THE MISSION OF NAS: TIMELESS AND TIMELY A Speech by Ralph J. Cicerone, President National Academy of Sciences Presented at the Academy’s 143rd Annual Meeting April 24, 2006 oday marks the 143rd NAS annual What is it that the NAS does, and why do meeting, and it is my first chance to we do it? These are the questions that I want to T address you, the members. I am very address today. grateful to the 2005 Nominating Committee, the Council, and the members for this honor Creation of the NAS (1863) and the NRC (1916) and opportunity. Creating the National Academy of Sciences in It is invigorating and even awe-inspiring 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, was to enter this building every day. There are bold. The vision of President Lincoln and the powerful reminders of our history and of our support of Congress deserve credit, along with current activities. The scope and variety of perceptions of wartime needs and perhaps the our activities — from radioactive waste, desire of American scientists who wanted to guidelines for human embryonic stem-cell have an honorific society similar to those of research, and progress in fundamental biology the British and to the quality of American Ph.D. programs, French (Figure 1). K–12 science standards, and science and Whatever the technology competitiveness — are very im- combination of pressive and stimulating, and demonstrate why motivations of an institution like the NAS is needed, and not those who created just scientists working individually. Alto- the NAS, the bold gether, the value of our history and the com- act can now be mitment of the people who work with us are judged as a wise easily sensed. act, for science The current officers of the National Acad- permeates our daily emy of Sciences are Professor Barbara Schaal, lives in ways un- Washington University; Professor John imaginable in Brauman, Stanford University; Professor 1863. The Act of Ronald Graham, University of California, San Incorporation Diego; and Professor Michael Clegg, Univer- (1863) says that the sity of California, Irvine. NAS must hold an Ralph J. Cicerone, president, National Academy of Sciences annual meeting somewhere in the United of service to the Nation which the sovereign States and that: authority has ever made to a group of citizens completely outside the control of political the Academy shall whenever called government. In less than 40 words the Act of upon by any department of the Gov- Incorporation in effect created in the whole ernment, investigate, examine, experi- domain of science a supreme court of final ment and report upon any subject of advice beyond which there was no higher science or art … authority in the Nation and ensured that so far as was humanly possible its findings would be Of course “art” meant the mechanical and wholly in the public interest uninfluenced by agricultural arts. The Act continues: any element of personal, economic, or politi- … but the Academy shall receive no cal force.” compensation whatever for any ser- So, we were created to respond to govern- vices to the Government of the United ment when requested, we are nonprofit, we States. do not receive an annual appropriation from Congress but instead are reimbursed on a Former NAS President Frank Jewett said project-by-project basis, and we are free to at the 1947 annual meeting, “The Act of determine our own size and composition Incorporation is an astounding document. It is amongst the disciplines. one of the most, if not the most, sweeping To extend the scope and activities of the delegations of power coupled with obligation NAS, the NAS Council formed the National FIGURE 1 The apocryphal group portrait by Albert Herter depicts President Abraham Lincoln with several found- ing members, when he signed the charter of the National Academy of Sciences on March 3rd, 1863. From left to right: Benjamin Peirce, Alexander Dallas Bache (first president of the Academy), Joseph Henry, Louis Agassiz, President Lincoln, Senator Wilson, Admiral Charles Henry Davis, and Benjamin Apthorp Gould. 2 Research Council in 1916, and President the most authoritative. He quoted from an Woodrow Wilson’s 1918 Executive Order NAS publication, Teaching About Evolution and gave permanent status to the NRC. The the Nature of Science (1998). “Science is a impetus for creation of the NRC was driven particular way of knowing about the world. by the NAS’s resolve to coordinate national In science, explanations are restricted to those scientific and technological resources. The that can be inferred from the confirmable data NAS Council resolved (1916): — the results obtained through observations and experiments that can be substantiated by … National Research Council, the other scientists. Anything that can be observed purpose of which shall be to bring into or measured is amenable to scientific investi- cooperation government, educational, gation. Explanations that cannot be based industrial, and