The last 80 years of American science have been defined by one letter, penned by the president of the United States.

In November 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote to Vannevar Bush, director of the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development, which had become the largest scientific research program in American history over the course of  World War II. Roosevelt asked how their work could “be used in the days of peace ahead for the improvement of the national health, the creation of new enterprises bringing new jobs, and the betterment of the national standard of living.” 

The essay Vannevar Bush wrote in response, “Science—The Endless Frontier,” described a new system for the federal support of scientific research. Its positive impact—and remarkable success at fulfilling Roosevelt’s request—has been immeasurable, channeling hundreds of billions of dollars into American science and making the U.S. the world leader in scientific research.  

The Office of Management and Budget’s proposed rule change that would grant political employees final review of federal research funding is the latest action in a long, bruising 18 months for science. Attempts to shield research from political influence and bureaucratic processes have instead caused more of both. And although bipartisan Congressional efforts have pushed back on some of the deepest cuts, damage was still done, damming the flow of funding, halting experiments, delaying new research, and impeding the work of scientists worldwide. 

Our country needs a new consensus on how to support science. With the first quarter of the 21st century behind us, and as we look to the future, we have a duty to address valid criticisms of how we pursue science while recommitting to the most essential elements of Vannevar Bush’s vision: partnership between government, industry, and academia, international scientific collaboration, and support for exploratory basic research. The loss of these tenets would be devastating for science, for the nation, and for human........

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