Rising Above the Gathering Storm Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (2007) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-22
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 1... ...
Executive Summary The United States takes deserved pride in the vitality of its economy, which forms the foundation of our high quality of life, our national security, and our hope that our children and grandchildren will inherit evergreater opportunities. That vitality is derived in large part from the productivity of well-trained people and the steady stream of scientific and technical innovations they produce.
|
From page 2... ...
Although the committee consists of leaders in academe, industry, and government -- including several current and former industry chief executive officers, university presidents, researchers (including three Nobel prize winners) , and former presidential appointees -- the array of topics and policies covered is so broad that it was not possible to assemble a committee of 20 members with direct expertise in each relevant area.
|
From page 3... ...
"CEOs Defend Moving Jobs Offshore at Tech Summit." InfoWorld, October 9, 2003; Bruce Mehlman.
|
From page 4... ...
Although the US economy is doing well today, current trends in each of those criteria indicate that the United States may not fare as well in the future without government intervention. This nation must prepare with great urgency to preserve its strategic and economic security.
|
From page 5... ...
To provide the highest-quality education for undergraduates who want to become teachers, it would be important to award matching grants, on a one-to-one basis, of $1 million a year for up to 5 years, to as many as 100 universities and colleges to encourage them to establish integrated 4-year undergraduate programs leading to bachelor's degrees in the physical and life sciences, mathematics, computer sciences, or engineering with teacher certification. The models for this action are the UTeach and California Teach program.
|
From page 6... ...
Create opportunities and incentives for middle school and high school students to pursue advanced work in science and mathematics. By 2010, increase the number of students who take at least one AP or IB mathematics or science exam to 1.5 million, and set a goal of tripling the number who pass those tests to 700,000.4 Student incentives for success would include 50% examination fee rebates and $100 mini-scholarships for each passing score on an AP or IB science or mathematics examination.
|
From page 7... ...
Action B-3: Institute a National Coordination Office for Advanced Research Instrumentation and Facilities to manage a fund of $500 million in incremental funds per year over the next 5 years -- through reallocation of existing funds or, if necessary, through the investment of new funds -- to ensure that universities and government laboratories create and maintain 5The funds may come from anywhere in government, not just other research funds.
|
From page 8... ...
Action B-6: Institute a Presidential Innovation Award to stimulate scientific and engineering advances in the national interest. Existing presidential awards recognize lifetime achievements or promising young scholars, but the proposed new awards would identify and recognize persons who develop unique scientific and engineering innovations in the national interest at the time they occur.
|
From page 9... ...
Portable fellowships would provide a stipend of $30,0007 annually directly to students, who would choose where to pursue graduate studies instead of being required to follow faculty research grants, and up to $20,000 annually for tuition and fees. Action C-3: Provide a federal tax credit to encourage employers to make continuing education available (either internally or through colleges and universities)
|
From page 10... ...
In the interim, the number of H-1B visas should be increased by 10,000, and the additional visas should be available for industry to hire science and engineering applicants with doctorates from US universities.8 Action C-7: Reform the current system of "deemed exports." The new system should provide international students and researchers engaged in fundamental research in the United States with access to information and research equipment in US industrial, academic, and national laboratories comparable with the access provided to US citizens and permanent residents in a similar status. It would, of course, exclude information and facilities restricted under national-security regulations.
|
From page 11... ...
The current Research and Experimentation Tax Credit goes to companies that increase their research and development spending above a base amount calculated from their spending in prior years. Congress and the Administration should make the credit permanent,10 and it should be increased from 20 to 40% of the qualifying increase so that the US tax credit is competitive with those of other countries.
|
From page 12... ...
These alternatives could include changes in overall corporate tax rates and special tax provisions providing incentives for the purchase of high-technology research and manufacturing equipment, treatment of capital gains, and incentives for long-term investments in innovation. The Council of Economic Advisers and the Congressional Budget Office should conduct a comprehensive analysis to examine how the United States compares with other nations as a location for innovation and related activities with a view to ensuring that the United States is one of the most attractive places in the world for long-term innovation-related investment and the jobs resulting from that investment.
|
From page 13... ...
For the first time in generations, the nation's children could face poorer prospects than their parents and grandparents did. We owe our current prosperity, security, and good health to the investments of past generations, and we are obliged to renew those commitments in education, research, and innovation policies to ensure that the American people continue to benefit from the remarkable opportunities provided by the rapid development of the global economy and its not inconsiderable underpinning in science and technology.
|
From page 14... ...
Of 120 chemical plants being built around the world with price tags of $1 billion or more, one is in the United States and 50 are in China. No new refineries have been built in the United States since 1976.10 • The United States is said to have 7 million illegal immigrants,11 but under the law the number of visas set aside for "highly qualified foreign workers," many of whom contribute significantly to the nation's innovations, dropped to 65,000 a year from its 195,000 peak.12 • When asked in spring 2005 what is the most attractive place in the world in which to "lead a good life", respondents in only 1 (India)
|
From page 15... ...
.16 • The United States ranks only 12th among OECD countries in the number of broadband connections per 100 inhabitants.17 K–12 Education • Fewer than one-third of US 4th-grade and 8th-grade students performed at or above a level called "proficient" in mathematics; "proficiency" was considered the ability to exhibit competence with challenging subject matter. Alarmingly, about one-third of the 4th graders and onefifth of the 8th graders lacked the competence to perform even basic mathematical computations.18 • In 1999, 68% of US 8th-grade students received instruction from a mathematics teacher who did not hold a degree or certification in mathematics.19 • In 2000, 93% of students in grades 5–9 were taught physical science by a teacher lacking a major or certification in the physical sciences (chemistry, geology, general science, or physics)
|
From page 16... ...
One estimate is that in 2004, China graduated about 350,000 engineers, computer scientists, and information technologists with 4-year degrees, while the United States graduated about 140,000. China also graduated about 290,000 with 3-year degrees in these same fields, while the US graduated about 85,000 with 2- or 3-year degrees.30 Over the past 3 years alone, both China31 and India32 have doubled their production of 3- and 4-year degrees in these fields, while the United States33 production of engineers is stagnant and the rate of production of computer scientists and information technologists doubled.
|
From page 17... ...
2004 than in FY 1976.40 The amount invested annually by the US federal government in research in the physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering combined equals the annual increase in US healthcare costs incurred every 20 days.41 PERSPECTIVES • "If you can solve the education problem, you don't have to do anything else. If you don't solve it, nothing else is going to matter all that much." -- Alan Greenspan, outgoing Federal Reserve Board chairman42 • "We go where the smart people are.
|
From page 18... ...
"US Population Clock." Available at: http://www.census.gov. For current population and for the projected population, see Population Projections Program, Population Division, US Census Bureau.
|
From page 19... ...
25National Center for Education Statistics.
|
From page 20... ...
Available at: http:// www.ed.gov. According to this Department of Education analysis, the majority of students who switch from engineering majors complete a major in business or other non-science and engineering fields.
|
From page 21... ...
Commencement address at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Mary land. In 1997 Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, Books I and II.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.