In addition to providing the raw

material for biological research,

systematics contributes to the

understanding of biodiversity and

invasive species essential to solving

problems in sustainable and conventional agriculture. Several

Federal agencies collaborate in supporting systematics, including the

Department of Agriculture (USDA),

which recently developed a strategic plan for future investments to

enhance access to its research and

collections, and NOAA, which 

contributes expertise in aquatic

species as well as in information

technologies. These investments

will be used to build electronic

databases and fund the preservation of existing collections. 

Optimizing Performance

The increasingly interdisciplinary

nature of science, the growing scale 

of required research infrastructure

investments, and the international

nature of modern science call for new

management structures and a global

commitment to scientific progress. As

10 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

A new vision for space

exploration

President Bush has announced a new

vision for the nation’s space exploration

program. The President committed the

United States to a long-term human

and robotic program to explore the

solar system, starting with a return to

the Moon that will ultimately enable

future exploration of Mars and other

destinations. Preparing the way for

space exploration later in this century,

scientists are examining what NASA’s

Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, are

showing them about Mars rocks and

are seeing into the planet’s past. What

they are seeing indicates that water

once flowed there. The outcrop next to

where Opportunity landed, dubbed “El

Capitan,” holds evidence that the rocks

have spent time drenched in liquid

water. Clues from the rocks’ appearance and composition support the conclusion that the rocks were altered by

exposure to liquid water after they

were formed. However, the clues 

don’t tell how long the wet conditions

lasted, and they are only tantalizing, not

conclusive, about whether the environment was watery when the rocks

formed. NASA’s scientists will continue

to examine evidence from the rovers to

pursue other possible evidence about

the rocks’ water history. This information will help scientists evaluate the

possibility that Mars once had an environment wet enough to be hospitable

to life and determine the directions for

future Mars missions. 

President Bush announces the new space

vision on January 14, 2004.

WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BY ERIC DRAPER

This mosaic of images taken by

Opportunity’s panoramic camera shows

the rock region dubbed “El Capitan.”

NASA, JET PROPULSION LABORATORY AND CORNELLUNIVERSITY
SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 11

opportunities become more complex,

science management and collaboration across institutions must be

improved to better align funding and

capabilities with opportunities.

Several ongoing initiatives illustrate

this process

• The NSTC Subcommittee on

Research Business Models was

formed to identify and recommend

improvements to the Federal

research process for all stakeholders. The subcommittee sponsored a

series of four stakeholder workshops to identify issues and listen

to concerns. It identified a list of 10

issues to address in the short term

and will continue discussions with

the community on other issues to

be addressed at a later date. Some

of the short-term issues include 

stability and predictability of 

support for facilities and instrumentation, standard progress and

financial reporting procedures

across agencies, and consistent

Federal Government-wide rules 

for conflict of interest. 

• The President’s Management

Agenda calls for a process of continuous improvement in the

effectiveness of Government R&D

spending and holds agencies and

departments accountable by tracking management practices against

five broad initiatives. The National

Science Foundation was the first

agency to meet all standards and be

given a “green for success” for any

one initiative (according to the traffic light analogy used by the agency

scorecard). For the December 2003

performance data, NSF and NASA

were the only two agencies that

achieved as many as two out of a

possible five green scores.

• Characteristic of several agency 

initiatives to improve long-term

effectiveness, the Department of

Energy (DOE) has established its

top 20 large-scale scientific investments for the future. The result of

broad consultation with the science

community, the report Facilities for

the Future of Science: A TwentyYear Outlook lays out the rationale

for the high-priority investments

needed for future discoveries in the

agency’s top-priority research areas. 

Broad Collaboration

Federal science planning must also

recognize the importance of new ways

of working with the national and

international research communities as

we increasingly take on projects that

involve multiple research institutions,

other governments, and multinational

research organizations as partners.

Such research collaborations can 

Mathematics animating

science discoveries

Mathematics is a powerful tool of

insight and a unifying force across 

science and engineering. The importance of mathematics to scientific

discovery continues to grow with the

increased complexity of much interdisciplinary research and the need to

work with very large data sets.

Sophisticated mathematical models

and computational algorithms provide

the link from measurable quantities 

to the phenomena we want to study.

Advances in fundamental mathematics played a crucial role in generating

and assembling the fragments of the

human genome. New computational

algorithms also lie behind many of

today’s dramatic animation sequences

that appear on movie screens and 

in video games. Federal support for

basic mathematics is provided by 

NSF. Other agencies including 

the Office of Naval Research and 

DOE provide funding for new

advances in mathematics related 

to specific applications. 

Smoke animated using an algorithm

based on the computational fluid

dynamics technique of “vorticity 

confinement.”

COURTESY OF RON FEDKIW AND HENRIK JENSEN, STANFORD UNIVERSITY
provide global benefits. Some examples of international coordination and

globally beneficial projects follow

• The Rice Genome Sequencing

Project involves 10 countries and

both private- and public-sector

partners. The NSTC Interagency

Working Group on Plant Genomes

has played a strong coordinating

role in developing the research 

priorities and pursuing innovative

cross-boundary collaborations.

Knowledge of the rice genome not

only adds to understanding of

genetic patterns across species and

provides benefits to US and international rice producers but can

strengthen food security across the

globe (rice is the staple food of half

the human population).

• The Intergovernmental Group on

Earth Observations involves 

47 nations plus the European

Commission and 29 international

organizations. This group, which is

co-chaired by the United States, the

European Commission, Japan, and

South Africa, was established following a July 2003 Summit on

Earth Observations that was 

sponsored by the US Departments

of Commerce, Energy, and State.

During the summit, a declaration

was adopted that calls for intergovernmental cooperation in moving

forward on global systems of Earth

observation and for the development of a 10-year implementation

plan. The Earth observations 

plan will address the research and

policy communities’ requirements

for land, atmospheric, and 

ocean observations, including a

number that are detailed in the

recent report of the President’s

Commission on Ocean Policy,

whose study is the first comprehensive look at the state of our oceans

in 30 years.

Impact

These investments illustrate the

Federal research agencies’ commitment to a broad program of

fundamental science that is integrated

across the agencies, exploits the

appropriate national and international

partnerships, and is based on the 

best advice from the larger scientific 

community. They are the result of

long-term planning and far-sighted

vision, as well as a commitment to

supporting the appropriate instrumentation and research infrastructure that

make discoveries possible, and to the

best possible management of finite

resources. By taking advantage of the

emerging opportunities in interdisciplinary science, as well as fully

exploiting recent breakthroughs in

information infrastructure and instrumentation, the agencies are setting the

stage for long-term advances across

the full spectrum of opportunities.

12 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

From basic science to auction markets to public policy

In the 1950s, the business world thought game theory, the study of individuals’

behavior in situations where their behavior affects others, was arcane theory with

little practical potential. NSF thought differently and has invested in decision 

sciences for several decades. Now, this collaboration between game theorists

and economists has evolved to produce new, practical insights into how businesses compete in markets, including behavior in high-stakes auctions. These

findings have been applied to energy, telecommunications, pollution control 

policy, and agricultural land conservation. The design of an auction mechanism

contributed to the success of EPA auctions and emissions trading to control sulfur dioxide emissions and reduce acid rain. The cost savings to emissions trading

have been estimated to be one third compared with reasonable alternative

approaches for the same reduction in sulfur dioxide. Research continues to make

auction markets more efficient by tackling problems such as sale of multiple

items and collusion by bidders. 

Game theory: The fruits

of economic research 

are everywhere.

ANN CARLSON
SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 13

Advances in genomics and

proteomics

Global partnerships in massive genome

sequencing projects have facilitated

numerous advances in structural

genomics. Partners include NIH, DOE,

USDA, and NSF; many international

groups; and several private-sector companies. With access to completely

sequenced genomes, scientists are now

better equipped than ever to make breakthroughs in proteomics. A single gene

codes for an estimated five to six proteins on average. Because most of the

chemistry inside of cells occurs at the

protein level, examining the proteins 

produced from genes is essential to 

gaining a more complete understanding

of disease. 

