The United States’ long-standing status as the global leader in scientific research is now at risk. That was the stark message delivered by Marcia McNutt, PhD, President of the National Academy of Sciences, in her annual State of the Science address in Washington, D.C. this week.
“The U.S. is not on a sustainable path for global research leadership, and it has not been on such a path for quite a few years now,” McNutt said, addressing an audience of scientists, educators and policymakers. “The U.S. no longer dominates investment in R&D, and we've got lots of competition worldwide.”
Her warning comes at a moment when China has overtaken the U.S. in several critical indicators, such as R&D investment, number of researchers and research publication output. The U.S., once dominant, is no longer even second in some of these categories, she said.
McNutt had several suggestions for how the situation could be reversed, including a unified national research strategy, overhauling STEM education, reducing regulatory burdens and renewing international partnerships to foster innovation and attract talent.
“Unless we want the 21st century to be the China century, we need to innovate something that the U.S. is actually pretty good at, and we need to apply that innovation to our own science system,” she said.
The Current State of U.S. Science
In the last decade, China’s investment in research and development has grown sharply, while U.S. spending has plateaued, according a report by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. China now produces more research publications and top-cited papers than any other nation, with the U.S. slipping behind in areas like artificial intelligence and quantum science.
The Trump administration has made large cuts to health and science agencies and workforces, and has threatened to revoke visas for international students attending certain institutions. (See “Trump Administration Action Against Harvard Sparks Backlash, Scientific Talent War,”). Meanwhile, the number of international scientists coming to or staying in the U.S. has dropped sharply, with visa delays and grant cancellations driving talent abroad.
“The drastic reductions in research budgets and new research policies across the federal agencies” threaten the country’s ability to compete, she said, adding that even the National Academies have felt the effects through grant cancellations and stricter compliance requirements.
Proposals to Reclaim U.S. Science Leadership
One of her most urgent recommendations was to move beyond annual funding battles and adopt a unified national research strategy, something competitors like China, Germany and Japan have already done. McNutt argued that the U.S. cannot remain competitive without a long-term, apolitical approach to research investments.
“No sensible businessperson would attempt to run a multi-billion dollar enterprise without a strategy, and that is exactly what we are doing with our research enterprise,” she said. “Any U.S. strategy must include all of the funders — government, industry, philanthropy — and all the performers of research, to take advantage of the strengths of each sector and their interdependence.”
Modernizing STEM Education for U.S. K-12
Improving K-12 STEM education and overhauling career pathways was another key theme. The U.S. education system does not adequately prepare students for today’s innovation-driven economy, often discouraging curiosity and failing to connect science to real-world impact, according to McNutt.
“We should be ashamed that as a nation that built its might on science, we lag behind so many other countries in education of our youngest citizens,” she said.
Reducing Regulatory Burden for U.S. Researchers
Another key initiative would be to cut red tape, as excessive regulation drains researchers’ time and resources. More than 40 percent of researchers’ time is now spent on paperwork and compliance rather than on science itself, McNutt said. She suggested that technology, such as artificial intelligence, could help automate administrative processes and restore time to discovery.
“This is a really poor use of researcher training, time, talent and funding to do this paperwork,” McNutt said. “Maybe we need an audit approach, rather than everyone filling out endless paperwork, or AI could be a solution here to unload some of the burden.”
Renewing International Partnerships for Research
Expanding and strengthening international partnerships was another solution she highlighted. McNutt pointed to the rising costs of cutting-edge research and the need to pool global resources and talent to stay at the forefront of discovery. She warned that the recent trend of discouraging international students and collaborators is self-defeating.
“We squander opportunities by not taking advantage of the fact that international colleagues want to work with us, and we only disadvantage ourselves by not taking advantage of partnerships internationally,” she said.
Restoring Public Trust in U.S. Science
Finally, McNutt called for renewed efforts to rebuild public trust in science and to make research more relevant and accessible across the political spectrum.
“We have an opportunity to regain international leadership,” she said. “My bottom line is we need to do what America has always done, and done very well. We have to innovate to the next version of the Endless Frontier, get out ahead and then wait decades, hopefully for others to catch up.”