[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 57 (Friday, March 26, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





             NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 26, 2021

  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, today I am pleased to be joined 
by my colleagues on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 
Ranking Member Frank Lucas, and the Research and Technology 
Subcommittee Chairwoman and Ranking Member, Haley Stevens and Michael 
Waltz, in introducing the National Science Foundation for the Future 
Act.
  Established in 1950, the National Science Foundation (NSF) was born 
out of hard-earned lessons about the powerful role of science in 
securing an allied victory in World War II. Propelled by his wartime 
experience leading the Office of Scientific Research and Development, 
Vannevar Bush championed the creation of NSF and postwar federal 
support for science, making the argument that ``advances in science 
when put to practical use mean more jobs, higher wages, shorter hours, 
more abundant crops, more leisure for recreation, for study, for 
learning how to live without the deadening drudgery which has been the 
burden of the common man for ages past. Advances in science will also 
bring higher standards of living, will lead to the prevention or cure 
of diseases, will promote conservation of our limited national 
resources, and will assure means of defense against aggression.''
  That was a lofty vision. One, I am proud to say, the Foundation has 
largely lived up to throughout its existence. Over the past 70 years, 
NSF has played a critical role in supporting fundamental research, 
education, and infrastructure at colleges, universities, and other 
institutions throughout the country. NSF funding has enabled numerous 
breakthrough discoveries that have transformed the daily lives of the 
American people--from the internet, lithium batteries, and GPS to 
weather radar, MRI technology, and DNA analysis--just to name a few.
  One of the aims of this bill is to empower the agency to do more of 
what it does best. Years of modest budget growth have resulted in low 
proposal success rates and stagnant grant sizes. Researchers and peer-
reviewers alike are more conservative in this funding environment, 
feeling pressure to deliver results rather than take big risks. 
Researchers are also struggling to support graduate students and 
postdocs and are bogged down preparing multiple grant proposals to 
increase their chances of being funded. This is no way for the world's 
leading scientific enterprise to function. And if we continue on this 
path, we will cede our scientific leadership, and with it the 
advantages of developing new industries and setting the global norms 
for emerging technologies. This bill authorizes a significant increase 
in the agency's budget. Funding for the current portfolio of activities 
is increased by nearly $2 billion in year one and grows at an average 
annual rate of 6 percent, setting the agency on a path to double its 
budget in 9 years.
  This bill also pushes the Foundation to continue to evolve. While it 
is undeniable that the Foundation has a legacy of scientific 
achievements that have delivered enormous benefits to society, it is 
important to acknowledge that those benefits have not always been 
widely shared. Some segments of the public have been left behind by the 
traditional approach to science and innovation. This bill promotes 
increased accountability to the public through improvements to the 
implementation of the Broader Impacts review criterion and a new 
requirement for researchers to describe the ethical and societal 
implications of their work. The bill also expands public access to data 
resulting from NSF-funded research and promotes increased vigilance 
against threats to research security and integrity.
  The bill funds centers that will connect NSF STEM education 
innovations to school districts and teachers, so more students can 
benefit. It encourages universities to collaborate with the private 
sector to better align undergraduate STEM education with workforce 
needs. It raises the bar for mentoring and training of graduate 
students and postdocs and establishes a pilot program to strengthen the 
research capacity of emerging research institutions, including minority 
serving institutions.
  Finally, this bill establishes a new directorate to promote a 
solutions-driven approach to research. A central goal of the 
Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions (SES) is to be more 
strategic and inclusive in the nature of research collaborations, 
including by connecting researchers with potential users or 
beneficiaries of their research from the priority-setting stage through 
the translation of an innovation into practice. While industry has an 
important seat at this table, so do local governments and communities 
that might be affected by the research. The SES Directorate will enable 
the Foundation to take big risks and experiment with new approaches to 
accelerate use-inspired and translational research to address society's 
major challenges, including climate change and environmental 
sustainability, global competitiveness in critical technologies, 
cybersecurity, national security, STEM education and workforce, and 
social and economic inequality.
  To fully realize the potential of science to benefit society, we must 
fund more research on the questions that matter to the American people. 
We also must ensure this research is, in the words of Vannevar Bush, 
``put to practical use.'' Our competitiveness with China and other 
nations drives much of the national discourse around innovation because 
our economic and national security depend on our leadership in science 
and technology. However, competitiveness with China will not be 
possible if we do not unleash our nation's STEM talent on the full 
range challenges we face. Surely the COVID-19 pandemic has laid that 
bare for all of us. And the fact is, researchers and students are 
inspired by finding solutions, whether they be scientific or societal 
challenges. In this bill, we seek to inspire.
  Over a year of bipartisan collaboration and numerous conversations 
with a wide range of stakeholders, thought leaders, and policy experts 
has resulted in the bill we are introducing today. I want to thank the 
many individuals who took the time to engage with Committee staff and 
share their perspectives. Their efforts have improved the bill 
immeasurably. This is a well-vetted bill, but it is by no means the 
final product. I am committed to a transparent and deliberative process 
for moving this bill forward. I look forward to continuing to engage 
with the stakeholder community and with my Committee colleagues through 
hearings and a markup.
  Finally, I want to thank Majority Leader Schumer for his leadership 
in championing an infusion of funding and a bold new vision for the 
future of NSF. While our approaches to establishing a new directorate 
differ, we share the same goal. We must dramatically accelerate 
progress in research and development in this country. I look forward to 
partnering with Senator Schumer and my colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle in this effort.

                          ____________________