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Explore Senator Lamar Alexander's prioritization of science and innovation in policy-making and his efforts to advance clean energy, research universities, and the national laboratory complex. Reflect on his legislative fellows program and the recommendations of the "Gathering Storm" report.
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Reflections on Science and Innovation Policy Jack Wells Director of Science, National Center for Computational Sciences Oak Ridge National Laboratory SESAPS Meeting Roanoke, VA October 20, 2011
Senator Lamar Alexander • Tennessee’s senior U.S. Senator • Only Tennessean to be elected Governor and U.S. Senator. • Former U.S. Secretary of Education • Former President of UT http://alexander.senate.gov
Hart Senate Office Building August 2006 to January 2008
Dirksen Senate Office Building January 2008 to August 2008
Legislative Fellow • “Fellow” = Not an employee of the Senate • Reports to the Legislative Director • Lead staff for set of topics • Science & Technology • Renewable & Nuclear Energy • Oak Ridge Issues
How did I get there? Answer: Senator Alexander regularly requests from the Director of Science at DOE a legislative fellow from ORNL. • Third of five ORNL S&T staff who have served in this capacity • Tim Valentine (2003-2004) -- Nuclear Engineer • Jeff Muhs (2005) – Systems Engineer • Jack Wells (2006 -- 2008) – Physicist • Adam Rondinone (2008 – 2010) -- Chemist • Neena Imam (2010 – current) – Electrical Engineer • Most Ph.D. scientists and engineers working as fellows on the Hill arrive there on professional society fellowships, e.g., • AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships • APS Congressional Science Fellowships
Why does the Senator request a science fellow? Answer: Because his Oak Ridge fellow contributes unique perspectives of a professional scientist or engineer to his policy priorities and legislative agenda
Why would the Senator prioritize science and innovation, research universities, and the U.S. national laboratory complex? Answer: Because he believes that science and innovation can help him advance his policy priorities, e.g., • Clean air • Abundant, affordable energy • Healthy children • Good jobs • Attract “best and brightest” to live in the U.S.
“The Next Big Surprise”Senator Lamar Alexander – Speech to NASMay 11, 2005 • “September 11th came as a big surprise to this country. We weren’t expecting what happened, and we weren’t prepared for it.” “[…] we should have seen the warning signs.” • “In the meantime, we have been ignoring the next big surprise—that in 10 or 20 years other countries may close the economic gap between themselves and the United States. As there were with 9/11, there are warning signs.”
“The Next Big Surprise”Lamar Alexander, The Bridge, 35, (3) 2005http://www.nae.edu/Publications/TheBridge/Archives/V35-3GlobalizationandEngineering.aspx
National Academies Engage • In May of 2005, Lamar Alexander and Jeff Bingaman asked the National Academies this question: • “What are the ten top actions, in priority order, that federal policy makers could take over the next decade to help the United States keep our advantage in science and technology?” • To answer the question, the Academies assembled an all-star panel of leaders headed by Norm Augustine, former chairman and CEO of Lockheed-Martin, • included three Nobel Prize winners, including current Secretary of Energy Steve Chu. • The “Augustine Committee” came back with twenty consensus recommendations in the form of a report entitled "Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future"
“Gathering Storm” Report Identified Two Key Challenges • Creating high-quality jobs for Americans • Responding to the nation's need for clean, affordable, and reliable energy “The committee notes that the nation is unlikely to receive some sudden “wakeup” call; rather, the problem is one that is likely to evidence itself gradually over a surprisingly short period.”
What did the Augustine Committee Recommend? Recommendation A: (K-12 Education) Increase America's talent pool by vastly improving K-12 science and mathematics education.
What did the Augustine Committee Recommend? Recommendation B: (Research in Science and Engineering) Sustain and strengthen the nation's traditional commitment to long-term basic research that has the potential to be transformational to maintain the flow of new ideas that fuel the economy, provide security, and enhance the quality of life. • Action B-1: Increase the federal investment in long-term basic research by 10% each year over the next 7 years. • Action B-2: Provide new research grants of $500,000 each annually, payable over 5 years, to 200 of the nation’s most outstanding early-career researchers. • Action B-5: Create in the Department of Energy an organization like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) called the Ad- vanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
What did the Augustine Committee Recommend? Recommendation C: (Higher Education) Make the United States the most attractive setting in which to study and perform research so that we can develop, recruit, and retain the best and brightest students, scientists, and engineers • Action C-1: Increase the number and proportion of US citizens who earn bachelor’s degrees in the physical sciences, the life sciences, engineering, and mathematics…. • Action C-2: Increase the number of US citizens pursuing graduate study in “areas of national need” ….
Bipartisan Activity in Congress is a Rare Thing • The American COMPETES Act of 2007 became law in August 2007 with broad bipartisan support. • Its prime sponsors were the Senate leaders, Reid and McConnell, • 70 co-sponsors - half from each political party. • Sen. Alexander called COMPETES “the most far-reaching bipartisan congressional activity of the last few years.”
What did the COMPETES Act do? The American COMPETES Act of 2007 codified many (but not all) of the goals of the Augustine Report. For example: • Authorized a doubling of research-and-development funding in the physical sciences over 7 years. • Support for science and technology education in an effort to maintain America's competitive position in the world economy. • Authorized ARPA-E • Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy • Purpose: fund projects that will reduce America's dependence on foreign energy, address climate issues, improve energy efficiency, and strengthen the U.S. leadership role in advanced energy technologies.
Much has occurred since August 2007 • October, 2008 – Housing bubble, economic recession • Bank Bailouts • American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 • 2010 mid-term elections – Republicans gain majority in House • FY 2011 budget compromise and plan for deficit reduction • Backing away from science funding “doubling” policy • Science continues to be a priority, but this means it might not be cut as much as other discretionary programs • Uncertain FY2012 budgets.
Challenges for Policy Consensus for Future • Federal budget deficits continue to exceed $1T/year • A populist uprising is occurring over spending in Washington • High unemployment • No appetite for higher taxes • A reactionary public response is growing concerned about perceived inequities and opportunities. • November 2912 elections: Potential for a sharp move to the right • Expect both parties to push to show they are fiscally responsible • Need for compromises in policies and politics “We need a little less pluribus and a little more unum.”
History of the Energy and Water Development Appropriation FY 2011 – a new record! The budget uncertainty associated a significant delay in the appropriation creates havoc with agency planning and budget execution. Ref. Harriet Kung BESAC Meeting, August 2011 • 27
DOE strategic priorities Innovation Investing in science, discovery and innovation to provide solutions to pressing energy challenges Energy Providing clean, secure energy and promoting economic prosperity through energy efficiency and domestic forms of energy Security Safeguarding nuclear and radiological materials, advancing responsible legacy cleanup, and maintaining nuclear deterrence
Bottom Line • With your roles as scientists and educators, you have influence well beyond your immediate reach and scope. • How will you best use your individual and collective influence to positively impact society? • Our collective response to this question will contribute to policy decisions on support for science and science education • “I am all for scientific research. But we have real problems to which we need solutions!” • Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY), February 2007 Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing on the FY2008 DOE Budget Request.
