Leaders across Science, Industry, Academia, Philanthropy and Public Sector Release Vision for American Science and Technology

Policy recommendations from the bipartisan, cross-sector group aim to ensure the U.S. remains the world leader in science and technology and secures its national security and economic prosperity.

Today, a task force of more than 70 leaders representing science, industry, academia, philanthropy and the public sector released the Vision for American Science and Technology (VAST). Debuting as the U.S. and China compete for global science and innovation supremacy, VAST presents a set of comprehensive policy recommendations to recalibrate and optimize the U.S. science and technology enterprise to enable our long-term economic prosperity, address societal challenges and maintain global leadership.

The Vision identifies several avenues to address challenges facing the enterprise, informed by expertise from VAST’s Task Force members, including university presidents, industry pioneers, and former federal and state policymakers. Spearheaded by the non-partisan Science and Technology Action Committee (STAC), this initiative lays out a bold, strategic roadmap to ensure the U.S. remains at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation, including avenues to:

Unleash the full power and potential of America’s science and technology enterprise by reducing inefficiencies and breaking down barriers that hinder progress today.
Build and empower the strongest and most adaptable workforce in human history to benefit and sustain our leadership as science and technology innovators.
Drive breakthroughs, advance global competitiveness, address societal challenges, and strengthen our national security with commitments to fundamental discovery research, applied research, and research infrastructure.

Under each avenue, the Vision offers recommendations for philanthropy, education, industry, and local, state and federal governments.

The VAST Task Force was formed in August 2024 and formally announced in October 2024. Throughout the presidential transition period, leaders of the Task Force consulted with the incoming Trump Administration and Congress to ensure the policy recommendations laid out in the Vision are practicable, impactful and strategically crafted for meaningful implementation.

“We stand at a pivotal moment as global competition intensifies at an unprecedented pace. Strategies built for the time when international competition was far behind will not work in this new era. Luckily, our enterprise possesses the talent, resources, and innovative spirit to lead. VAST’s recommendations will allow us to leverage our significant assets to unlock our enterprise’s full potential while disrupting the inefficiencies that are holding us back,” says Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, executive publisher of Science, and chair of the VAST Task Force.

“At a time of uncertainty in the science community, this report offers a vision for the importance of science and technology in the nation’s future and suggests implementable strategies,” says Simons Foundation President David Spergel, a member of the VAST Task Force.

To learn more about the VAST Task Force’s Vision and read their full set of policy recommendations, visit VASTfuture.org.

VAST’s work is supported by the Simons Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Rita Allen Foundation, and the Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, with additional in-kind support provided by Research!America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.