other research organiza- upon empirical evidence are not part of sci- tions with the object of encouraging ence.” He also noted that “… the National the investigation of natural phenom- Academy of Sciences (hereinafter “NAS”) was ena, and increased use of scientific recognized by experts for both parties as the research in the development of Ameri- ‘most prestigious’ scientific association in this can industries, the employment of country.” The NAS, as science itself, is self- scientific methods in strengthening the correcting and evolving. national defense, and such other In the 1980s, President Frank Press noted applications of science as will promote many specific examples of new challenges and the national security and welfare. roles for us that stemmed from our core roles and values. Ten years ago, in his 1996 speech, Of course, there have been some changes President Bruce Alberts listed four types of to the charter documents, but the original NAS functions. Let me review these func- purposes endure. Importantly, the National tions, and build on the ideas of both past Academy of Engineering was created in 1965, presidents, seated with us today. The National and the NAE helps us to govern the NRC. Academy of Sciences must: And the Institute of Medicine (from 1970) has Ù Validate scientific excellence developed its own strengths under our char- ter. The scope and vitality of NRC and IOM Ù Enhance the vitality of the scientific enter- activities today demonstrate that we are able prise to respond to requests from almost anywhere Ù Guide public policy with science in the government. Ù Communicate the nature, values, and judgments of science to government and Missions of the NAS and NRC the public in Recent Times What are our missions now? First, I should Validate Scientific Excellence note that the NAS is the keeper of the defini- Our unique role is electing our own members tion of science. In the Dover, Pennsylvania, and determining how to do it. Home Secre- court case that ruled against the teaching of tary John Brauman has noted that in NAS “intelligent design,” Judge John Jones III history (at least over the past century), the accepted the NAS’s definition of science as number elected each year has exceeded the 3 number who died so that the total size of the changed and the Academy has frequently NAS has grown monotonically. changed its point of view.” Balancing the In discussions at this year’s regional NAS weight of lifetime contributions of an older meetings, several members noted that we are nominee against the shorter record of some- apparently more selective than academies of one younger who offers more promise for other countries, and that our consideration of future contributions and service is always a nominees includes more documentation and key issue, and not an idle question given our discussion than other U.S. learned societies. mission. These aspects of our elections are highly We also award NAS prizes, not always to respected. NAS members, in several fields of science; So as we ask ourselves, What should be validating scientific excellence is very impor- our annual quota and how should it be dis- tant to us. Our prizes set examples for society tributed? We should also continue to consider — examples of creativity and achievement, how we evaluate excellence. We have always and of commitment to high standards. elected for scientific excellence, but as former Our selections also have impacts on the President Jewett noted, “yardsticks have individuals who are rewarded with NAS membership or prizes. Often, after NAS election, the individual receives significant salary increases and new job offers, and is invited to participate in high-level activities or to assume a leadership position. Thus, for our own good and to meet our responsibilities, we must continually re-examine how we elect with respect to age, gender, minorities, geo- graphic distribution, and the mix of scientific disciplines as modes of research and publica- tion change. In some fields, there is more need for group endeavors, or reliance on advanced instrumentation, computational techniques, and software, and there are new, emerging fields of science. Enhance the Vitality of the Scientific Enterprise Maintaining the vitality of the scientific enter- prise is one of the main goals and roles of the FIGURE 2 Cozzarelli in his Berkeley laboratory during filming for ‘‘porridge Council of the National Academy of Sciences. pulleys and Pi’’ produced by the Current members of the Council are Roger Mathematical Sciences Research Beachy, May Berenbaum, Claude Canizares, Institute (Berkeley, CA). Photograph Gerald Fischbach, Jerry Gollub, Y.W. Kan, by George Paul Csicsery © 2003. Thomas Kelly, Robert Lefkowitz, Carl All rights reserved. 4 Lineberger, Joyce Marcus, Susan Wessler, and capacity of the NAS in terms of disciplinary Mary Lou Zoback. They serve three-year scope of expertise and numbers of experts.