High-Tech Industry Coalition Warns US Losing Competitive Research Edge

[hatrack]

Washington -- A new coalition of research universities and high-tech companies opened a public campaign Tuesday to implore the federal government to increase funding for basic research as their answer to the job losses hitting the U.S. workforce as a result of offshoring.

The Task Force on the Future of American Innovation warned that the United States is at a tipping point where it stands to lose its long-standing technological edge to competitors such as India, Russia and China, which are replicating the U.S. model, including pouring money into basic research. "The U.S. is consumed in a discussion of offshoring or outsourcing," said Craig Barrett, chief executive of Intel Corp. and a former faculty member at Stanford University in materials science and engineering. "Unfortunately, it's not consumed in the discussion of what you need to do to be competitive."

The coalition, which includes the American Association of Universities, as well as high-tech and scientific groups, said the $5 billion per year the federal government spends on basic research in the physical sciences and engineering has been flat for 30 years, adjusted for inflation, and has fallen by 37 percent as a percentage of gross domestic product. They want to see that figure double in five years. The Bush administration, however, has proposed a 2 percent cut in light of the rising federal budget deficit.

The group noted that the Internet, magnetic resonance imaging, global positioning systems and lasers were all developed out of federally financed basic research."

EDIT

[htuttle]

1. No worries...

I'm sure that our new Faith-Based Science programs will get us right back on top...

:eyes:

[Canuckistanian]

2. Complete lack of vision

Not only is outsourcing a problem but so is the administration's policies. Because of security concerns, foreign reseachers are either being denied visas or they just don't feel comfortable coming to the US because of the current political climate.
M.I.T. recently had to cancel an AI project because the foreign experts wouldn't (or couldn't) participate.
As far as scientific research goes, the climate couldn't be worse. With funding cuts to major federal "pure science" studies, and this administration's meddling on advisory boards and funding decisions for ideological puposes, the US is losing it edge in the world.

[StClone]

3. Gee when you outsource

And the funds going out are invested by those foreigners into their edjikation system it comes back to them in technology advancements?

And I mean real education not a W degree.

[aquart]

4. Yeah. When George made that "entrepreneur" speech the other day......

He floored me. His administration has dried up venture capital. Nothing that would compete with or challenge large corporations is allowed to exist in George's America.

He forbids our most promising avenues of exploration and research. He relaxes regulations so no company needs to finance innovative methods of meeting environmental and safety requirements.

He has stunted our growth.

Tell me again why anyone would vote for him?

[ramapo]

5. The sciences get lip service only

There's long been much talk about the need for students to excel in math and science.

What awaits them at the end of their education? Where are the opportunities? Work for a defense contractor?

I've had many resumes pass over my desk of people with amazing educations who wound up becoming programmers. Of course even those opportunities are few today.

[brokensymmetry]

6. Losing?

I regret to say I can't agree with the tense. We lost it. China has built a maglev train...have we (no!).

Look at the number of scientists and engineers in the US and China. China has 4 times as many - hardly surprising, given their overall population. But given that disparity, which country will come up with more new ideas?

We have given them a great deal of our technology, and they've been wise enough to use it and leapfrog ahead. The potential consequences are dire.