Message to Congress
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States at the forefront of world science and technology is the integration of fundamental research with the training of new scientists and engineers. The deferral of research in a given area therefore has an immediate effect on the training of researchers in that field, thus compounding the problem of reestablishing the lost momentum. Our economic competition will not be idle during the years that are lost. The new reality to which the United States must adjust is the development of a world economy in which emerging nations have become major producers of steel, automobiles, and consumer electronics for a world market. If we are to maintain or improve our standard of living, we are compelled to develop new products. In our impatience for practical results, however, we have allowed the division of resources between research and development to get dangerously out of balance. Regardless of the resources we commit, the pace of development must slacken in the absence of new science—and the budget for basic research in this country is today only about 13.6% of the federal budget for research and development. We therefore urge Congress to sustain a healthy growth in fundamental research as an essential component of a deficit reduction plan. Any of us would be happy to meet with you and other members of the committee to discuss our concerns.
It is likely that the number of signatures to the letter would have been higher had time been available. This letter followed a direct appeal to members and friends of the American Physical Society (APS) by APS president Sidney D. Drell. It read in part: "I therefore urge that all members and friends of the American Physical Society undertake the responsibility of informing their elected representatives of the need to invest in scientific research—a need that is even greater in times of economic stress. Even as we send that message, we must demonstrate the unity of the scientific community. It would be unfortunate if we appear to be pleading only for those projects in which we have a personal stake. I recommend that in yourcontacts with members of Congress you stress the value of science rather than of particular projects. The priorities of science are best argued through the merit review process. The time is short. Committee action on the budget must be completed by April 1. We must by then have made clear that the science we love for its beauty is also the foundation of our material well-being."
PACE 36, MRS BULLETIN, MAY/JUNE 1986 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 80.82.77.83, on 25 Aug 2017 at 19:24:38, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms . https://doi.org/10.1557/S0883769400054786
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