Executive Order on The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)
President Trump issued an executive order on October 22 re-establishing the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), an advisory body that consists of science and technology leaders from the private and academic sectors. PCAST is to be chaired by Kelvin Droegemeier, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Edward McGinnis, formerly with DOE, is to serve as the executive director. The majority of the 16 members are from key industry sectors. The executive order says that the council is expected to address “strengthening American leadership in science and technology, building the Workforce of the Future, and supporting foundational research and development across the country.” For more information, see the Inside Education article about the first appointments.
Schumer AI Plan
Jeffrey Mervis has a November 11, 2019, article in AAAS News from Science on a recommendation for the government to create a new agency funded with $100 billion over 5 years for basic AI research. “Senator Charles Schumer (D–NY) says the initiative would enable the United States to keep pace with China and Russia in a critical research arena and plug gaps in what U.S. companies are unwilling to finance.”
Schumer gave his ideas publicly in a speech in early November to senior national security and research policymakers following a recent presidential executive order. He wants to create a new national science tech fund looking into “fundamental research related to AI and some other cutting-edge areas” such as quantum computing, 5G networks, robotics, cybersecurity, and biotechnology. Funds would encourage research at U.S. universities, companies, and other federal agencies and support incubators for moving research into commercial products. An additional article can be found in Defense News.