May 24

WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE CENTER, TRUMAN ROOM
726 JACKSON PLACE
WASHINGTON, DC  20502

PLENARY SESSION - 1:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Attendance:

PCAST Members:  John A.Young (Co-Chair); Neal Lane (Co-Chair); Francisco J. Ayala; John Deutch; Murray Gell-Mann; David A. Hamburg; John P. Holdren; Diana MacArthur; Shirley M. Malcom; Mario J. Molina; Charles Sanders; David Shaw; Charles M.Vest; Lillian Shiao-Yen Wu.

Staff: Arthur Bienenstock; Rosina Bierbaum; Gerald Hane; Bruce MacDonald; Duncan Moore; Joan P. Porter

Public Attendance: Approximately 30 members of the public, including the press, were present.

Welcome and Introductions

John Young and Neal Lane, PCAST Co-Chairs, opened the meeting and welcomed participants at 1:10 PM.

Science and Technology (S&T) Initiatives in the Department of Transportation

Secretary of Transportation, Rodney Slater, addressed this topic.  He announced and distributed to PCAST and the public copies of the following reports:  U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Development Plan (First Edition, May 1999); National Science and Technology Council, Transportation Strategic Research Plan (Committee on Technology, Subcommittee on Transportation Research and Development, May 1999); National Science and Technology Council National Transportation Science and Technology Strategy (Committee on Technology, Subcommittee on Transportation Research and Development, April 1999).  These reports are part of the written record of the meeting.
 
 
 

Reports of the PCAST Panels and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Divisions

The following persons gave reports on panel activities:  David Hamburg, Chair, Education Panel, and John Young, Acting Chair for the National Security Panel.    Members commented and asked questions about the ongoing panel work.

Duncan Moore, Associate Director for Technology, gave a report on the activities of the Technology Division in OSTP.  Rosina Bierbaum, Associate Director for Environment, gave a report about activities in the Environment Division, OSTP. She also said that the PCAST Panel on Environment and Natural Resources would include a Blue Ribbon Assessment Subpanel to oversee the drafting and revision process of the U.S. Global Change National Assessment Synthesis Report.

Report on Powerful Partnerships, the Federal Role in International Cooperation on Energy Innovation

John Holdren, Chair of the PCAST Panel on International Energy R&D, described the report PCAST presented to Neal Lane in his capacity as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology.  Dr. Lane requested John Holdren to chair the panel to produce the report as a result of a request to Dr. Lane from the President in May 1998 to review issues in international collaboration on energy technologies.  Dr. Lane will transmit the PCAST report to the President.  A copy of Dr. Holdren's overheads are part of the written record of the meeting.

The Co-chairs and PCAST members congratulated Dr. Holdren; the PCAST and additional members on the panel; Samuel Baldwin, Executive staff for the Panel; and other PCAST staff for their hard work and fine product.

Report on Report Requested by the Vice President

Joan Porter with Reuben Musgrave, Public Affairs Specialist in OSTP, reported on progress on the concise report on how science and technology contributes to the economy, and the betterment of our lives. Vice President Gore asked PCAST to develop this report at the Feburary 1999 PCAST meeting.  Members of the PCAST editorial committee for the report who were in attendance at the meeting, Francisco Ayala, David Hamburg, and Charles Sanders discussed the report further along with other PCAST members.  Copies of Dr. Porter and Mr. Musgrave's handouts are part of the written record of the meeting.

Judy Sunley, a National Science Foundation representative to the National Science and Technology Council, assisting Dr. Lane, then described  plans for developing a New Compact for S&T, which the report requested by the Vice President will help illustrate.   Copies of Dr. Sunley's overheads are part of the written record of the meeting.
 
S&T Contribution to the Economy

Three speakers addressed this topic to elucidate the role of S&T in the economy and provide solid evidence of its impact.  They highlighted some of the new measures of economic productivity involving S&T.

Speakers included Robert Z. Lawrence, White House Council on Economic Quality; Scott Stern, Assistant Professor Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Robert Atkinson, Director of the Technology, Innovation, and New Economy Project, Progressive Policy Institute.  Copies of Professor Stern's overheads are part of the written record of the meeting.

Discussion among PCAST members and the speakers followed.

Public Comment

Robert L. Stern, S&E Associates, Washington, DC, provided public comments. He distributed material that is a part of the written record of the meeting

Adjournment for May 24

Neal Lane adjourned the meeting at 4:25 PM
 

May 25 Meeting

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE (AAAS)
HEADQUARTERS AUDITORIUM
1200 NEW YORK AVENUE, NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20005

PUBLIC HEARING on the Draft Government-University Research Partnership Principles in the Presidential Review Directive Report (NSTC-4) 9:00AM TO NOON

Attendance

PCAST members:  Neal Lane (Co-Chair); John Young (Co-Chair); Francisco Ayala,
Murray Gell-Mann; John P. Holdren; Diana MacArthur; Shirley M. Malcom; Mario J. Molina; Charles Sanders; David Shaw; Charles M.Vest; Lillian Shiao-Yen Wu

Staff: Arthur Bienenstock; Rosina Bierbaum; Joan P. Porter

Public Attendance:  Approximately 75 members of the public, including the press, were present.
 

Introductory Remarks

Neal Lane opened the PCAST meeting at 9:05 AM

Richard S. Nicholson, Executive Officer, AAAS, welcomed PCAST and the public to the AAAS Headquarters for this meeting.

Neal Lane and John Young gave introductory remarks about the significance and of the government-university partnership review and the necessity of hearing from the university community on the draft partnership principles.  Dr. Lane thanked members of the National Science and Technology working group and Task Force that produced the report who were present in the audience.

Arthur Bienenstock, Chair of the Task Force, provided information on the development of the draft principles, their significance, and the plans for review of the draft principles with the university community and public at future hearings.

PCAST members Charles Vest, Shirley Malcom, and Murray Gell-Mann provided brief opening remarks.

Presentations of Invited Speakers

Dr. Lane called on the following to make presentations, each of which was followed by
questions and comments from PCAST members and Dr. Bienenstock.

Marye Ann Fox, Chancellor, North Carolina State University, who represented the National Academy of Science, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. Her written remarks are part of the written record of the meeting.

C.D. Mote, President, University of Maryland, who represented the Association of American Universities.  His written remarks are part of the written record of the meeting.

Robert C. Richardson, F.R. Newman Professor, Department of Physics, Cornell University, for the Federal Demonstration Partnership.

Christopher McCrudden, Associate Treasurer and Director of Finance, Princeton University, who represented the Council on Governmental Relations

Eileen Kennedy, Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, United States Department of Agriculture, and Task Force member

Additional Public Comment

John D. Holmfeld, Science Policy Research Institute, Fredericksburg, VA

K. Elaine Hoagland, National Executive Officer, The Council on Undergraduate Research

Conclusion and Adjournment for May 25

Neal Lane, John Young, and Arthur Bienenstock provided closing remarks.

Dr. Lane thanked the speakers and audience for their participation, encouraged future participation of the community in reviewing the draft principles, and adjourned the meeting at 11:50 AM.