The Importance of Chemical
Research to the U.S. Economy
__________
Committee on Enhancing the U.S. Chemical
Economy Through Investments in Fundamental
Research in the Chemical Sciences
Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology
Division on Earth and Life Studies
Consensus Study Report
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
This activity was supported by contracts between the National Academy of Sciences and the American Chemical Society, the U.S. Department of Energy (Contract number 10004932), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Contract number 10005235), and the National Science Foundation (Contract number 10004871). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-68863-5
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-68863-9
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/26568
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022945664
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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. The Importance of Chemical Research to the U.S. Economy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26568.
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COMMITTEE ON ENHANCING THE U.S. CHEMICAL ECONOMY THROUGH INVESTMENTS IN FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH IN THE CHEMICAL SCIENCES
Members
MARK S. WRIGHTON, Chair, George Washington University
CATHY L. TWAY, Vice Chair, Johnson Matthey
ASHISH ARORA, Duke University
RAYCHELLE BURKS, American University
JOSEPH M. DeSIMONE (NAS, NAE, NAM), Stanford University
SHANTI GAMPER-RABINDRAN, University of Pittsburgh
JEANNETTE M. GARCIA, IBM
JAVIER GUZMAN, ExxonMobil
MARTHA HEAD, Amgen
RUSSELL MOY, Southeastern University Research Association (through January 2022)
KRISTALA L. J. PRATHER, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JASON SELLO, University of California, San Francisco
BALA SUBRAMANIAM, University of Kansas
JEAN W. TOM (NAE), Bristol Myers Squibb
Staff
STEVEN M. MOSS, Study Director
LIANA VACCARI, Program Officer
JESSICA WOLFMAN, Research Associate
BENJAMIN ULRICH, Communications Associate
CHARLES FERGUSON, Senior Board Director
BRENNA ALBIN, Program Assistant
OLIVIA TORBERT, Program Assistant (through February 2021)
JEREMY MATHIS, Board Director (through September 2021)
MAGGIE WALSER, Interim Board Director (through January 2022)
Consultants
MICHAEL ZIERLER, RedOx Scientific Editing
LEE FLEMING, University of California, Berkeley
DANIEL BASCO, Vertex Evaluation and Research, LLC
Sponsors
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
BOARD ON CHEMICAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY
Members
SCOTT COLLICK, Co-chair, DuPont
JENNIFER SINCLAIR CURTIS, Co-chair, University of California, Davis
GERARD BAILLELY, Procter & Gamble
RUBEN G. CARBONELL (NAE), North Carolina State University
JOHN FORTNER, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science
KAREN I. GOLDBERG (NAS), University of Pennsylvania
JENNIFER M. HEEMSTRA, Emory University
JODIE L. LUTKENHAUS, Texas A&M University
SHELLEY D. MINTEER, University of Utah
AMY PRIETO, Colorado State University
MEGAN L. ROBERTSON, University of Houston
SALY ROMERO-TORRES, Thermo Fisher Scientific
REBECCA T. RUCK, Merck Process Research & Development
ANUP K. SINGH, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
VIJAY SWARUP, ExxonMobil
Staff
CHARLES FERGUSON, Senior Board Director
MEGAN E. HARRIES, Program Officer
LIANA VACCARI, Program Officer
LINDA NHON, Associate Program Officer
THANH NGUYEN, Finance Business Partner
JESSICA WOLFMAN, Research Associate
ABIGAIL ULMAN, Research Assistant
BRENNA ALBIN, Program Assistant
AYANNA LYNCH, Program Assistant
EMMA SCHULMAN, Program Assistant
Acknowledgments
This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.
We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by CAROL J. HENRY, George Washington University, and F. FLEMING CRIM, University of Wisconsin—Madison. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried
out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.
This study would not have been successful without the assistance of many. The committee is grateful to the people who helped provide research support to the report, including analytical support for the Vertex report provided by the staff at IP Checkups, Inc., which includes Jesse Hooper, Matt Rappaport, and Mark Garner, and additional analytical support from Divya Sebastian at Duke University.
Preface
Chemistry has contributed significantly to the nation’s economic prosperity, human health, national security, and overall quality of life. In fall 2020, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) convened a committee to consider strategies to sustain and enhance the economic activity driven by fundamental research investments in the chemical sciences. The work of the committee focused on four areas: (1) examination and definition of the role of the chemical industry in the U.S. economy; (2) assessment of how long-term investments in fundamental chemical research have contributed to national security, environmental sustainability, thriving manufacturing industries, and energy technology; (3) exploration of strategies for targeted research investments in the chemical sciences by both public and private sectors to stimulate growth and to ensure that the United States plays a leadership role in the field; and (4) consideration of options for research investments that would enhance the chemical economy and also advance environmentally sustainable practices and build a diverse workforce for the chemical economy.
