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Seventeenth Session May 24/25 1999 Minutes

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SEVENTEENTH SESSION
MAY 24 AND 25,  1999
MINUTES


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; JohnP. Holdren; Diana MacArthur; Shirley M. Malcom; Mario J. Molina; CharlesSanders; 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, includingthe press, were present.

Welcome and Introductions

John Young and Neal Lane, PCAST Co-Chairs, opened the meeting and welcomedparticipants 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 followingreports:  U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and DevelopmentPlan (First Edition, May 1999); National Science and Technology Council,Transportation Strategic Research Plan (Committee on Technology, Subcommitteeon Transportation Research and Development, May 1999); National Scienceand 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 themeeting.
 
 
 

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

The following persons gave reports on panel activities:  DavidHamburg, Chair, Education Panel, and John Young, Acting Chair for the NationalSecurity Panel.    Members commented and asked questionsabout the ongoing panel work.

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

Report on Powerful Partnerships, the Federal Role in International Cooperationon 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 Assistantto the President for Science and Technology.  Dr. Lane requested JohnHoldren to chair the panel to produce the report as a result of a requestto Dr. Lane from the President in May 1998 to review issues in internationalcollaboration on energy technologies.  Dr. Lane will transmit thePCAST report to the President.  A copy of Dr. Holdren's overheadsare part of the written record of the meeting.

The Co-chairs and PCAST members congratulated Dr. Holdren; the PCASTand additional members on the panel; Samuel Baldwin, Executive staff forthe 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 technologycontributes to the economy, and the betterment of our lives. Vice PresidentGore asked PCAST to develop this report at the Feburary 1999 PCAST meeting. Members of the PCAST editorial committee for the report who were in attendanceat the meeting, Francisco Ayala, David Hamburg, and Charles Sanders discussedthe report further along with other PCAST members.  Copies of Dr.Porter and Mr. Musgrave's handouts are part of the written record of themeeting.

Judy Sunley, a National Science Foundation representative to the NationalScience and Technology Council, assisting Dr. Lane, then described plans for developing a New Compact for S&T, which the report requestedby the Vice President will help illustrate.   Copies of Dr. Sunley'soverheads 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&Tin the economy and provide solid evidence of its impact.  They highlightedsome of the new measures of economic productivity involving S&T.

Speakers included Robert Z. Lawrence, White House Council on EconomicQuality; Scott Stern, Assistant Professor Sloan School of Management, MassachusettsInstitute 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 ofthe meeting.

Discussion among PCAST members and the speakers followed.

Public Comment

Robert L. Stern, S&E Associates, Washington, DC, provided publiccomments. He distributed material that is a part of the written recordof 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 PartnershipPrinciples in the Presidential Review Directive Report (NSTC-4) 9:00AMTO NOON

Attendance

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

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

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

Introductory Remarks

Neal Lane opened the PCAST meeting at 9:05 AM

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

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

Arthur Bienenstock, Chair of the Task Force, provided information onthe development of the draft principles, their significance, and the plansfor review of the draft principles with the university community and publicat future hearings.

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

Presentations of Invited Speakers

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

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

C.D. Mote, President, University of Maryland, who represented the Associationof American Universities.  His written remarks are part of the writtenrecord 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, andEconomics, 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 UndergraduateResearch

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 draftprinciples, and adjourned the meeting at 11:50 AM.
 
 

 


President'sCommittee of Advisors
on Scienceand Technology
(PCAST)
1600 Pennsylvania Ave,N.W
Washington, DC 20502
202.456.6100
Information@ostp.eop.gov


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Agenda January 26, 1998

Agenda March 5/6, 1998

Agenda June 9, 1998

Twelvth Plenary Session March 1998

Agenda September 17, 1998

Thirteenth Plenary Session

Fourteenth Plenary Session September 1998

Agenda November 19, 1998

Fifteenth Plenary Session November 1998

Plenary Session Monday, February 22, 1999

Sixteenth Session February 22, 1999

Plenary Session on Monday, May 24th, 1999

Seventeenth Session May 24/25 1999 Minutes

Plenary Session on December 10th, 1999

Eighteenth Session December 10, 1999 Minutes

PCAST Plenary Session on February 17th, 2000

PCAST plenary session on, Sept. 16th, 1999

Nineteenth Session February 17, 2000 Minutes

PCAST plenary session on May 18th, 2000