NASEM Publishes Report on the Importance of Chemical Research to the U.S. Economy

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) announced on July 21, 2022, publication of a new report entitled The Importance of Chemical Research to the U.S. Economy. The National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the American Chemical Society (ACS) asked NASEM to convene a committee to consider strategies to sustain and enhance the economic activity driven by fundamental research investments in the chemical sciences. According to NASEM, “a new and evolving chemistry landscape requires changes with regard to funding, training, and a focus on integrating sustainability into manufacturing, product usage, and product disposal.” NASEM states that the report identifies strategies and options for research investments intended to support U.S. leadership “while considering environmental sustainability and developing a diverse chemical economy workforce with equitable opportunities for all chemistry talent.” The report recommends that funding agencies and philanthropic organizations that support the chemical sciences “fund as large a breadth of fundamental research projects as possible.” The chemical industry and their partners at universities, scientific research institutions, and national laboratories “should align the objectives of fundamental research” to assist directly with new practices toward environmental stewardship, sustainability, and clean energy. Additionally, the report recommends that funding agencies “make substantial investment toward education research to enable innovative ways of teaching about emerging concepts, tools and technologies.”