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Restoring the Foundation:Reviving the U.S. Science, Engineering presentations Restoring the Foundation: Reviving the U.S. Science, Engineering and Technology Enterprise n April 30, 2015, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy hosted a Civic Scientist Lecture on Restoring the Foundation: Reviving the U.S. Science, Engineering and Technology Enterprise, featuring Norman R. Augustine O(Cochair of the Academy’s Restoring the Foundation report; retired Chairman and ceo of Lockheed Martin Corpo- ration; and former Under Secretary of the United States Army) and Steven Chu (William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Physics and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University; and former U.S. Secretary of Energy). Neal Lane (Cochair of the Academy’s Restoring the Foundation report; and Senior Fellow in Science and Technology Policy at Rice Uni- versity) moderated the discussion. The program also included a welcome from Academy President Jonathan F. Fanton. The following is an edited transcript of the discussion. elcome to Rice University and to middle and high schools, reaching more WRice University’s Baker Institute for than 1,500 students. Public Policy and today’s Civic Scientist The Civic Scientist Program would not Lecture. This evening we will hear from be possible without the generous support two of the nation’s best-known and most of our sponsors. The program has received distinguished civic scientists, Steven Chu enthusiastic support from Rice, specifically and Norman Augustine. from the Brown School of Engineering, the This evening’s lecture is part of the Baker Wiess School of Natural Sciences, and the Institute’s Civic Scientist Program, one of Department of Physics and Astronomy– the institute’s Science and Technology Pol- all of which are co-organizers for tonight’s icy initiatives, which highlights outstand- event. I want to give special thanks to Ben- ing scientists and engineers and technical jamin and Winifer Cheng for their consider- professionals who, in addition to making able support of the program and to Shell Oil significant contributions in their fields, also Company for supporting this lecture series, devote a portion of their careers to public which is part of the Baker Institute Shell service, either by serving in government or in Distinguished Lecture Series. In addition, Neal Lane other ways engaging the public and policy- this special event is being jointly sponsored Neal Lane is Senior Fellow in Science and Tech- makers on the important role of science, by the Baker Institute Center for Energy nology Policy at the Baker Institute for Public engineering, and technology in American Studies, its Science and Technology Pro- Policy, Malcolm Gillis University Professor society. A goal of our program is to encour- gram, and the American Academy of Arts age others to follow the example of our civic and Sciences. Emeritus, and Professor of Physics and Astron- scientists and more generally to promote a Last September the Academy published a omy Emeritus at Rice University. He is former dialogue to help bridge what seems to still report entitled Restoring the Foundation: The Assistant to the President for Science and Tech- be a gap in our society between science and Vital Role of Research in Preserving the American nology, former Director of the White House rational public policy-making. Dream. The report is a call to the public, busi- Office of Science and Technology Policy, and We are endeavoring to spread the word ness leaders, community leaders, and policy- former Director of the National Science Foun- about the link between science and technol- makers at all levels to recognize that the dis- dation. He was elected a Fellow of the American ogy and the public good through both this coveries that come out of basic research in Academy in 1995 and serves as Cochair of the lecture series and our K–12 school outreach all fields of science, engineering, and med- Academy’s Restoring the Foundation report. program, which is coordinated with Rice icine are vital to the development of new University’s larger outreach effort. Last year knowledge, new innovative technologies, we sent dozens of scientists and engineers, new diagnostics and cures, new industries, including both of today’s speakers, to local new jobs, and the economy as a whole. 10 Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Summer 2015 restoring the foundation Our first speaker this evening is a one- station when I was director of the National of-a-kind aeronautical engineer, Norman Science Foundation. Norm also led the Augustine. He is the author of several books, National Research Council study Rising including a funny book on management above the Gathering Storm, which warned of called Augustine’s Laws. Born in Colorado, the nation’s loss of leadership in science, he went to Princeton, where he received a technology, and innovation and has been degree in aeronautical engineering and later one of the National Academy of Sciences’ served on the faculty there as a lecturer with most influential reports. the rank of professor. He enjoyed a long, dis- Norm has a long list of honors, including tinguished career in the aerospace industry, election to the American Academy of Arts capping it off as President, ceo, and Chair- and Sciences, the American Philosophi- man of Lockheed Martin. In the 1970s, Mr. cal Society, and the National Academy of Restoring the Foundation: The Vital Role of Research in Preserving the American Dream is a call to the public, business leaders, community leaders, and policy-makers at all levels to recognize that the dis- coveries that come out of basic research in all fields of science, engineering, and medicine are vital to the development of new knowledge, new innovative tech- nologies, new diagnostics and cures, new industries, new jobs, and the economy as a whole. Augustine served in the federal government Engineering, where he served as chairman. as Under Secretary–and, at one point, act- In 1997, he received the National Medal of ing Secretary–of the Army. Technology. Throughout his career he has advised I have had the pleasure of cochairing with universities, companies, government agen- Norm the American Academy of Arts and cies, the White House, Congress, and other Sciences Study Committee that created the organizations. He served on the President’s Restoring the Foundation report you will hear Council of Advisers on Science and Tech- about this evening, and I personally benefit- nology for all sixteen years of the Bill Clin- ted from his wisdom, intelligence, political ton and George W. Bush administrations. savvy, and humor. We are delighted to have He has chaired influential blue-ribbon Norm with us today. advisory committees on topics as varied as energy, national domestic security, the future of the U.S. space program, and the U.S. Antarctic program. I am personally grateful to Norm for helping me convince Congress to fund a new South Pole research Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Summer 2015 11 presentations Basic research is endangered because it is the most difficult form of research to defend outside of the research community itself. National Academy of Sciences, National Weddell seals under the ice pack in Ant- Academy of Engineering, and the Institute arctica. The question was asked about this of Medicine. Among the twenty recom- research, “What does that have to do with mendations we made, the top one had to do any taxpayer?” According to the witness’s with education, the second had to do with testimony, what they learned during that research–despite this being a study not of research project is now helping save the research and education but of America’s lives of thousands of children undergoing economic competitiveness. respiratory surgery. When we began work on Restoring the Who else should care about the well- Foundation, we were particularly interested being and the health of research in Amer- in research, thanks in part to the Gathering ica? Well, almost anyone who wants to have Norman R. Augustine Storm report. We ended up focusing on basic a job. Surveys conducted around the world Norman R. Augustine is retired Chairman and research, because basic research is probably asking what is the most important factor in Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin the most endangered form of research, yet is determining your well-being overwhelm- Corporation. He is also former Under Secretary arguably the most important. ingly find the answer is “to have a good Basic research is endangered because it is job.” And what does it take to create jobs? of the U.S. Army. He was elected a Fellow of the most difficult form of research to defend The first step is to grow the gross domestic the American Academy in 1992 and serves as outside of the research community itself. I product. To increase the number of jobs Cochair of the Academy’s Restoring the Foun- have tried mightily many times, particularly in America by one percentage point, you dation report. on Capitol Hill. The trouble is that even have to add about 1.7 percentage points to those performing purely curiosity-driven the gdp. But where does that latter growth e started work on Restoring the Foun- research cannot say what benefit will be come from? Well, numerous studies, one Wdation by talking about the American derived from their efforts. of which led to a Nobel Prize, show that up Dream, which has inspired so many people Another difficulty in trying to defend such to 87 percent of gdp growth in this coun- not only in America but throughout the research is that the average person frequently try comes from advances in just two closely world. I myself have lived the American doesn’t connect his or her personal well-being related disciplines: science and technology.
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