The committee is diverse and has drawn on rich and extensive experiences in academia, industry, and government as researchers and as leaders of organizations that invest in the chemical sciences. The work of the committee has drawn on other leaders in the chemical sciences and those with economics expertise to provide information vital to the development of our report. We are grateful for the efforts of all those who have contributed to the information-gathering phase of our work.
The report from our committee provides a compelling rationale for why chemistry has been, and will continue to be, critical to the well-being of people everywhere. Contributions from chemists have enabled the development of life-saving pharmaceuticals; materials for structural purposes, for packaging, and for renewable energy technologies; modern microelectronics fueling our information technology infrastructure; and electrochemical devices to power transportation vehicles. Our recommendations will contribute to advancing human health and achieving environmental sustainability, while enhancing the U.S. economy and sustaining our national security.
In our work, we have identified areas where success in chemistry will contribute to addressing major global challenges. Advances in chemical instrumentation and computational power promise continuing rich returns from sustaining a long-term investment in fundamental chemical research. The daunting challenges we face affect all, and it is imperative that we apply both financial and human resources to address these problems. Chemistry is done by people. Drawing on a diverse, well-prepared workforce will be essential to make more rapid progress in the future. Proactive effort to equitably engage all of our human resources will stimulate more rapid innovation in chemistry.
While chemistry has enabled quality-of-life advances, many of these advances have had unforeseen negative consequences. Therefore, chemistry is both the source of many current global problems and will enable the potential solutions to these problems. Negative environmental impacts brought about by the combustion of fossil fuels and the proliferation of waste from plastics illustrate two such problems where advances in chemistry will be vital to the solutions for addressing the challenges. As the complementary 2022 New Directions for Chemical Engineering report by the National Academies also notes, we have the opportunity and responsibility to apply advances in chemistry and in chemical engineering to address the global problems we face related to energy, the environment, and sustainability.
The work of our committee has been done almost entirely via virtual meetings. Despite this mode of working, it has been a reward to come to know such a talented and dedicated group who have worked well together. Building new friendships is a result of good committee work, and it is our pleasure to acknowledge the tremendous effort from all. We are thankful, especially, for the talented team led by Steven Moss at the National Academies, which includes Liana Vaccari, Jessica Wolfman, Brenna Albin, and Benjamin Ulrich, as well as ample help from Michael Zierler, a rapporteur and consultant on the project, who all helped us complete an important report.
Mark S. Wrighton, Chair
Cathy Tway, Vice Chair
Committee on Enhancing the U.S. Chemical Economy Through
Investments in Fundamental Research in the Chemical Sciences
Contents
1.3 Imagining the Future of the Chemical Economy
1.5 Previous Consensus Studies Related to the Chemical Economy
1.6 Organization of the Report
2 UNDERSTANDING THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CHEMISTRY
2.1 Brief History of the U.S. Chemical Industry
2.2 Estimating Current Size and Impact of the Chemical Economy
2.3 Research and Innovation in the Chemical Industry
2.4 Understanding U.S. Competitiveness in the Chemical Economy
3 SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE CHEMICAL ECONOMY
3.1 Basic Chemistry in Society: Contributions and Consequences
3.2 Transitioning to Sustainability and Decarbonization in the Chemical Economy
3.3 Policies to Assist in Adoption of Sustainability and Decarbonization
3.4 Fundamental Chemical Research for Sustainability, Decarbonization, and Environmental Stewardship
4 EMERGING AREAS IN THE CHEMICAL SCIENCES
5 PREPARING AND EMPOWERING THE NEXT-GENERATION CHEMICAL WORKFORCE
5.1 A Diverse and Equitable Chemical Workforce
5.2 Mentorship and Support for Success
5.3 Development Opportunities for Academic Institutions
6.1 Federal Investments in Chemical Research and Education
6.2 Corporate Funding of Chemical Research
6.3 Philanthropic Funding of Chemical Research and Education
6.4 Financial Responsibilities of Academic Institutions in Supporting Research
7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
7.1 The Importance of Chemical Research to the Chemical Economy
7.2 Role of Chemistry in Team Science
7.3 Chemical Research and Sustainability
7.4 Challenging the Underlying Assumptions of Chemical Research
7.5 Chemical Data and Analysis
A COMMITTEE MEMBER BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
B REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
C LIST OF OPEN SESSION SPEAKERS
