About the US Government Scientific and Technical Advisory System

In the United States, the problem of reorganizing the government's scientific and technical advisory system is becoming more acute and it is up to the current administration to solve it. What should this system be like?


According to many, it is necessary to raise the status of the post of presidential adviser on science so that the person holding this post can express his recommendations directly to the president, bypassing the bureaucratic "filter" of the White House apparatus. It is proposed that the science adviser should have the status of an assistant to the president or Minister for Science without a portfolio, and the adviser himself should be free from administrative duties. This would save him from many worries related to administrative activities, for example, he would not have to deal with issues of financing or knocking out funds, competing with cabinet members who head ministries.


The Science Adviser could give the President an objective assessment of the often opposing points of view defended by various ministries and departments. He or she could also inform about the President's point of view regarding projects such as SOY or human genome research.


The science advisor must have the necessary staff. This will require the expansion of the current Office of Science and Technology Policy and the filling of four vacancies in the Directorate of this office. In addition, it will be necessary to create an advisory council of scientists and engineers, whose members would be appointed by the President. This council, which would keep in touch with the scientific world, could be called the advisory committee on science and technology under the President. The possibility of being appointed to the advisory committee by the President himself would attract many well-known specialists. In an advisory committee of the same type that existed under Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, the possibility of leaking classified information is significantly reduced.


One should not think that the science adviser and the members of the advisory committee should be elected necessarily from the scientific community. Whoever they are, they will have to serve the president so that he can serve the people.


The past is a necessary but not sufficient "guide" to the future. The Carnegie Corporation of New York, headed by David A. Hamburg, founded the independent Carnegie Commission on Science and Technology and Government Activities. Its co-chairs are Joshua Lederberg, Nobel laureate and rector of Rockefeller University, and me. The Commission is generously funded and has a representative membership, including former Presidents Ford and Carter (who are members of its advisory board).


The Carnegie Commission will not be biased in considering all points of view and will stimulate discussions and the development of effective approaches aimed at creating an effective scientific and technical advisory organization. The Commission will submit constructive proposals to President Bush on this issue. But many are confident that the president will not wait for our final report and, for his part, will also seek recommendations from the best "advisory body" — a community of scientists and engineers working to solve the main scientific and technical problems of our time. Homemade porn https://www.amateurest.com/ USA.