Reed Leads Bipartisan Call for Strategic Investment in Scientific Research & Innovation

Press Release

In an effort to help create jobs and advance scientific research and discovery, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and James M. Inhofe (R-OK) are leading a bipartisan coalition of senators urging Appropriators to provide robust funding for the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program in Fiscal Year (FY) 2016.

Reed, Inhofe, and ten of their colleagues sent a letter urging the leaders of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) to fund EPSCoR at no less than $188 million in FY 2016. The senators requested at least $170 million in NSF EPSCoR funding, and no less than $18 million in National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) EPSCoR funding.

"Federally-funded research helps Rhode Island's economy and can jumpstart job growth. EPSCoR offers a great return-on-investment, helping to spur scientific and technological breakthroughs and helping more Americans compete for the jobs of tomorrow," said Reed. "EPSCoR supports research and collaboration in Rhode Island by bringing together great minds from leading public and private institutions of higher learning. Strengthening Rhode Island's research capacity and infrastructure is critical to economic development, and it's critical to bringing new, high-tech, science-related jobs to the state."

The Rhode Island Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) brings together nine of the state's public and private institutions of higher education: Brown University, Bryant University, Community College of Rhode Island, Providence College, Rhode Island College, Rhode Island School of Design, Roger Williams University, Salve Regina University, and the University of Rhode Island.

Senator Reed has worked to ensure Rhode Island's EPSCoR eligibility since 2004, and now Rhode Island's percentage of NSF funding is one of the highest of EPSCoR-eligible states. The state currently has over $13 million in active EPSCoR awards.

"The United States has a long history of leadership in scientific research and development, but investment in these critical areas has lagged at a time when the challenges we face are mounting," said Reed. "Government investment in scientific research has produced some of history's greatest discoveries, and we must continue to invest in the hard work of innovation. Like a business or a school district, research facilities cannot efficiently budget their work or staff without a reliable funding stream. Unfortunately, instead of increasing investments in our research agencies, Congress has in recent years subjected them to sequestration, government shutdowns, and other budgetary constraints. We must work to avoid those types of unnecessary barriers to discovery."

Even as foreign governments around the world have increased their investment in scientific research, the U.S. has pulled back. According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, federal spending on research and development (R&D) declined by 16.3% from 2010-2013, the fastest drop in a three-year period since the end of the space race in the 1970s.

The Rhode Island Science and Technology Council estimates more than 20,000 people are employed in R&D-related positions in Rhode Island, with 118 companies that are directly engaged in R&D, as well as dozens of academic and health care institutions.

Source