APS Hails President Obama’s American Science Innovation Strategy

By Tawanda W. Johnson

The American Physical Society commends President Obama’s commitment to prepare America for a 21st-century economy by investing in research and development – the building blocks of innovation, leading to technological advancements, job growth and improved lives for all Americans.

During a recent trip to Troy, N.Y., the President reaffirmed his bold agenda to keep the nation on a path of sustained economic growth and shared prosperity, including restoring America’s leadership in fundamental research. “It was basic research in physics that would eventually produce the CAT scan,” said Obama during his speech at Hudson Valley Community College.

To achieve his goals of fostering new jobs, businesses and industries, the President pledged to do the following:

• Enact the largest R&D increase in our nation’s history. With $18.3 billion in research funding, the Recovery Act is part of the largest annual increase in research and development in America’s history.

• Double the R&D budget of key science agencies. The President’s budget proposed to double the research budgets of the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology.

• Invest 3 percent of the Gross National Product (GNP) in R&D. The President has proposed a goal that as a country, we invest more than 3 percent in GDP in public and private research and development – exceeding the level achieved at the height of the space race.

“APS is thrilled that President Obama has made a strong commitment to research and development so early in his term, and the Society is eager to support him on this path throughout the rest of his term,” said Michael S. Lubell, APS Director of Public Affairs.