In the Federal, university, and industry

collaboration known as the Protein

Structure Initiative (PSI), led by the

National Institute of General Medical

Sciences at NIH, effort is aimed at dramatically enhancing our ability to

determine protein structures. The PSI

focuses on experimentally determining

the structures of thousands of proteins

and using computational techniques to

obtain structural models of many more

proteins based on their chemical

sequence. This knowledge may ultimately solve key biomedical problems

and help to develop new treatments and

prevention techniques for genetic and

infectious diseases. An important early

result is a schematic map of the most

common protein shapes that nature uses

to construct the multitude of complex

proteins that make up all living 

organisms. Data from the PSI centers are

deposited into the publicly accessible

Protein Data Bank, the single worldwide

repository for data on biomolecular structure, funded by NIH, NSF, and DOE and

managed by a consortium including NIST,

the University of California at San Diego,

and Rutgers University.

The DOE Genomics: GTL (formerly

Genomes to Life) Program uses the new

genomic data and high-throughput technologies for studying proteins encoded

by the genome to explore the diverse

natural capabilities of microbes. The program targets microbes with remarkable

capabilities to degrade organic wastes,

detoxify heavy metals, produce fuels, 

and remove carbon dioxide from the

atmosphere. Starting with the complete

genome sequences for dozens—

eventually hundreds—of microbes, 

the GTL program seeks to characterize 

all of the proteins that carry out cellular

functions, understand how proteins 

work together in multi-protein complexes

to bring microbes to life, and understand 

how communities of microbes 

work together. 

Structure of the antibacterial peptide,

microcin J25. 

USDA/AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE FT. KEOGH LIVESTOCK AND RANGE RESEARCH LAB

Decoding the cow genome

Domestic animals play a central role 

in the food supply as well as in biomedical research. High-quality genome

sequences exist for humans, microbes,

plants, and other model organisms.

Sequencing livestock and poultry

genomes will have many benefits 

such as increased food safety, higherquality food for lower cost, reduced

environmental impact, greater economic

competitiveness, and novel products containing additional nutritional and health

benefits. The new genome sequences

will also contribute to basic research in

comparative genomics, adding to our

understanding of the diversity of species.

Through consultations with Federal

research agencies, the academic

research community, and private industry, the cow was identified as the highest

priority livestock animal for sequencing

(the complete assembly of the chicken

genome was announced on March 1,

2004). A coordinated effort played an

important role because the bovine

genome is similar in size to the human

genome and that of other mammals. The

International Bovine Genome Sequencing

Project brings together a broad set of

interests including USDA, NIH, the state

of Texas; international partnerships with

GenomeCanada, Australia, and New

Zealand; and private-sector partners from

the US Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the

Texas and South Dakota Beef Councils.

This collaboration highlights the potential

for combining scientific expertise and

financial support to advance common

research priorities. 

One of two animals providing DNA from

the USDA/Agricultural Research Service 

Ft. Keogh Livestock and Range Research

Lab at Miles City, MT.

GAETANO MONTELIONE AND RICHARD EBRIGHT.NORTHEAST STRUCTURAL GENOMICS CONSORTIUMOF THE PROTEIN STRUCTURE INITIATIVE / RUTGERSUNIVERSITY / HOWARD HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE
14 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

RESPOND TO THE 

NATION’S CHALLENGES

with Timely, Innovative Approaches
SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 15

Policies

To continue to meet these increasingly

complex emerging priorities, there

must be policies that guide the allocation of resources 

• Flexibility in funding is required 

to redirect resources to the most

pressing needs; and

• New programs will be targeted

toward the most appropriate

research performer or partnership

(e.g., international, Federal,

academe, industry).

Identifying Priorities

An annual OSTP and OMB memorandum on R&D priorities provides

guidance on critical issues. Agency

budget proposals illustrate the 

cross-agency response to the Administration’s priorities and reflect their

consensus on the appropriate performers and ways to direct funding

and resources to the critical topics

identified. Recent interagency proposals for climate change, homeland

security (including the food and agriculture defense initiative in the FY

2005 budget proposal), and nanotechnology illustrate how agencies have

collaborated to develop new proposals

in response to this budget guidance.

Development of responsive research

plans takes into account advice 

from the NSTC and other science

advisory bodies such as the President’s

Council of Advisors on Science and

Technology (PCAST) and the 

National Academies.

To further illustrate the Federal

response to high-priority national

needs, several examples in select 

critical priority areas follow

Homeland and National

Security

• The events following September 11,

2001, show the strength of the 

scientific community in responding

to a national emergency. Early in

the national response, OSTP 

established a formal relationship,

including shared personnel, with

the newly created Office of

Homeland Security to ensure that

the full force of the Federal science

enterprise was available to engage

in critical early activities. The

Antiterrorism R&D Task Force

was formed under the NSTC to

quickly develop coordinated

research initiatives on the highest

priority issues including biological,

chemical, and radiological/nuclear

Some of the most pressing issues facing our nation are in the areas of homeland and

national security, health, environment, and energy. Scientific research has already provided

the basis for biomedical countermeasures to enhance homeland security; established a

foundation to develop cutting-edge energy technologies; and brought life-saving medical

technologies to patients. Science also provides the Administration with a foundation for

the development of public policy surrounding these and other high-priority issues. 

JAMES GATHANY, CDC

In their diagnostic analyses,

scientists at the CDC, as well

as other laboratories have

detected a previously unrecognized coronavirus in patients

with SARS. Here a scientist

examines structural proteins

derived from virus particles.
countermeasures; social, behavioral, and economic issues in risk

assessment and risk communication; and rapid response. Later, the

NSTC Committee on Homeland

and National Security was established to coordinate interagency

research directed toward homeland

and national security. Some of the

most significant areas of contribution include developing vaccines;

developing biometrics; mapping the

genomes of anthrax and other

pathogens; developing sensor

(“sniffer”) technologies to detect

minute concentrations of chemicals;

research on atmospheric dispersion

to inform responses to chemical,

biological, or radiological dispersal

events; and new techniques for data

mining, to extract patterns from

large and unwieldy data sets.

• Drawing on a research program 

to develop new concepts for 

countering the increasing use of

caves and bunkers by terrorists in

Afghanistan to store their caches 

of weapons, DOD R&D agencies

took less than 90 days to accelerate

the development of thermobaric

weapons from a concept that 

was little more than “basic chemistry” to systems that could be 

used for destroying cave targets.

“Thermobaric” comes from Greek

words for “heat” and “pressure.”

The thermobaric explosives operate

in two stages with a primary explosion that releases the fuel for a

secondary explosion that causes an

extremely high-pressure wave. If

the explosive is detonated within 

a cave, the blast wave rushes

through the tunnel without causing

a tunnel collapse around the initial

16 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Rapid response to 

infectious disease

In response to homeland security concerns, multiple Federal agencies have

joined forces to develop new tools to

protect the public from both deliberately introduced and naturally

occurring pathogens. These involve

cooperation among NIH, CDC, the US

Army Medical Research Institute of

Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and

other components of DOD, DHS, CIA,

FBI, DOE, USDA, and NSF. 

One example of the positive synergy

among Federal agencies is the development of an Ebola vaccine. In 2000,

NIH, together with CDC, tested an

experimental Ebola vaccine that fully

protected monkeys from the lethal

virus. One component of that early

Ebola vaccine is now being assessed

for safety in a human clinical trial at

NIH and is the result of NIH/USAMRIID collaborations. This vaccine uses

a strategy similar to that of other

investigational vaccines that hold

promise for controlling diseases, such

as those for HIV/AIDS and SARS.

Genome sequencing projects, involving several Federal agencies and

various international partners, are

ongoing for high-priority pathogens. 

Not only are we better prepared to

protect citizens against deliberately

introduced pathogens, we have also

increased our capacity to tackle the

tide of naturally emerging agents such

as SARS and West Nile Virus. To facilitate this type of important research,

several agencies are investing in

research infrastructure that will be

available to assist national, state, 

and local public health efforts in the

event of a bioterrorism or infectious

disease emergency. For example, 

NIH is supporting the construction 

of biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) and 

BSL-4 laboratory facilities across the

country. (The higher BSL numbers,

which range from 1 to 4, imply

increased occupational risk from 

exposure and the need for additional

containment measures.) 

