With adequate funding and full independence from NIH, ARPA-H can accelerate promising breakthroughs, promote equity in health outcomes, and ultimately, transform the biomedical research ecosystem within the United States. Continue Reading
My dear friend and long-time Rice colleague, Robert (Bob) F. Curl, died on July 3, 2022. He was one of the smartest scientists and kindest persons I have ever known. Continue Reading
The Nobel committee’s choice to broaden the scope of its science awards, which has historically been conservative in its interpretation of what counts as “physics,” to include climate science is a welcome — and much needed — change in the long history of the physics prize, rewarding how science is conducted today, rather than how it was defined and performed in 1901. Continue Reading
The Endless Frontier Act, with its focus on technological development, could detract from the National Science Foundation’s mission to advance curiosity-driven research, instead moving the agency toward funding use-inspired, applied research. Continue Reading
The 2020 Nobel Prize winners in medicine highlight that all scientific research is collaborative, even if only a select few are recognized as the winners. Continue Reading
Nearly three years into his administration, President Trump has reestablished the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Policy (PCAST), which advises the White House on policy issues related to science, technology and innovation. However, the first round of appointments raises serious questions about the council. Continue Reading
The Trump administration has been quietly pushing to relax vehicle emissions rules, which will have broad economic and environmental ramifications. Continue Reading