Foster Innovation through Research and Technology
ACS Policy Priority
Investments in science and engineering have produced more than half of U.S. economic growth since WWII. Strong support for chemistry and other R&D is central to our nation’s global competitiveness, productivity, defense, public health, energy security, and environmental progress. Although the engines of innovation are largely in private hands, the federal government provides a significant majority of all support for basic research. This investment fosters new knowledge, industrial innovation, and the training of future scientists and engineers. Government also plays a key role in fostering a healthy climate for innovation through tax policy, international standards, intellectual property, and other incentives. ACS supports efforts to
- Promote sustained federal investments in R&D, science infrastructure, and industrial innovation to enhance U.S. global competitiveness.
- Accelerate the development and commercialization of new technologies that promote national goals in energy independence, environmental sustainability, national and homeland security, human health, and associated science and technology jobs.
- Foster U.S. tax, trade, economic, and regulatory policies that improve the competitiveness of U.S. entrepreneurs and companies.
- Strengthen the ability of worldwide legal systems to cooperatively encourage innovation through intellectual property protection.
| Statement | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S.Innovation and Entrepreneurship | Supports investment in a world-class workforce through education and training. Supports predictable and sustained commitments to basic research and technology development. Supports development of a sustainable infrastructure for innovation and entrepreneurship |
| Energy Policy | Endorses an energy policy that prioritizes energy efficiency. Supports including the full lifecycle costs of energy sources in their market prices, including the impacts on human health and the environment. Encourages long-term orientation for both funding and incentives. |
| Intellectual Property | Encourages policies which improve the quality and consistency of granted patents, as well as the efficiency of the patent process. Urges policymakers to support information technology upgrades to the Copyright Office, as well as support sustainable Open Access initiatives. Promotes consistent application of trade secret protections. |
| Science &Technology Funding. |
Urges policymakers to restore investments in federal R&D funding to levels nearer to 1.2% of GDP. Recommends strategies to ensure federal dollars dedicated to R&D are used as efficiently as possible. Recognizes the function of federal S&T funding in educating future scientists and supports federal agency investments that are coordinated, complimentary, and broaden participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields |
| U.S. Business Climate | Supports a fair and level playing field that enhances competition and stimulates research and development. Supports policies that foster the growth of small research and development businesses and encourage entrepreneurship. Supports efforts to foster U.S. corporate tax and trade policies that will support American firms' competitiveness in the global business atmosphere. Supports reforms to the U.S. regulatory and intellectual property frameworks that will promote and minimize impediments to innovation, |
;void(0);){kind=link}