Researcher working in a BSL-4 

laboratory. 

US ARMY
SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 17

explosion. These systems can be

useful for destroying chemical and

biological weapons sites, because

they do not spread the agents as a

conventional explosion does but

can incinerate the agent outright.

• University-based Homeland

Security Centers have been established by the Department of

Homeland Security to leverage the

multidisciplinary capabilities of the

nation’s universities to fill scientific

and technological knowledge gaps.

The first award was made to the

University of Southern California

in 2003 to establish the Homeland

Security Center for Risk and

Economic Analysis of Terrorism

Events. In April 2004, DHS

announced awards to Texas A&M

University, to lead the National

Center for Foreign Animal and

Zoonotic Disease Defense, and the

University of Minnesota, to lead

the Center for Post-Harvest Food

Protection and Defense. Future

Homeland Security Centers will

leverage university capabilities in

the social and behavioral sciences

and may address research to 

support operational response.

Health

• The scientific response to severe

acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

epitomizes the new model of collaboration that is emerging to meet

today’s global scientific challenges.

A multifaceted scientific effort

brought together governmental

research agencies, academic institutions, and private industry around

the globe. Within the United States,

intense collaboration took place

among the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention 

(CDC), NIH, Food and Drug

Administration (FDA), DOD,

Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA), academic institutions, and

private industry. Working together,

they rapidly deciphered the genetic

code of SARS. This was followed

by the development of antiviral

agents and candidate vaccines. One

example encapsulates how Federal

research agencies have helped 

create a multiplier effect to spur

further research. The NIH National

Institute of Allergy and Infectious

Diseases sponsored an alliance of

government, non-profit, and industry partners to distribute for free a

new “SARS chip” that will enable

researchers to rapidly detect tiny

genetic variations among different

SARS virus strains and speed 

development of new drugs.

• Faced with the recent possibility of

a serious West Nile Virus (WNV)

epidemic, US Government scientists

sprang into action and developed a

promising hybrid vaccine. NIH scientists collaborated with the Walter

Reed Army Institute of Research to

capitalize on recent advances in

recombinant DNA technology and

previous research on another virus

(dengue) in the same family of 

flaviviruses to produce a new candidate WNV vaccine. Their early

successes are due to the virus’ 

similarity to other flaviviruses 

and to recent efforts to increase

research on newly emerging

pathogens. To prevent the spread of

WNV through the nation’s blood

supply, FDA and CDC worked

closely with the states and the

Adding a human 

dimension to 

solving problems

The social networks among people

in an organization or community

can be the most important factor in

group process and information

flow. Data and maps of social networks have provided important

insights into human behavior since

they were drawn by hand in the

1930s. Today, Internet technology

and newly developed mathematical

network analysis tools have transformed this research. NSF’s new

program in Human and Social

Dynamics will enhance the ability

of organizations and individuals to

understand change in society and

anticipate its complex consequences. The new tools, combined

with advanced temporal and spatial

information analysis tools such as

geographic information systems,

contribute to antiterrorism efforts,

epidemiology, public safety, 

and education. 

Schematic of two types of social 

networks. 

COURTESY OF MIKE NEWMAN,UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
blood and diagnostics industry to

develop appropriate tests based on

existing platform DNA technologies. As a result, within eight

months of identifying the risk of

WNV exposure from blood and tissue, universal investigational blood

donor screening was made available, preventing the introduction of

more than 1,000 units of potentially infectious blood into the

nation’s blood supply.

Energy

• The President announced a US

Hydrogen Fuel Initiative in 

January 2003. In November 

2003, 15 nations and the European

Commission—representing a collective 85% of the world’s gross

domestic product and two thirds 

of the world’s energy consumption—agreed to establish the

International Partnership for the

Hydrogen Economy. Chaired by

the US Departments of Energy and

Transportation, this multinational

program will coordinate the highrisk/high-payoff science and

advanced technology development

that will turn this vision into a

global reality. The Hydrogen Fuel

Initiative has significantly increased

the nation’s investment in hydrogen

energy R&D. Revolutionary 

discoveries and conceptual breakthroughs will be needed in the

interdisciplinary areas of science

enabling the production, storage,

and use of hydrogen. Solutions will

lie in the innovative synthesis of

new classes of materials, particularly nanomaterials, coupled with

the fundamental understanding of

their structural, thermodynamic,

physical, and chemical properties.

• In January 2003, President Bush

committed the United States to participate in one of the largest and

most technologically sophisticated

international research projects in

the world, the experimental nuclear

fusion reactor known as ITER, to

demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of nuclear

fusion energy for peaceful purposes. International partnerships

are essential in this research

because of the huge investments

required in facilities and experimentation. ITER represents an

essential step forward if fusion

energy is to play a part in future,

cleaner energy sources.

Environment

• In June 2001, the President

announced the US Climate Change

Research Initiative, a new approach

to prioritizing scientific research to

improve our understanding of

global climate change. The new US

Climate Change Science Program

(CCSP) developed a strategic plan

for research in this area. By July

2003, the CCSP, a collaboration of

13 Federal agencies, had published

a research vision and strategic 

plan that provides a strategy for

developing knowledge of climate

variability and change and for the

application of this knowledge. The

plan’s objectives include reduction

of scientific uncertainty about the

climate effects of aerosols (tiny 

particles) in the atmosphere, better

understanding of the carbon cycle

in the Earth system, improved 

climate modeling, enhanced Earth

observations, and development of

scientific information to support

decision making. This strategy 

has been endorsed by the National

Academies. The President’s 

FY 2005 budget request seeks

nearly $2 billion to fund this

important research.

• The Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) and NIH National

Institute of Environmental Health

Sciences are studying the role of

particulate matter in cardiovascular

disease, the leading cause of death

in the United States. Recent studies

suggest that air pollutants, especially particulate matter, may be a

18 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

J. KARL JOHNSON, UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURG

Simulation of the structure

of absorbed hydrogen 

in an array of nanotubes 

at 298K and 200 bar of

hydrogen pressure.
factor in the development of heart

disease. Currently documented risk

factors for heart disease are age,

lifestyle (smoking, physical inactivity, and diet), gender, race, and

genetics. The new research will

investigate mechanisms by which

air pollutants adversely affect the

cardiovascular system, an area

where few data presently exist.

Researchers also will identify and

investigate the factors that make

certain people more susceptible to

the cardiovascular effects of air

pollutants. The research fosters

innovative collaborations between

environmental health and cardiovascular researchers. 

Impact

The agencies call upon the resources

of the entire national science enterprise and, where appropriate,

international collaborators to address

the concerns of the day in the most

efficient and appropriate way possible. The above examples are but a few

of the ways Federal agencies have

responded to the high-priority concerns that the Administration has

called on them to address. Their

research activities produce both physical products (e.g., new vaccines) that

directly solve problems and knowledge products that are communicated

to decision makers and the public to

inform policies and facilitate decisions

that affect nearly every aspect of 

our lives.

SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 19

Biometrics 

Automated methods of recognizing an

individual by his or her physical or

behavioral characteristics have the

potential of significantly influencing

future Federal operations and business practices and enhancing

homeland security. For this to happen,

the accuracy of the technology must

improve along with our understanding

of its capabilities, limitations, and sociological factors. Coordinating through

the NSTC Biometrics working group,

the agencies are developing and

implementing near- and long-term

plans in the areas of modalities; 

systems and human interface; fusion,

test infrastructure, and evaluation; 

and social/legal/privacy.

One of the early successes is a collaborative effort to define a standard set

of biometrics test procedures and 

statistical methods to be used by

researchers across the Federal agencies, as well as in industry and

academia. This framework, known as

the Biometrics Experimentation

Environment (BEE), will reduce the

cost of biometrics evaluations and will

enable characterization of experiments, making it possible for other

researchers to duplicate and analyze

the experimental results. After a baseline capability has been demonstrated,

a BEE Users Group will be established

to allow the greater scientific community to participate in and manage

further development and implementation activities. 

Open consensus standards, and 

associated testing, are critical to providing higher levels of security through

biometric identification systems.

