The AAMC joined more than 130 professional organizations, scientific societies, universities, and businesses that are members of the Coalition for National Science Funding on Dec. 4 in submitting policy and key personnel recommendations for the National Science Foundation (NSF) to President-elect Joe Biden and the transition team.
The statement cited the importance of the NSF in advancing several scientific priorities identified by the Biden campaign, including sparking economic recovery, supporting research to address COVID-19 and its impact, addressing racial equity and the STEM workforce, and funding research and development to address climate change.
Through the statement, the coalition submitted additional policy recommendations for the NSF to the president-elect and transition team in the following areas:
- Robust and sustainable federal funding for scientific research.
- Research relief funding to federal agencies, including the NSF, to address the impacts of COVID-19.
- Support for physical research infrastructure to enable new discoveries.
- Prioritization of racial equity and broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and math workforce development.
- Climate change.
- A balanced approach between the NSF’s core programs and new innovative ideas.
The coalition also encouraged expedient nominations of the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the White House and the deputy director of the NSF.