  Scientific research in the United States could receive a large increase in
federal funding--up to 100 billion dollars over five years -- if proposed
legislation entitled the Endless Frontiers Act becomes law. This bipartisan and
bicameral bill, introduced in May 2020 by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and
Todd Young (R-IN) and Congressmen Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI),
is intended to expand the funding of the physical sciences, engineering, and
technology at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and create a new Technology
Directorate focused on use-inspired research. In addition to provisions to
protect the NSF's current missions, a minimum of 15\% of the newly appropriated
funds would be used to enhance NSF's basic science portfolio. The Endless
Frontier Act offers a rare opportunity to enhance the breadth and financial
support of the American research enterprise. In this essay, we consider the
benefits and the liabilities of the proposed legislation and recommend changes
that would further strengthen it.
