Appendix B
Request for Proposal for Economic Analysis
Background
The National Academy of Sciences (“NAS”), which includes under its Congressional Charter, the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine (collectively “the Academies”) and its Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology (BCST) is conducting a study funded by the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the American Chemical Society, to examine the current state of the United States chemical economy. The study will recommend targeted investments in fundamental chemical research to stimulate economic growth. The full scope of the study is outlined in the “Study Statement of Task,” below. The areas outlined in the Statement of Task will be addressed by members of an ad hoc committee of the Academies (“the Committee”) with expertise in diverse areas such as the chemical sciences, biochemistry, energy and sustainability, pharmaceuticals, patent and regulatory laws, and economics.
As a part of the study process, the Committee is tasked with gathering information from external experts and reviewing previously published work to better inform the findings, conclusions, and recommendations published in the final report. While any member of the public has the opportunity to comment on the study and the statement of task, the Committee will seek out specific expertise to help inform the study process.
As a part of this process of information gathering, the Committee is seeking an independent contractor to conduct an economic analysis on the U.S. chemical economy. The analysis and its deliverables will address the “Description of Analysis,” outlined below, with the intent of helping the consensus study committee address elements of their own statement of task. The final analysis produced by the independent contractor will either be included as an appendix in the published consensus study report or be made available to the public online. Any analysis work submitted to the Committee for consideration will be included in a public access file list, and members of the public can request the full analysis via the National Academic Public Access Records Office at any time.
Description of Analysis
In accordance with the scope of the statement of task for the consensus study, the economic analysis will examine how investments in fundamental chemical research and development affect the size and scope of the chemical economy.1 This analysis should:
- Assess the economic value of the chemical economy.1
- Assess in what sectors or industries chemical research is driving employment opportunities and value creation.
- Include an assessment of how chemical research is contributing to sustainable economic progress.
The deliverable may also include an analysis of the environmental impact of the U.S. chemical sector on the economy, an analysis of different factors that cause fluctuations in the U.S. chemical economy, or other analyses that directly address the consensus study’s statement of task.
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1 The chemical economy includes all sectors and industries that rely on chemical knowledge for their advancement and growth. Examples include, but are not limited to, the petroleum industry, the energy sector, materials production, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals.