When biometrics are selected for

implementation, NIST has the responsibility, in partnership with US industry

and other agencies, to develop 

technology standards and tests that

assure uniform results and high 

levels of accuracy.

The agencies have also developed a

Biometrics Catalog (http://www.biometricscatalog.org), an information

sharing resource that includes more

than 1,350 research reports, 3,000

news articles, 300 conference 

presentations, as well as numerous

commercial products, evaluation

reports, and legislative documents.

The Biometrics Catalog is open and

free for public use. 

OSTP
20 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

INVEST IN AND ACCELERATE

the Transformation of Science into 

National Benefits
SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 21

Although the emphasis of Federal 

science funding is on basic research

and on R&D that is inherently the

responsibility of the Federal

Government, it is recognized that

there is a broader national interdependence of basic research, applied

research, technology development,

and knowledge transfer. Dynamic,

flexible partnerships are the strength

of an “innovation system” to create

new knowledge products, technologies, and jobs. Many of the Federal

policies and actions to promote this

innovation system (e.g., tax policy)

are beyond the purview of the

research agencies, but there are several elements of science policy and

research program implementation that

do enter into the picture.

Policies

To support the national innovation

system and encourage solutions that

create economic growth and improve

our quality of life, the Federal science

policy is to

• Include a wide range of public and

private stakeholders in an ongoing

dialogue with Federal research

agencies so that Federally 

supported science programs appropriately support broad interests; 

• Maintain a strong system of

research support that includes 

protection for the intellectual property rights of the performer; and 

• Support mechanisms that encourage innovative small businesses 

and result in job growth.

Developing New Products 

and Technologies

Several agency programs and interagency collaborations illustrate the

unique role of the Federal research

agencies in developing products and

technologies that improve lives and

help the economy

• CDC has improved the ability to

track chemical exposure in humans

through development of biomonitoring, the direct measurement of

chemicals in the human body. 

The technique delivers more precise

and reliable predictions of the

effects of environmental exposure

to chemicals than previously 

available estimates produced by

The translation of science into solutions that enhance homeland security, spur economic

growth, or improve health is not automatic. The mere existence of a scientific finding or

result will not necessarily produce knowledge transfer or result in new technology. Current

research that could lead to applications must be targeted for development, and we must

continually examine the potential uses of existing discoveries to ensure maximum benefit

from the public investment in science. This is a complex process that is, nonetheless, 

essential for our nation’s prosperity and high standard of living. 

Doppler weather radar. 

Radar dish in the foreground.

Triangular panels of 

protective fiberglass radar

dome in the background. 

NOAA, NATIONAL SEVERE STORMS LABORATORY
22 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

mathematical models and provides

a stronger scientific basis for regulations to protect human health. In

2003, the results of a large assessment of the US population using

biomonitoring were published. 

The research continues, with 

new national data to be released

approximately every two years.

Biomonitoring has broader potential benefits because the technique

can identify person-specific 

needs that can be matched with

new drugs being developed 

through genomics.

• More accurate weather forecasts

can save lives and money by predicting major storms and long-term

trends such as rainfall or drought

from El Niño events. For example,

more precise prediction of hurricane routes allows communities 

to be better prepared and save

costs of extensive storm preparations in those areas that can be

certain they are out of the storm’s

path. NASA develops new instrument technologies and satellite

monitoring devices that make it

possible to collect the data vital to

weather modeling. NOAA has

developed new weather-modeling

techniques that combine these 

vital data with aspects of weather,

ocean, and hurricane models to

improve forecasting ability for its

own researchers and for meteorologists nationwide.

• Future research has the potential to

provide early warning for earthquakes, with enormous expected

benefits. Research sponsored by

Materials science at

nanoscales

Research with nanomaterials requires

the ability to work—that is, to see,

measure, and manipulate—at atomic

and molecular scales (1–100nm). 

In lay terms, that is about 1/100,000th

the diameter of a human hair. This is

not merely the study of small things; 

it is the research and development 

of materials, devices, and systems

that exhibit new and extraordinary

physical, chemical, and biological 

properties. For example, scientists at

Northwestern University created a

new class of nanometer-scale building

blocks that can spontaneously assemble themselves into ultra-tiny spheres,

tubes, and curved sheets—scientific

discoveries that could eventually lead

to important applications in nanoscale

electronics and drug-delivery systems.

The cost of nanoscience instrumentation, equipment, and facilities can be

high, making it difficult for researchers

at small businesses and most 

academic institutions to participate. 

NIST has recently constructed the

most technologically advanced facilities in the world, the Advanced

Measurement Laboratory, which will

support industry in the conduct of 

this research with new ways to more

accurately measure, quantify, and 

calibrate important processes and

properties. The Departments of

Energy and Commerce and NSF are

supporting the development of additional nanoscale R&D user centers

nationwide to provide access to the

necessary infrastructure. 

A total of 10 Federal agencies 

support research and development 

on nanomaterials. 

Self-assembly of gold-polymer

nanorods results in a curved

structure.

CHAD MIRKIN, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 23

NSF, the US Geological Survey

(USGS), and NASA supports both

fundamental research on Earth’s

structure and the development of

maps and other information to aid

in predicting vulnerability and help

mitigate damage from earthquakes.

The NSF/USGS-funded Southern

California Earthquake Center has

developed state-of-the-art maps 

of crustal distortion that provide 

a direct measure of the potential

for future earthquakes and are 

used by earthquake engineers for

strengthening structures and by the

insurance industry for planning.

The NSF-funded EarthScope uses a

network of geophysical sensors and

an observatory placed some 2.5

miles down in the San Andreas

Fault to define and monitor the

dynamics of Earth across the North

American continent. 

Initiatives for Accelerating 

the Translation of Research

into Applications

The Federal research system and its

support for university- and Federal

laboratory-based research are central

to maintaining our innovation system,

producing new knowledge, and 

educating the next generation of 

scientists, engineers, and skilled 

workers. The establishment of 

university-based and regional research

centers across the country, and a

favorable legislative environment for

these centers to retain the intellectual

property rights for their discoveries,

have been recognized as incentives for

companies to make investments in

technology development that lead to

regional economic growth. 

Direct linkages between Federal agencies and industry are also critical and

provide two-way benefits. This year,

the Federal Small Business Innovation

Research (SBIR) and Small Business

Technology Transfer (STTR) 

programs will provide $2 billion to

small businesses through Federal programs to help entrepreneurs take their

ideas from conception to reality.

Federal agencies also depend on the

contributions of the industrial science

and technology base in pursuing their 

missions. Both parties leverage funds

through creative partnerships to

achieve common goals. National 

economic competitiveness is rooted in

the health of this Government-academia-industry partnership at local

levels, because that is where jobs 

are created. Strong alliances with 

state and local governments help to

promote a favorable environment 

for innovation and incentives for 

business development. 

Although NIST is the only Federal

research agency with the express mission of working with industry to keep

US technology at the leading edge,

several agencies are developing industry-academia-government partnerships

as well as institutional programs and

Mapping the world in

three dimensions

The recent Shuttle Radar Topography

Mission (SRTM) collected topographic

data over nearly 80% of Earth’s land

surfaces, creating the first-ever nearglobal, high-resolution data set of land

elevations. A global mapping project

spearheaded by NASA and the

National Geospatial-Intelligence

Agency (NGA), the SRTM flew on

NASA’s Space Shuttle and used a

technique called “radar interferometry” to produce the data. The

processed SRTM data, archived with

the USGS, can be tailored to meet the

needs of the civil, scientific, and military user communities. Just about any

project that requires accurate knowledge of the shape and height of the

land can benefit from these data.

Some examples are flood control, soil

conservation, reforestation, volcano

monitoring, earthquake research, 

and glacier movement monitoring.

Other uses of these data include

improved water-drainage modeling,

more realistic flight simulators, navigation safety, better locations for cell

phone towers, and even improved

maps for backpackers. 

NASA, NGA, USGS

NASA, NGA, USGS

San Andreas Fault in the Carrizo Plain.

SRTM topographic data.

