On July 21^st, the White House Office of Science and Technology policy issued their report to the President, Science: A New Golden Age. The report is authored by Mr. Michael Kratsios and seeks to “diagnose the obstacles American researchers face,” putting forward policy recommendations for the whole scientific and technical ecosystem. While elements of the report are garnering some support from Silicon Valley, critics argue it could weaken scientific research in the future. Recommendations include:

• Improving the current grantmaking system to better incentivize interdisciplinary research or innovations traditionally thought to be “high risk, high reward.”
• Placing an increased emphasis on developing new technologies in fields like computing and engineering as a way to advance all business markets, including healthcare.
• Aligning science more directly with the government’s priorities by rewarding “only those parts of the national research enterprise directly responsive to the political process.”
• Moving influence, funding and authority away from universities, saying the research enterprise has “come to serve itself.”
• Prioritizing instead “the individual scientist over the legacy researcher.”
• Removing support from DEI priorities, as “the American scientific establishment has placed politics above merit.”