Future of American innovation to be assessed in report from Baker Institute, American Academy of Arts and Sciences

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HOUSTON – (Sept. 28, 2020) – "The Perils of Complacency: America at a Tipping Point in Science and Engineering," a report by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, will be released in a virtual presentation Wednesday.

Capitol building with red and blue sky
Credit: 123RF.com/Rice University

The report assesses progress and setbacks in the five years since an earlier report, "Restoring the Foundation: The Vital Role of Research in Preserving the American Dream."

To attend the virtual presentation, which is part of a webinar titled "Inadequate Investment: America, China and the Future of Innovation," registration is required at https://amacad.force.com/events/s/lt-event?id=a5B4T0000000PnPUAU#/loginReg.

Who: Speakers Norman Augustine, former chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin; Neal Lane, senior fellow in science and technology policy at the Baker Institute and former director of the National Science Foundation; and Jeanette Wing, the Avanessians Director of the Data Science Institute at Columbia University and a professor of computer science.

Moderator Nancy Andrews, dean emerita of Duke University's School of Medicine and vice chancellor emerita for academic affairs at Duke.

What: Webinar, "Inadequate Investment: America, China and the Future of Innovation."

When: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 3-4:30 p.m. CDT.

China recently surpassed the United States in research and development investment, a significant occurrence that warrants America's attention and warns of its future, according to event organizers. The United States' lagging R&D investment is exacerbated by current strains on the research system, including the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions on foreign researchers that limit the talent pipeline and proposed cuts to federal investment in basic and applied research. Falling behind in R&D investment can have grave consequences for America's economy, job creation, standard of living and security, organizers said.

The report's authors will discuss policies that could help ensure the U.S. secures its strong position of global leadership in discovery and innovation.

For more information, contact Jeff Falk, director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks as the No. 2 university-affiliated think tank in the world and the No. 1 energy think tank in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blog.bakerinstitute.org.

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