Scientific research needs our continued support and cooperation

Last April, the National Science and Technology Council released a report entitled "Ensuring a Strong U.S. Scientific, Technical, and Engineering Workforce in the 21st Century." It reached two fundamental conclusions about our science, technology, and engineering workforce:

First, these workers are essential to both the private and public sectors. In the private sector, they help propel the economy and provide valuable services. In the public sector, ST&E workers support important Federal missions – health, environmental protection, national security, and others.

Second, it is in the national interest to vigorously pursue the development of domestic science, technology, and engineering workers, women and men, from all ethnic groups.

We cannot fill future S&T workforce needs unless we encourage a greater diversity of students to pursue science and technology careers. Unfortunately, we in America are still unable to attract a sufficiently diverse group of individuals to our own science and technology workforce. Despite their gains in other professions, women, minorities, and persons with disabilities remain underrepresented in science and engineering fields.

And that brings me to my third and last point. No country’s scientists and engineers can go it alone. Being world-class requires global involvement. The fundamental workings of nature – the function of a gene, the quantum behavior of matter and energy, the health of our oceans and sealife, the chemistry of the atmosphere – are not the sole province of any one nation.

Cooperation with International Partners

The increasing international movement of people and ideas in science and technology advances discovery, strengthens the global economy, improves the quality of life, and enhances the ability to address issues of common global concern – poverty, disease, environmental degradation, and sustainable energy production. To help Americans understand the benefits our nation receives through international scientific collaboration, President Clinton proclaimed May 7-13, 2000 as Global Science and Technology Week. He particularly hoped that the week would help young students foster an appreciation for "the international nature of science," along with international perspectives that will better prepare them to participate in the world’s interdependent high-tech economy and the global scientific community.

The internationalisation of science has expanded rapidly around the globe. The percentage of scientific papers with authors from more than one country has steadily grown – increasing by more than 115 per cent over the past decade. By 1997, international collaboration already accounted for almost one third of all co-authored articles. We have also seen a steady global spread of the research enterprise, with new countries and new competitors joining world technological leaders in their investments in science and innovation.

There are many ways for scientists to strengthen the international scientific community. For example, acting on the recommendations of the OECD Global Science Forum, representatives of 25 nations are now meeting to form the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. This network will connect biodiversity databases throughout the world, allowing anyone with Internet access – scientists, policy makers and managers anywhere on our planet – to tap the world’s inventory of biodiversity information. By the way, Australia and the United States championed this effort throughout the OECD process and beyond. So thank you Australia, for that partnership.

By engaging in collaborative efforts under bilateral science and technology "umbrella" agreements, scientists and engineers advance their own research programs while also contributing to the infrastructure of international cooperation.

And it is my great pleasure to announce that I will be discussing with your Minister of Industry, Science, and Resources, Senator Nick Minchin, the options for developing a new science and technology agreement between Australia and the United States. In doing so, I hope to recognize the long history of scientific cooperation our two countries have enjoyed, and underscore the commitment on the part of the United States to reinforcing this partnership going forward. On behalf of the U.S. Government, I wish to thank Senator Minchin and the Government of Australia for the commitments to strengthen the bilateral scientific and technological relationship between our two nations.

Science and technology are "about the future" and to me the future looks brighter the harder one looks at it – and that’s especially true if we look together.