바이오인

 

Science and innovation have long been the lifeblood of our nation, as the United States has maintained a proud tradition of supporting scientific discovery and technology development. The research funded by the federal government has driven our economy, established our dominance in the global marketplace, and improved the quality of our daily lives. Yet at a time when the scientific opportunities have never been greater, when the world is striving to imitate our investment in fundamental research, our nation’s research agencies are threatened by flat or reduced budgets.

 

Whether through our national laboratories or via the scientists at institutions throughout the country, the United States’ model for funding science has been both extraordinarily successful and unique. In every state in the nation, scientists compete fiercely for research funding, ensuring the highest quality of scientific exploration. In many ways our nation’s researchers are symbolic of the global race for scientific preeminence. Just as scientists struggle to survive in an increasingly competitive funding environment, so too the United States is facing growing competition from other nations who are rapidly investing in scientific research. To address these new challenges, a renewed commitment to the scientific enterprise, that has served our citizens so well, becomes imperative.

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) represents 21 scientific societies comprising over 80,000 biomedical and life science researchers. This report speaks with the voice of the working scientist and attests to progress made, knowledge gained, and the opportunities at hand. These recommendations, for six federal research agencies, identify what is needed to spur the technological and medical advancements that will contribute directly to our economic prosperity, world competitiveness, health, and longevity.