White House science office needs upgrade( WASHINGTONThe science and technology...)

WASHINGTONThe science and technology policymaking capacity of the White House must be enhanced so that the next president can better address key issues facing the nationfrom energy and the environment, to national security, and the ability of the United States to compete and collaborate internationally. The report's primary recommendations are that:

• The next President quickly appoint a nationally respected leader to be Assistant for Science and Technology Policy who will serve at the Cabinet level.

• The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) be funded adequately, staffed fully, and integrated closely with other policymaking bodies within the White House.

• Robust mechanisms to obtain expert and timely advice be established and maintained through the President's Council of Advisors for Science and Technology (PCAST), the President's Council on Innovation and Competitiveness, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), the National Academies, and a Federal-State Science and Technology Council.

"The next president's ability to meet key challenges facing the nation will depend upon a high-quality team in the White House to evaluate and shape the government's approximately $142 billion (2008) investments in Science and Technology as well as the broader S&T underpinnings of complex national and international issues," said Lee H. Hamilton, president and director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, which today released the report Critical Upgrade: Enhanced Capacity for White House Science and Technology Policymaking.

"The President will need to appoint an extraordinary individual with the breadth of knowledge and sound judgment to chart advice on matters of sweeping national importance," added David Abshire, president of both the Center for the Study of the Presidency and the Lounsbery Foundation, the latter of which was a sponsor of Critical Upgrade. Dr. Abshire
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