INVESTING IN SCIENCE

In Defense of the National Science Foundation

Sen. Coburn thinks science is silly, but there’s something funny about his report.

INVESTING IN INNOVATION

Investing in Innovation Pays Off

Science and technology are what move our economy forward. Two new studies show the pay off from federal investments in life science innovation is off the charts.

STEM CELL RESEARCH

Appeals Court Reverses Decision Striking Down Stem Cell Funding

A Divided D.C. Circuit panel reversed Judge Lamberth’s decision to ban federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. It appears very likely, if not entirely certain, that stem cell research will ultimately be upheld against future challenges.

INNOVATION

The Government as a Venture Catalyst

Federal programs work to incentivize high-tech venture capital investment in under-served regions and emerging sectors.

NOAA Says Loss of Environmental Satellite Funding Could Halve Accuracy of Precipitation Forecasts

New data from NOAA show how precipitation forecasts for the 2010 “Snowmageddon” storm would have been off by 50 percent or more without the aid of the polar-orbiting environmental satellites.

INVESTING IN SCIENCE

House GOP Still Says Accurate Weather Forecasting and Hurricane Tracking are Luxuries America Can’t Afford

Critical weather monitoring satellites saw an even deeper cut in the most recent three-week continuing resolution to fund the government, jeopardizing our ability to monitor hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods.

INVESTING IN SCIENCE

A Forecast for Disaster

Weather predictions used to be a frequent punchline but they have improved dramatically in recent years. More often than not you’ll need an umbrella if your local television channel or website of choice tells you to bring one when you [...]

Silos of Small Beer

Older industrial areas such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Akron, and Youngstown are places with substantial infrastructure and a proud industrial heritage that are struggling to redefine themselves in the global economy. Entrepreneurship and innovation are the most viable strategies for the economic future of the region.

INNOVATION

Jumpstarting Sustainable American Jobs

The federal government should partner with venture capitalists to help our nation’s innovative small businesses build the equity capital they need to grow and prosper in the United States.

President’s Budget Aims to Recharge Regional Innovation

Investing in innovation is a critical component of long-term economic prosperity, and the president’s FY2011 budget request includes two notable provisions that will support regional science and technology clusters. The administration is asking for $75 million “to support the creation [...]

“Scientist In Chief”: $5 Billion in Recovery Funds Support Biomedicine, Create Jobs

“We are very grateful to have a president who respects science,” said Director Francis Collins this morning, addressing staff and leaders of the National Institutes of Health. Collins was introducing the man he referred to as “our scientist in chief,” [...]

INNOVATION

The Science of Recovery

Investing in research and innovation can unleash Americans’ talents for discovery and entrepreneurship, says Congressman Holt.

Big Bucks for Science of All Sizes

Francis Collins took the reigns of the National Institutes of Health as director in August. Shortly thereafter, he invited a Kathy Hudson, a former colleague from the National Human Genome Research Institute, to serve as his chief of staff, a [...]

Science the Way It Should Be

New guidelines from the NIH will let researchers expand on important research, and, presumably, allow them to stop color-coding equipment paid for by different funding sources.

A Peek Inside NIH Peer Review

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides at least $200 million for the 20,894 challenge grant applications the National Institutes of Health recently received. This influx of applications comes on top of the 16,312 regular applications received for the same [...]

The War on Science Didn’t Damage Support for Research

Senior Fellow Ruy Teixeria takes a look at the recent Pew poll on public perceptions of science at the main CAP site today and concludes that in spite of the previous administration’s decidedly negative stance on a variety of scientific [...]

Federal Innovation Program Clears Key Capitol Hill Hurdles

Legislation reauthorizing and updating the Small Business Innovation Research program and Small Business Technology Transfer programs has now cleared the House of Representatives and the Senate, but considerable differences between the House and Senate versions will require significant reconciliation efforts [...]

Money and Methods in Cancer Research

The National Cancer Institute funds a lot of important research aimed at treating cancer, but some experts would characterize very little of it as transformative work. Gina Kolata’s article in the Sunday New York Times describes a system geared towards [...]

NIH Funding is Good for Your Health, and It’s Good for the Economy

Federal funding for biomedical research saves lives. Not only that, but investment in research through the National Institutes of Health stimulates the economy by helping people stay healthy and productive. So says a new report published yesterday in the Proceedings [...]

NIH By the Numbers: Challenge Grants, Stem Cell Comments, and Conflict of Interest Rules

A flood of grant applications for Recovery Act funds, a heap of comments on the proposed stem cell policy, and feedback on how to manage conflicts of interest among researchers—here’s a look at some of the key numbers related to [...]