President Reif calls for renewed national commitment to support basic science
Writing in The Wall Street Journal, MIT President L. Rafael Reif has called for renewed federal support in basic science research, “for the nation’s long-term security, prosperity, competitiveness and health, and for generations of lasting new jobs.” Noting that President-elect Trump has announced his intention to reinvest in public infrastructure, Reif noted in an op-ed published in Tuesday’s newspaper, “we must also rebuild another kind of infrastructure now eroding — by renewing our national commitment to fundamental science.” For decades, federal research and development (R&D) funding provided the basis for much of the nation’s innovation and economic growth, Reif noted. The development of GPS technology, MRI scanners, and E-commerce, to name just a few examples, all rest on knowledge gleaned through fundamental research. At its height in the 1970s, government funding for basic research represented more than 2 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), according to Reif. Known as R&D intensity,...