Innovations & technologies

An Analysis of Efforts to Double Federal Funding for Physical Sciences and Engineering Research 

Federal funding of physical sciences and engineering (PS&E) research has played a substantial role in U.S. economic growth and job creation by creating the underlying knowledge that supports technological innovation. Some Members of Congress and leaders in industry and academia have expressed concern that recent public investments in these disciplines have been inadequate in light of the emergence of new global competitors and the science and technologyfocused investments of other nations. A 2005 National Academies report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future, requested by several Members of Congress, recommended doubling federal basic research funding over seven years, with an emphasis on selected fields, including PS&E, to address this issue.