WASHINGTON – The Science Coalition (TSC) issued the following statement after endorsing a letter to Congress calling for increased investment in the entire research ecosystem – from federal research agencies to early career scientists to laboratories and equipment – as a means to drive innovation, strengthen our economy, and support a skilled workforce:

“Colleges and universities are responding in full force to the current COVID-19 pandemic, and the students and faculty behind the research have quickly adapted to support local health care systems and public health officials. With support from our federal research partners, like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, our research institutions are working to develop vaccines, address ventilator and personal protective equipment shortages, and more. 

“We commend our researchers and our federal research agencies for responding quickly to this pandemic. But with this pivot came pauses for many other important research projects. When projects are left unfinished and researchers are left unsupported, future innovation is at risk and our future talent pipeline is threatened. In these uncertain times, Congress should provide predictability to the entire innovation ecosystem, including researchers, facilities, and the nation’s STEM workforce.”

Specifically, the letter – authored by the Task Force on American Innovation and signed by 18 industry associations, scientific societies, and academic organizations – urges Congress to:

  • Increase scientific research funding significantly across federal science agencies to allow scientists to continue addressing COVID-19 while also ensuring non-COVID-19 related projects have the support to restart and fulfill their original scopes of work;
  • Maintain and grow our STEM workforce by investing in and extending the length of key programs that support a robust talent pipeline – the core of the American scientific enterprise; and
  • Invest in essential infrastructure, like research facilities, laboratories, and equipment, which will create jobs and provide scientists with the tools needed for innovation and discoveries.

Read the full letter to Congresshere.

For more information on the work TSC institutions are conducting to address COVID-19, visit https://www.sciencecoalition.org/combating-covid-19/.

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About the Science Coalition

Established in 1994, the Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of more than 50 of the nation’s leading public and private research universities. It is dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic scientific research as a means to stimulate the economy, spur innovation, and drive America’s global competitiveness.