Mt. Meru, Tanzania
practices to accelerate the translation

of science results into usable knowledge and applications

• DOE and the US Council for

Automotive Research—representing

DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ford

Motor Company, and General

Motors Corporation—announced

cooperation on a FreedomCAR

(cooperative automotive research)

Partnership in January 2002. The

goal of FreedomCAR is fundamental and dramatic—the development

of emission-free cars and light

trucks. FreedomCAR is fully 

integrated with the Department’s

Hydrogen Fuel Initiative. The

FreedomCAR Partnership will also

continue research into technologies

such as advanced internal combustion engines, emissions control for

diesel engines, lightweight materials, hybrid electric vehicle systems,

advanced batteries, and alternative

24 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

The Biomedical Informatics Research

Network promotes advances in biomedical

and health care research through the 

development and support of a cyberinfrastructure that allows sharing, analysis,

visualization, and data comparisons 

across laboratories.

Advanced scientific 

computing and 

cyberinfrastructure

Across the board, Federal agencies

are adopting state-of-the-art computing, communications, and information

technologies that are radically empowering the nation’s scientific research

and education communities. An explosion of collaborative research has

resulted from new capabilities that 

link researchers over high-speed 

networks to advanced computational

tools, often involving shared resources 

from multiple agencies and academic

institutions. To highlight just a 

few examples 

• The NSF Extensible Terascale

Facility (TeraGrid) will be the

world’s largest, most comprehensive, distributed infrastructure for

open scientific research. By late

2004, it will link 20 teraflops (a unit

for measuring computer speed) of

computing power at five sites. 

• The NIH Biomedical Informatics

Research Network (BIRN) is the

nation’s first test-bed for online

sharing of research resources 

and expertise, and for effective

data mining for both basic and 

clinical research. 

• The DHS Advanced Scientific

Computing Program will develop

new infrastructure tools to enable

law enforcement and intelligence

analysts to mine multiple databases for critical information using

a single, shared view of the data. 

• EPA and DOE have agreed to link

supercomputers in EPA’s North

Carolina facility and DOE’s Sandia

National Laboratory to allow better

and faster collaboration on computational toxicology and genomics. 

NATIONAL CENTER FOR SUPERCOMPUTING APPLICATIONS AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFTHE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

NIH, NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH RESOURCES

NSF TeraGrid Network
SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 25

Multidisciplinary research

collaboration creates new

hope for the blind

The marriage of electronics technology with biomedical science is

creating advances in treating even the

most intractable diseases. In one such

union, specially designed computer

chips implanted in the eye may make

it possible to restore some measure

of visual function to the blind. Retinal

degenerative diseases such as 

macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa damage and destroy the

light-sensitive photoreceptor cells in

the retina. Although these cells die,

much of the remaining nerve cell network in the retina remains healthy.

The new device, called a retinal prosthesis, uses visual signals from a

video camera mounted on a pair of

glasses. These signals are sent to an

intraocular electrode array attached to

the retina via a receiver that is

implanted behind the patient’s ear. It

is the first wireless implantable device

of its kind. In a recently published

study, a 74-year-old patient who has

been blind for more than 50 years was

implanted with a retinal prosthesis and

participated in 10 weeks of visual

assessment. Using the device, the

patient was able to see spots of light,

detect motion, and recognize simple

shapes. Without the device, the

patient could not perform any of 

these tasks.

Developed by researchers at the

University of Southern California, this

breakthrough represents many years

of research involving numerous institutions and funding from public and

private sources including NIH, NSF,

DOE, DOD, the VA, the Whitaker

Foundation, the Foundation Fighting

Blindness, and Second Sight, LLC. 

fuels with potential for substantial

energy efficiency and environmental benefits in the near term. 

• NIH has undertaken an agencywide endeavor, the NIH Roadmap,

to provide a framework for the priorities that NIH as a whole must

address to transform new knowledge into tangible benefits. In

developing the Roadmap, NIH

brought together more than 300

nationally recognized leaders in

academia, industry, government,

and the public to identify crosscutting research approaches and

resources that were beyond the

scope of any single institute but

would enhance the mission of every

institute. The Roadmap includes

three major themes to foster highpotential research. New Pathways

to Discovery aims to generate new

knowledge and to build a better

“toolbox” for researchers in the

21st century, including new technologies, databases, and other

resources. Research Teams of 

the Future recognizes that as the

scale and complexity of research

grow, scientists will need to move

beyond the confines of their own

disciplines and explore new organizational modes for team science.

Re-engineering the Clinical

INTRAOCULAR PROSTHESIS GROUP AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY AND NORTH CAROLINA STATEUNIVERSITY; ILLUSTRATION BY JERRY LIM

The retina prosthetic system illustrated

here, consists of an extrocular unit and an

intraocular unit. The first is mounted on a

pair of glasses and is responsible for collecting the image by means of a video

camera and then transmitting an encoded

digitized image to the intra-ocular unit. The

second is composed of a receiving telemetry system, a simulation current driver, and

an electrode array to stimulate retinal cells,

thus imparting vision perception.
Research Enterprise will require

new partnerships among patient

communities, community-based

physicians, and academic

researchers; integration of clinical

networks; harmonization of clinical

research policies; and enhanced

training for clinical researchers.

Additional Roadmap initiatives

include the NIH Director’s Pioneer

Award for high-risk/high-payoff

research; novel public/private partnerships to move scientific

discoveries from bench to bedside;

and increased public involvement

in the research process. 

• DHS has created the National

Biosecurity Analysis and

Countermeasures Center (NBACC)

as an integrated and responsive

biosecurity enterprise to facilitate

the homeland security, law enforcement, and medical and veterinary

communities’ ability to understand,

respond, deter, and recover from

the biological threats to the United

States. NBACC directs and coordinates scientific efforts to improve

our defenses against biological

agents by gaining better information about current and future

threats, understanding the risks

associated with these threats, evaluating methods that may be used to

deliver the threats, and conducting

forensic analysis on threats to

determine attribution. A knowledge

management system is planned as a

tool to integrate science, technology, and intelligence. 

26 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Hydrogen fuel cells

These images were taken at the NIST

neutron imaging facility located at the

NIST Center for Neutron Research.

NIST has the only facility in the United

States that can nondestructively visualize and quantify water (hydrogen)

transport in operating cells.

Understanding this water transport

mechanism is one of the most critical

issues in the development of robust,

efficient, and commercially viable PEM

fuel cells, which are likely to power

everything from automobiles to handheld devices in the future. This

capability has attracted interest from

major US industries that are involved

in fuel cell research, a critical component of the President’s Hydrogen 

Fuel Initiative. 

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) 

fuel cell.

Neutron image of the water (hydrogen)

distribution inside a fuel cell while it 

is operating.

NIST, CENTER FOR NEUTRON RESEARCH NIST, CENTER FOR NEUTRON RESEARCH
SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 27

Science at the Earth’s

poles

Frozen in the ice at Earth’s poles are

many secrets, from clues to how the

climate changes to unknown forms of

ancient life. Twelve US science agencies support research in the Arctic;

NSF is charged with managing all US

activities in the Antarctic as a single,

integrated program. At both poles,

much of the research involves international collaborations.

A priority for research conducted at

the poles is understanding regional

and global environmental issues and

climate change. In recent years, the

Arctic Ocean has seen a rapid thinning

of sea ice and shifts in ocean circulation. These changes are related to

changes in the persistent pattern of

atmospheric circulation in the northern

hemisphere, which may have an

important role in regulating the global

climate. NASA’s new ICESat mission,

launched in January, 2004, will provide

a satellite perspective for environmental issues relevant to polar research. 

It will provide multi-year elevation data

needed to determine ice sheet mass

balance as well as cloud property

information, especially for stratospheric clouds common over polar

areas. It will also provide topography

and vegetation data around the globe,

in addition to the polar-specific coverage over the Greenland and Antarctic

ice sheets. 

Beginning in April 2000, an international research team supported by

NSF has conducted annual expeditions to the North Pole to obtain data

on these and other factors. The team

sets up a number of unmanned 

scientific platforms, collectively 

called the North Pole Environmental

Observatory, to measure throughout

the remainder of the year everything

from the salinity of the water to the

thickness and temperature of the 

ice cover. 

