White House Begins to Map Course toward Bio-Based Economy
Politicians and pundits clogged the airwaves last year with rhetoric about the state of the nation's economy. Amid this noise, a few economic policy initiatives did begin to take shape. For instance, last fall, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued a request for comments on a draft policy to stimulate the bioeconomy.
Scientists have long asserted that research is an investment that yields economic prosperity. A growing number of scientists and engineers have more recently advised that the biological sciences are poised to inspire transformative discoveries that can solve persistent problems ...
Source: Washington Watch - January 23, 2013 Category: Biology Authors: Robert E. Gropp Source Type: news
Data Show that Federal Investment in Research Pays Dividends
In 1990, the federal government formally launched an ambitious initiative to sequence the human genome, to identify all the genes in human DNA, and to develop the tools to store and allow access to this information. The effort took 13 years and cost the federal government $3.8 billion. As is evidenced by technological advancements, the cultivation of new lines of research, and countless subsequent scientific discoveries, the Human Genome Project (HGP) was a success by nearly all measures. A question of interest to policymakers, however, is what the economic return on this kind of federal investment is.
The HGP generated gr...
Source: Washington Watch - January 23, 2013 Category: Biology Authors: Julie Palakovich Carr Source Type: news
New Farm Bill Could Have Devastating Effects on Water Quality
Agricultural nonpoint-source pollution has repeatedly been cited as a leading cause of degraded water quality in water bodies ranging from tributaries to coastal estuaries. Approximately 40 percent of US agricultural land—roughly 15 percent of all the land in the United States—is enrolled in farm bill conservation programs aimed at improving soil retention and reducing nutrient pollution. But as Congress looks for ways to reduce discretionary funding, these conservation programs are on the chopping block in the 2012 reauthorization of the bill. The impact on water quality could be devastating.
The conservation ...
Source: Washington Watch - January 23, 2013 Category: Biology Authors: Adrienne Froelich Sponberg Source Type: news
Researchers Take on a New Role: Advocate for Profession, Science
Scientists pride themselves on being objective purveyors of information. For some, this may seem at odds with delving into the world of public policy, where politics and spin seemingly reign supreme. For others, advocating on behalf of their profession and speaking up about the importance of science is model behavior for researchers.
"Collaboration between our leading experts in science and technology and Congress and federal agencies is the only way that public policy decisions will be made using sound science," said Senator Jay Rockefeller (D–WV), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transport...
Source: Washington Watch - January 23, 2013 Category: Biology Authors: Julie Palakovich Carr Source Type: news
Researchers Take on a New Role: Advocate for Profession, Science
Scientists pride themselves on being objective purveyors of information. For some, this may seem at odds with delving into the world of public policy, where politics and spin seemingly reign supreme. For others, advocating on behalf of their profession and speaking up about the importance of science is model behavior for researchers.
"Collaboration between our leading experts in science and technology and Congress and federal agencies is the only way that public policy decisions will be made using sound science," said Senator Jay Rockefeller (D–WV), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor...
Source: Washington Watch - January 11, 2013 Category: Biology Authors: Julie Palakovich Carr Source Type: news
