White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Holds Summit on the U.S. Research Enterprise

Last week, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) held an invitation-only summit on the U.S. research enterprise. The summit brought together officials from the across the government, including from the Department of Energy (DOE) and National Science Foundation (NSF), as well as individuals from industry and academia. A select handful of industry leaders and university heads were invited to Washington, DC to discuss how to better coordinate research policies across the federal government. OSTP Director Kelvin Droegemeier spearheaded the event with the purposes of informing the work of the Trump administration’s Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE).

Earlier this year, OSTP Director Kelvin Droegemeier sent a letter to the U.S. research community—including professional societies, academic institutions, university faculty and students—on addressing research security and other issues associated with the American research enterprise. The letter outlined JCORE priorities, which include coordinating outreach and engagement across federal agencies, establishing disclosure requirements for federally funded research, developing best practices, and managing risk to ensure the security of the research sector.

JCORE came about as a result of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2017, which called for the creation of inter-agency taskforce to make federally funded research more efficient. In May, the Trump Administration reestablished JCORE under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and gave the council a mandate to oversee federal policy in four key areas:

• Safe and Inclusive Research Environments
• Rigor and Integrity in Research
• Research Security
• Reducing Administrative Burdens

Each of these areas is examined by one of four JCORE subcommittees that meet regularly. However, last week’s summit presented the first opportunity for outside personal to offer insight into the policy areas being examined by the council and its four subcommittees.

ASME will continue to monitor all OSTP and JCORE activities.