In Antarctica, at the opposite 

end of the globe, researchers 

working in 2004 at separate sites

thousands of miles apart found the

fossilized remains of two species of

dinosaurs previously unknown to 

science. One of the two finds, which

were made less than a week apart, 

is of an early form of plant-eating

beast that would have lived many 

millions of years before the other, a

carnivore, existed. 

The 2003 team arrives at the North Pole

Environmental Observatory

P. WEST, NSF

Impact

This targeted involvement of Federal

agencies with their academic and

industry partners spurs economic

growth and speeds the adoption of

new products and technologies,

increasing the return on the nation’s

investment. Although Federal science

funding tends to be discovery-oriented

and focused on the long term, the

interdependence between these investments and the national economy is

substantial, and the development of

applications is a mutual responsibility.

As demonstration programs, such as

the first university-based research

parks, show results and lessons are

learned, the concepts are adopted on

larger scales and result in significant

national impacts. 
28 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE

in Science and Technology Education and in 

Workforce Development
SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 29

Preparation in science and technology

supports a variety of careers beyond

what we consider the “traditional”

S&T workforce, such as patent law,

teaching, journalism, entrepreneurship, policy, and diplomacy. Today,

55% of the CEOs of Fortune 500

companies have a science or technology background. Citizens in all walks

of life need basic math, science, and

technology skills and an understanding of the science behind the issues of

the day. Education is crucial, and

these challenges must be addressed

simultaneously on multiple fronts.

Policies

The policies that address education

and workforce development include

• Provide better linkages between the

higher education community and

our primary and secondary schools

to enrich and strengthen subject

matter content;

• Provide improved access to all US

citizens seeking an S&T education,

and in particular, reduce barriers

for women and underrepresented

minorities; and 

• Maintain vital international

exchanges that capitalize on the

worldwide S&T talent pool while

simultaneously ensuring that 

security concerns are addressed.

Engaging Schools and

Communities

One critical element is guaranteeing a

future pipeline of students prepared to

study and work in scientific and technical fields. Outreach to schools and

teachers as well as improved teacher

training help ensure that students

develop an early appreciation for 

science. Early interventions to foster

interest in math and science can

enhance student preparation for

entering college or joining the S&T

workforce. The President’s No Child

Left Behind Act of 2001 addresses 

this issue with measures that fill 

classrooms with teachers who are

knowledgeable and experienced,

assess students’ progress at regular

intervals, and combine stronger

accountability with flexibility to 

optimize the use of Federal funds. 

To develop a new generation of citizens who have mathematical and

scientific skills, the Administration 

has launched a major, 5-year,

Mathematics and Science Initiative to

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and workforce preparation 

are top Administration priorities. A strong S&T workforce is necessary to sustain and drive

our economy and reach the Administration’s goal of strong economic growth. Ongoing 

international exchanges of students and investigators serve to enhance cooperation, keep the

research community vital, and make the global workforce flexible. 

KEITH WELLER, USDA, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE

At Florida A&M University, 

a student helps sort aquatic

insects to be used in biological

monitoring of water quality.
improve mathematics and science

achievement. The initiative is focused

on three broad goals: 1) engage the

public in recognizing the need for better mathematics and science education

for all children, 2) initiate a campaign

to recruit, prepare, train, and retain

teachers with strong backgrounds in

mathematics and science, and 3)

develop a research base to improve

our knowledge of what boosts student

learning in mathematics and science.

In February 2003 and March 2004,

Summits on Mathematics and Science,

respectively, were sponsored by the

Secretary of Education to launch 

this initiative and engage the 

major constituents.

Outreach to communities is essential.

A community awareness of the relevance of science to the issues of the

day is needed to sustain the interest of

the next generation in preparing for

careers in science and technology, or

simply for participating as good citizens in decisions that affect their lives.

Here, unfortunately, we face major

challenges. As documented in a 2002

NSF report, 70% of Americans do not

have a basic understanding of the scientific process, and most do not feel

that they are well informed about

S&T issues. (Most Americans,

Canadians, and Europeans gave the

wrong answer [true] to the statement:

“Ordinary tomatoes do not contain

genes, while genetically modified

tomatoes do.”) Improving the overall

science literacy of the average

American becomes increasingly important as new technologies that are

based on complex scientific discover30 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

The next generation of 

education research 

The Institute of Education Sciences

(IES), created at the Department of

Education as part of the Education

Sciences Reform Act of 2002, was

born out of a shared sense among policy makers that education practice and

research are badly in need of reform.

In 1999, the National Research

Council concluded that “the complex

world of education—unlike defense,

health care, or industrial production—

does not rest on a strong research

base. In no other field are personal

experience and ideology so frequently

relied on to make policy choices, and

in no other field is the research base

so inadequate and little used.” The

mission of IES addresses the need for

rigorous research on practices that

improve academic achievement and

the effectiveness of education 

programs and policies.

IES seeks to bring a new generation

of education research to the classroom to improve mathematics and

science education. Researchers are

evaluating a computer-based instructional program designed to facilitate

the learning of algebra, an Internetbased teacher professional development program for middle school

mathematics teachers, and a Webbased science curriculum for middle

school students. One group is developing a system that will provide

students with mathematics tutoring

assistance from the computer while

the system collects assessment data

about what students know to inform

teachers’ lesson-planning decisions. 

IES also funds basic research on the

learning of mathematics and science.

Researchers are studying, for 

example, how young children learn

mathematical symbols and the mechanisms by which memory influences

math problem-solving accuracy in 

elementary school children. 

Through the Interagency Education

Research Initiative (IERI), IES collaborates with NIH’s National Institute of

Child Health and Human Development

and NSF to identify conditions under

which new educational techniques

that have been shown to work in trials

succeed when applied on a large

scale. Through IERI, the agencies also

investigate the impact of technology

on learning. 

A Web-based cognitive assessment

system predicts student performance

on state exams and helps teachers

plan appropriate lessons. 

PHOTO DISC
ies, such as nanotechnology and

biotechnology, are incorporated into

the marketplace and become the 

subject of social or political debates. 

Attracting and Retaining

Talent

Since 1998, when total number of

PhDs reached an all-time high, a 

significant decline in science and 

engineering doctorates has returned

the total number of PhDs to pre-1994

levels. The decline in interest in S&T

careers, which is evident at all levels,

is particularly an issue for women and

underrepresented minorities. Women

are 46% of the total labor force but

only 23% of the science and engineering labor force. At the 9th-grade level,

young women indicate interest in

S&T careers at rates nearly as high as

their male counterparts but have a

much lower retention rate. African

Americans, Hispanics, and Native

Americans are 24% of the US population but only 7% of the science and

engineering labor force. Their retention rates in S&T programs are also

significantly lower than those of their

White or Asian counterparts. Neither

women nor minorities are being

recruited into and supported in S&T

academic programs in numbers large

enough to address these imbalances.

To address the recruitment and retention problem, universities and colleges

should be encouraged to reward faculty for educational activities as well

as for research and to recruit and support a diverse faculty to mentor and

encourage a diverse student body. In

SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 31

Understanding language

and learning

Breakthroughs of language and learning span ancient times to the present.

NSF-funded scientists have uncovered

evidence of what is believed to be the

earliest form of writing ever found in

the New World. This find indicates

that the form of written communication used by the Olmecs, the “mother

civilization” of Mexico (1200 BC–600

AD), led into what became forms of

writing for several other cultures.

Understanding the historical development of written language is one tool

in understanding the learning process. 

Other research uses modern 

experimental techniques such as the

brain imaging studies funded by DOE

and NIH. Such studies, combined with 

theory-driven cognitive studies, all

inform education policy by furthering

our understanding of how people

acquire and organize new knowledge

or skills. 

CHRISTOPHER VON NAGY

Cylinder seal from San Adrés Tabaxco,

Mexico, showing the glyphs, including

three Ajaw, the name of a day in the

260-day Mesoamerican calendar.

DOE, LOS ALAMOS NATIONALLABORATORY – HUMAN BRAIN PROJECT

Neural electromagnetic measurements

for the non-invasive characterization of

neural function.
32 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

addition, Federal agencies should continue to ensure that their programs

improve training for the technical

workforce as well as undergraduate

and graduate science and engineering

education, and provide research-mentoring opportunities. 

