Congress should back investment in science

asic scientific research is a critical national investment, providing strong economic, societal and security benefits along with new knowledge that helps us all. Discoveries in my own field, pure mathematics, for example, are the basis of the secure communication technologies that make the internet possible. University-based investigators supported by federal funds do nearly all of the research that applies mathematics to inform our internet economy, provide secure communications for national defense agencies and improve our nation’s cyber security.

Yet the White House’s budget proposal released Tuesday seeks to walk away from investments like these, threatening the nation’s ability to enhance cyber security, train the next generation of scientists and innovators, and continue stimulating economic growth.

Although there is consensus on the general directions pure basic research should take, the mathematicians who were investigating the problem of factoring large numbers didn’t know, until the results were in, that they were laying the groundwork for communication security. Nor did the mathematicians investigating the functions called “modular forms” anticipate that these would model the statistics of waiting times with applications to everything from manufacturing to customer service.

The primary funder of this research is the Division of Mathematical Sciences of the National Science Foundation. The White House 2018 budget slashes the NSF budget by 11 percent across the board, reducing funding to the lowest level in 15 years.

When considering this budget, Congress must continue to uphold and protect its bipartisan support for investment in basic and applied scientific research for the United States to maintain leadership in innovation, including support for mathematical research. Other countries recognize the enormous value of research and development and the foundation it lays for enhancing 21st-century economic growth and global competitiveness.

For example, from 2000-2013, China’s investments in R&D grew 17 percent, South Korea’s 8.3 percent, and Russia’s 8.2 percent, while the U.S. stagnated. There is a clear trend among global leaders that investing in R&D is a critical factor in determining a nation’s ability to grow its economy and help solve challenging problems.

U.S. investments in scientific and engineering R&D have created millions of jobs and improved state economies. According to a Congressional Research Service report, scientists and engineers only account for about 5 percent of the nation’s workforce, but they help create jobs across the rest of the economy. Scientists’ discoveries and products extend far beyond the research laboratory, affecting people across the business sector — from designers to builders to consumers.

For generations, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have supported continued investment in basic and applied research because they witnessed and celebrated the profound and positive impacts these investments have on our health, economy and global leadership. Across every industry and sector, investment in R&D provides clear opportunities for Americans and advances economic prosperity.

I applaud Congress for providing robust funding for R&D in the recently passed 2017 appropriations, and urge members to further strengthen our national commitment to investing in scientific research as they negotiate the 2018 budget.