Office of Science & Technology

The Path to 3%

bridges vol. 24, December 2009 / OpEds & Commentaries

By Patrick Clemins

Patrick Clemins

The path to the national goal of investing 3.0% of GDP in research and development, set by President Obama during his April 27th, 2009 speech at the National Academy of Sciences annual meeting, will be challenging. In 2007, the U.S. invested 2.68% of GDP ($369 billion) in R&D, amounting to a $44 billion shortfall from 3.0%. While this is not an insurmountable obstacle, these funds are not easily found in the current economic climate. Industry, which accounts for around two-thirds of the R&D investment, is still struggling to rise out of the worst recession in decades, and with TARP, the Recovery Act, and health care reform, Congress and the American public are growing weary of increased government spending.

Despite these tough economic times however, steps are being taken to move toward the 3.0% goal. The Obama administration has supported a budget doubling for key basic research agencies (National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy's Office of Science, and National Institute of Standards and Technology laboratories) from just under $10 billion in 2006 to nearly $20 billion in 2016 and Congressional action on the FY 2010 budget places these agencies on or near their projected doubling path. Additionally, clean energy technology has been made an investment priority and received $31.0 billion in the Recovery Act.

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