Additionally, we must maintain a vital

international exchange of scientists

and students to promote a productive,

international scientific community and

enhance global cooperation. The talents of visiting scientists and students

greatly enrich the US scientific enterprise. Although we must adopt

adequate national and homeland security measures and protect uniquely

available or sensitive knowledge, we

must ensure that these measures do

not prevent the global partnerships in

scientific research that benefit us all.

This ongoing challenge requires continued attention.

Coordinating Education

Programs

Some examples of Federal agency

actions to improve coordination in

education programs, workforce issues,

and scientific exchange follow

• Agencies have worked through the

new NSTC Subcommittee on

Education and Workforce

Development to ensure that their

programs to support various levels

of education research are coordinated and aligned with community

needs. Through this subcommittee,

the agencies, working with the

Department of Education (ED), are

coordinating research programs

implemented in line with the No

Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The

subcommittee also has tackled the

question of future S&T workforce

requirement projections, including

projected growth in specific fields

(e.g., nanotechnology). To provide

the subcommittee with additional

information, OSTP sponsored a

workshop to identify and determine how to fill the data gaps that

could allow researchers and industry to better agree on future

demands and improve planning 

for investments in education and

training. The workshop brought

together economists who study the

scientific workforce, representatives

of the Federal research agencies,

and the people who collect 

workforce data and develop the

requirements projections. 

Complementing K–12 educational

initiatives and programs targeting

undergraduate and graduate education, such as the Presidential Math

and Science Scholars Fund, the

President’s Jobs for the 21st

Century Initiative would provide

more than $500 million in 2005 to

better prepare high school students

and workers for the higher-skilled,

higher-paying jobs of the future. It

includes a $250 million initiative

for community colleges to train

workers for industries creating the

most new jobs, which builds on the

Administration’s High-Growth Job

Training Initiative.

• The Aerospace Workforce

Interagency Task Force of the

Department of Labor’s

Employment and Training

Administration is addressing the

major science and engineering 

challenges of the aerospace sector.

The participating agencies include

the Departments of Commerce,

Defense, Education, Labor, and

Transportation, along with NSF,

NASA, OMB, and OSTP. The

President's Commission on the

Future of the United States

Aerospace Industry recommended

the establishment of an interagency

task force to develop a national

strategy that will attract public

attention to the importance and

opportunities within the aerospace

industry and ensure appropriate

coordination and resource sharing

within the participating agencies.

The task force will catalyze the

development of replicable model

solutions and ensure appropriate

buy-in from key education, training, economic development, and

industry constituencies regarding

aerospace workforce issues. These

partners will also bring political,

technical, and subject matter

expertise that will help develop the

aerospace workforce and meet

industry demand.

• After the attacks of September 11,

2001, OSTP and the Homeland

Security Council agreed to co-lead

an interagency group to review

policies for visiting students and

scientists and advise the President
on the best ways to enhance homeland security without blocking

legitimate, international scientific

exchange. The discussions resulted

in an interagency policy of case-bycase review to ensure that

international students do not gain

access to uniquely available knowledge or to training that could

subsequently enable terrorist

attacks against the United States 

or its allies. Best practices from 

the interagency discussions were

disseminated and security procedures to screen international

visitors were put in place. The

agencies have continued in this 

collaboration as part of a broader

framework to support continued

scientific exchange and ease travel

restrictions for the majority of 

students and scientists who pose 

no threat to US national or homeland security. 

• The Federal agencies collaborate

through OSTP on numerous events

and awards that enhance the 

visibility and communicate the

importance of math, science, and

technology education and careers.

In 2001, OSTP launched and

directed a science and technology

outreach campaign, Global Science

and Technology week, which has

become an annual event now called

Excellence in Science Technology

and Mathematics Education week.

The event brings together science

agencies, science museums, professional societies, and educational

associations to host events for

SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 33

Math and science 

partnerships

The Math and Science Partnership

(MSP) program addresses the

President’s challenge—enunciated in

the No Child Left Behind Act of

2001—to strengthen K–12 science

and mathematics education. MSP 

supports partnerships that unite local

school districts with college and 

university faculty in mathematics, science, and engineering. In 2003, MSP

awards directly affected at least 2.85

million students nationwide and in

Puerto Rico—children who learn in

urban, rural, suburban, and tribal

nation schools.

MSP, funded within the Department of

Education and NSF, has three main

components: comprehensive and 

targeted projects; research, evaluation, and technical assistance; and

teacher participation in Teacher

Institutes for the 21st Century to 

provide intellectual leadership in their

schools and districts. Many MSPfunded projects contribute to the 

MSP Learning Network, a network of

researchers and practitioners studying

and evaluating promising strategies to

improve K–12 student achievement

and other student outcomes in 

mathematics and science. 

Redesigned “Math for Teachers” course

sequence engages college students

more fully in the mathematics content

they will teach.

APPALACHIAN MATH SCIENCE PARTNERSHIP
teachers and students. Three highly

prestigious awards that are coordinated among the agencies and

recognize the importance of mentors, teachers, and early achievers

are the Presidential Award for

Excellence in Science, Math, and

Engineering Mentoring, the

Presidential Award for Excellence

in Math and Science Teaching, and

the Presidential Early Career 

Award for Scientists and Engineers. 

Training Tomorrow’s Scientists

The Federal agencies are partnering

with the educational community to

improve S&T programs and develop

the next generation of the S&T workforce and education professionals 

• The new DHS Scholars and Fellows

Program supports graduate and

undergraduate students in an effort

to produce more US scholars with

expertise related to security issues.

DHS provides scholarships for

undergraduate and fellowships 

for graduate students pursuing

degrees in fields relevant to its

security mission such as engineering, information technology,

computer science and mathematics,

the social and economic sciences,

life sciences, and physical sciences.

The students receive professional

mentoring and are given a summer

internship opportunity to help

them connect their academic pursuits with homeland security

national objectives and initiatives.

Fifty scholars and 50 fellows are

nearing completion of their first

academic year. A second class 

of 100 scholars and fellows will

receive awards beginning in

September 2004.

• The VA Office of Research and

Development supports more than

200 scientists in the early stages of

their research careers. The Career

Development Program provides

salary and research support for

investigators to conduct studies or

receive specific training while

working with experienced mentors.

Career development awards help

attract the highly talented

researchers who are essential to

maintaining and building the

capacity and vitality of the research

enterprise. The awards are offered

in all four major areas of VA

research biomedical, clinical, rehabilitation, and health services. 

• DOD has joined with NSF to

enhance its successful program,

Research Experiences for

Undergraduates (REU), by providing additional support for

disciplines important to national

defense. REU provides students

with early hands-on exposure to

the research process, bringing their

coursework to life with the 

excitement of discovery science. 

• DOE Office of Science’s Laboratory

Science Teachers Professional

Development Program is designed

to create a cadre of outstanding 

34 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURYCOURTESY OF M. DIAZ, NIH

Marilyn Diaz, NIH, National Institute of

Environmental Health Sciences. Winner of

a 2002 Presidential Early Career Award for

Scientists and Engineers.
science and math teachers to serve

as leaders and agents of positive

change in their local and regional

teaching communities. This threeyear program will use the wealth of

mentoring talent at the DOE

National Laboratories to guide and

enrich the teachers’ understanding

of the scientific and technological

world. Through this program,

teachers will establish long-term

relationships with their mentor 

scientists and teaching colleagues,

who will continue to support the

educational efforts of the teachers

when they have returned to 

their classrooms.

Impact

An adequate education in math and

science is increasingly important for

all our citizens. The highly skilled 

scientific and technical workforce of

the future will need strong preparatory programs, must draw on the

talents of the full diversity of our

nation’s population, and will be

enlivened by international collaboration and exchange. Through these 

and other education and workforce

activities, the Federal research agencies are actively engaged in ensuring

our continued world leadership in

research and development and the

national benefits that result from a

highly skilled workforce and an

engaged citizenry. 

SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 35

NASA

Bringing science to life 

Since June 2003, students, administrators, and teachers from 50 diverse,

underserved schools have joined with

NASA in a three-year partnership to

promote science, mathematics, 

technology applications, and career

explorations. The NASA Explorer

Schools (NES) program provides the

opportunity for teachers and education

administrators who serve grades 4–9

to participate in professional development and educational activities using

NASA’s unique content, experts, and

resources. During the partnership, 

the school teams receive grant funds

to support the integration of 

technologies that increase student

engagement in science and mathematics. In May 2004, one teacher and

two students representing every NES

school team presented findings from

their science or mathematics investigations during the program’s first year

at the NES Student Symposium held

at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. 

Students from NASA Explorer Schools

work with NASA education specialists.
36 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

A SHARED VISION
A National Priority

Science has always been a national

priority. The Federal research enterprise has enjoyed non-partisan

support since the Second World War,

and the benefits of this scientific

research are well recognized.

Although we have never been able to

foretell specific outcomes when we

engage in discovery science, we have

seen that it consistently leads to valuable results. We also engage in science 

that is directed to addressing specific

national challenges and pursue methods to accelerate the translation of

science into products and applications. Federal research programs

provide educational opportunities and

inspiration for the young scientists

and educators who will help shape

our future. 

Currently, the enormous potential for

discovery at the intersection of disciplines and the demand for large-scale

investments place a high premium on

developing a shared commitment to

our common priorities. The Federal

science enterprise, augmented by 

partnerships with our great national

resources in academia and industry,

represents a huge reservoir of information, capability, and infrastructure.

Collaborative planning, the fostering

of existing partnerships, and the 

forming of new partnerships, both

nationally and internationally, must 

be ongoing priorities. 

SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 37

We have outlined four broad Federal science responsibilities: ensuring a diverse portfolio of

fundamental research, science to support society’s pressing challenges, the translation of 

science into concrete benefits, and the education of the next generation in math and science.

We have discussed the policies that are in place to address these responsibilities and presented an array of accomplishments and ongoing activities that, together, define a Federal

agenda for science in the 21st century. It is important to have this clear agenda, because 

science is a critical element of the larger enterprise that will ensure our future security, 

prosperity, health, and quality of life. 

Clouds and sun glint

over the Indian Ocean

from space.

NASA, JOHNSON SPACE CENTER

A CDC biologist works with an electron

microscope at the National Center for

Infectious Diseases.

JAMES GATHANY, CDC
Our Challenge for the Future

The challenges and opportunities we

face are in some ways indicative of

our age and in other ways, timeless.

Our strategies evolve as we learn from

our successes and mistakes and

improve on our processes. In the 21st

century, as in the past, we convene the

best minds in the scientific community

to look at the challenges, consider our

capabilities, evaluate the opportunities, and chart an optimal course. As

we move into the future, international

and intergovernmental cooperation

and exchanges will be increasingly

important. The responsibilities, policies, and programs mentioned in this

report are elements of this continuing

process to keep the Federal science

enterprise aligned with scientific

opportunity and global realities.

We have stated our critical responsibilities as Federal research agencies

and detailed our processes to meet

these responsibilities. We now challenge ourselves to advance the

frontiers of science in all disciplines

and to vigorously pursue science that

can be employed to address societal

challenges. We trust that this vision

for the nation’s scientific enterprise

will stimulate us to continue to yield a

very high rate of return for the public

investment in science as we engage

with the community of scientists,

business leaders, policy makers, and

the broader public in addressing the

critical issues, collective aspirations,

and the dreams of the 21st century. 

38 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

HUNTSVILLE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

Children at Space Camp 

contemplate future careers in

science and technology.
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CIA Central Intelligence Agency

DHS Department of Homeland Security

DOC Department of Commerce

DOD Department of Defense

DOE Department of Energy

DOI Department of Interior

DOJ Department of Justice

DOL Department of Labor

DOT Department of Transportation

ED Department of Education

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation

FDA Food and Drug Administration

FCC Federal Communications Commission

HHS Department of Health and Human Services

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NGA National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

NIH National Institutes of Health

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NSF National Science Foundation

NSTC National Science and Technology Council

OMB Office of Management and Budget

OSTP Office of Science and Technology Policy

PCAST President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology

USDA US Department of Agriculture

USGS US Geological Survey

VA Department of Veterans Affairs

SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 39

List of Agency Abbreviations and Acronyms
40 SCIENCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

National Science and

Technology Council

Committee on Science

CO-CHAIRS

Dr. Kathie L. Olsen

Associate Director for Science

Office of Science and 

Technology Policy

http://ostp.eop.gov

Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr. 

Director (Acting)

National Science Foundation

http://www.nsf.gov

Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni

Director

National Institutes of Health

http://www.nih.gov

MEMBERS

Dr. Joseph J. Jen

Under Secretary for Research,

Education & Economics

US Department of Agriculture

http://www.reeusda.gov/ree

Vice Admiral Conrad C.

Lautenbacher, Jr.

Under Secretary of Commerce for

Oceans & Atmosphere

Administrator, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration

Department of Commerce

http://www.noaa.gov

(vacant)

Defense Research & Engineering

Department of Defense

http://www.dod.mil/ddre

Dr. Grover J. (Russ) Whitehurst

Director, Institute of Education

Sciences

Department of Education

http://www.ed.gov/ies

Dr. Raymond L. Orbach

Director, Office of Science

Department of Energy

http://www.sc.doe.gov

Dr. Paul Gilman

Assistant Administrator for the Office

of Research & Development

Environmental Protection Agency

http://www.epa.gov/ord

James V. Scanlon

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Science & Data Policy

Department of Health and 

Human Services

http://aspe.dhhs.gov/sp

Dr. Tony Fainberg

Senior Scientific Advisor for Chemical,

Biological, Radiological & Nuclear

Countermeasures Programs

Department of Homeland Security

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/theme_

home5.jsp 

Dr. Charles (Chip) Groat

Director, US Geological Survey

Department of the Interior

http://www.usgs.gov

Dr. Vahid Majidi

Chief Science Advisor

Department of Justice

http://www.usdoj.gov

Emily Stover DeRocco

Assistant Secretary, Labor

Employment and Training

Administration

Department of Labor

http://www.dol.gov

Dr. John M. Grunsfeld

Chief Scientist

National Aeronautics and Space

Administration

http://www.nasa.gov

Dr. George Atkinson

Science and Technology Advisor

Department of State

http://www.state.gov/g/stas/

Samuel G. Bonasso

Deputy Administrator, Research &

Special Programs Administration

Department of Transportation

http://www.rspa.dot.gov

Dr. Jonathan Perlin

Under Secretary for Health (Acting) 

Department of Veterans Affairs

http://www1.va.gov/resdev

Marcus Peacock

Director for Natural Resource

Programs

Office of Management and Budget

Executive Office of the President

http://www.omb.gov

Allison Boyd

Special Advisor

Domestic Policy Council

Executive Office of the President

http://www.dpc.gov

Richard Russell 

Associate Director for Technology,

Office of Science & Technology Policy

National Economic Council

Executive Office of the President

http://www.whitehouse.gov/nec

Ken Peel

Associate Director for Global

Environmental Affairs

Council on Environmental Quality

Executive Office of the President

http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Bonnie Kalberer

National Institutes of Health

http://www.whitehouse.gov/dpc

http://www.ostp.gov
Acknowledgments

The Co-chairs of the NSTC Committee on Science would like to acknowledge 

Dr. Rita R. Colwell, former Director of the National Science Foundation 

(1998-2004), who was instrumental in developing the vision for this document. 

Dr. John H. Hopps, Deputy Director for Defense Research and Engineering and

DOD’s representative to the Committee on Science, made significant contributions

to this document and, sadly, passed away before seeing it published. 

We also thank the National Institutes of Health for sponsoring the document

design and printing.

Dr. Ann Carlson (NASA) and Dr. Mary Bohman (USDA) led the document development with considerable assistance from Bonnie Kalberer (NIH), Curt Suplee (NSF),

and a team of agency representatives.

Additional thanks go to Karin Rudolph (NIH) and to Karen Klinedinst and Laurie

Swindull (Swim Design Consultants) for design and production assistance. 
National Science and Technology Council

Executive Office of the President

Washington, DC 20502

202.456.6101