A senior Duke research officer urged congressional leaders Wednesday to maintain the federal-university partnerships that have been a "cornerstone of the success that the United States has achieved as a nation."
Testifying before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, James Siedow, Duke University's vice provost for research, emphasized the vital role that research institutions play in national security and economic prosperity.
The hearing, "The Role of Research Universities in Securing America's Future Prosperity: Challenges and Expectations," comes on the heels of the release of the National Research Council's (NRC) recent report on the state and future of America's research universities.
Siedow also called for stronger strategic linkages between research universities and industry as well as issues related to research-related compliance burdens. Read his full testimony here.
Representative Mo Brooks (R-AL, T '75), chairman of the Research and Science Education subcommittee that hosted Wednesday's hearing, recognized the contributions of research institutions in his opening remarks:
"Innovation has remained a part of the fabric of this nation since it's founding," Brooks said. "Particularly in today's tough economic times, research universities play a vital role in America's ability to maintain its competitiveness in an increasingly technologically developed world, and the knowledge and skills produced by our nation's research graduates provide the fuel for these endeavors."
Brooks is one of three Duke alumni who serve on the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education. Representative Daniel Lipinski (G '98) and Ben Quayle (T '98) also serve on the subcommittee.
Click here for a full list of witnesses and testimony.