Science Is the Key to Growth
Expanding the American economy is the central concern of the 2012 presidential race. Yet, the cuts in education and research & development budgets discussed in the race would do the opposite, diminishing investments that will lead to a more prosperous future. Research conducted at universities and national labs underpins the new innovations that drive economic growth–just look at Google, which started as two graduate students on a National Science Foundation grant. Research funding to the National Institutes of Health has paid back for than threefold. Examples like these abound, and boosting US research and development investments to 3 percent of gross domestic product would be a wise choice for the economy.
The op-ed was written by Neal Lane, former chief science and technology adviser to President Bill Clinton, and can be read on the New York Times website.