At a press conference on March 26, 2021, Biden said, “The future lies in who can, in fact, own the future as it relates to technology, quantum computing, a whole range of things, including in medical fields,” adding that he would focus on investing in “industries of the future.” A new bill
The Endless Frontier Act includes a bill to address science and technology priorities. “This bill also pushes the Foundation to continue to evolve. While it is undeniable that the Foundation has a legacy of scientific achievements that have delivered enormous benefits to society, it is important to acknowledge that those benefits have not always been widely shared. Some segments of the public have been left behind by the traditional approach to science and
innovation. This bill promotes increased accountability to the public through improvements to the implementation of the Broader Impacts review criterion and a new requirement for researchers to describe the ethical and societal implications of their work. The bill also expands public access to data resulting from NSF-funded research and promotes increased vigilance against threats to research security and integrity. The bill funds centers that will connect NSF STEM education innovations to school districts and teachers, so more students can benefit. It encourages universities to collaborate with the private sector to better align undergraduate STEM education with workforce needs. It raises the bar for mentoring and training of graduate students and postdocs and establishes a pilot program to strengthen the research capacity of emerging research institutions, including minority serving
institutions.” Source: Floor Statement from Committee on Science, Space, and Technology