American Chemical Society releases 2018 advocacy agenda

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2018 — The American Chemical Society (ACS) continues to strongly encourage bipartisan solutions to the most significant technical and scientific challenges facing our country. The Society’s highest priorities fall into four broad categories highlighted below, with more detailed positions outlined in individual policy statements.

Support U.S. innovation: Invention and innovation are at the heart of America’s economic competitiveness and the source of advances that benefit humanity. ACS seeks public policies to ensure that federal investment in scientific research is predictable and sustained. A strong innovation ecosystem requires support and maintenance at all levels, including federal scientific investment and incentivizing U.S. corporate research and development, to guarantee our long-term competitiveness.

Related ACS statements: Science and Technology in the Budget, U.S. Innovation and Entrepreneurship, A Competitive U.S. Business Climate

Invest in U.S. science education to empower our students to be future innovators who are able to compete in the global economy: ACS advocates enhanced support for quality teacher training and creating opportunities for traditionally under-represented students to pursue graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The Society encourages policymakers to work toward bipartisan solutions to improve access to a multitude of STEM career pathways through new and innovative methods of workforce training and career preparation. The Society supports state efforts to strengthen STEM teacher training programs, invest in infrastructure improvements and prioritize rigorous hands-on science components in schools across the country.

Related ACS statements: Science Education Policy, Importance of Hands-on Laboratory Science

Ensure scientific integrity and the role of science in the public policy arena: The government both supports the scientific enterprise and relies on scientific information to fulfill its obligations to serve the public. To ensure that accurate, reliable scientific information is available to all stakeholders, scientists must be able to contribute to the development and dissemination of scientific information without fear of reprisal for their work. ACS seeks public policies that sustain the role of expert peer review in evaluating scientific opportunities, protect scientists from political interference in the scientific process, and help government bodies obtain and integrate scientific assessments into policy development and implementation.

Related ACS statements: Peer Review, Publishing: Ensuring and Expanding Access to High Quality Science, Scientific Integrity in Public Policy, Chemical Risk Assessment and Regulatory Decision Making

Advance science that benefits society: Some science-intensive issues rise to a level of particular importance due to their impact on human and environmental well-being. As a scientific society and leader on science policy issues, ACS advocates for solutions to complex issues on which we can offer our specific expertise. Given the threat posed by climate change and the central role chemistry must play in addressing it, ACS seeks public policies that mitigate the impact of climate change and forestall its worst effects, enhance our ability to produce energy economically and efficiently and promote sustainability as a core component of the chemical enterprise.

Related ACS statements: Climate Change, Energy Policy, Sustainability and the Chemistry Enterprise

ACS is committed to advancing these advocacy goals in 2018 and looks forward to working with Congress and the administration in a bipartisan manner to support our country’s interests. The Society’s comprehensive policy priorities, the individual public policy statements and related materials are available at www.acs.org/policy.

The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.