Harnessing Science and Technology for America's Economic Future


Book Description

This book is largely based on a 1998 forum where participants from across America discussed ways to improve the utilization of science and technology for economic growth over the next several decades. A steering committee of prominent Americans, co-chaired by SEMATECH Chairman William Spencer and former Pennsylvania Governor and U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, developed consensus recommendations from the forum input. Harnessing Science and Technology for America's Economic Future puts forward long-term goals for the nation and associated action items. It includes background papers and talks from the forum, covers the economics of science and technology-based growth, industry trends, the role of government, education, research universities, and the international context.




Capitalizing on Investments in Science and Technology


Book Description

Although the United States is currently capitalizing on its investment in science and technology effectively, there remains much room for improvement. This volume identifies the ingredients for success in capitalizing on such investments to produce national benefits, assesses current U.S. performance, and identifies future challenges. The book cites specific examples and examines several cross-cutting issues. It explores the possibility that the national research portfolio is losing diversity as a result of less long-term research in critical fields such as networking and materials. It also examines the implications of imbalances in the supply of and demand for science and engineering talent in emerging interdisciplinary fields such as bioinformatics.




Energy's Digital Future


Book Description

Disruptive digital technologies are poised to reshape world energy markets. A new wave of industrial innovation, driven by the convergence of automation, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics, is remaking energy and transportation systems in ways that could someday end the age of oil. What are the consequences—not only for the environment and for daily life but also for geopolitics and the international order? Amy Myers Jaffe provides an expert look at the promises and challenges of the future of energy, highlighting what the United States needs to do to maintain its global influence in a post-oil era. She surveys new advances coming to market in on-demand travel services, automation, logistics, energy storage, artificial intelligence, and 3-D printing and explores how this rapid pace of innovation is altering international security dynamics in fundamental ways. As the United States vacillates politically about its energy trajectory, China is proactively striving to become the global frontrunner in a full-scale global energy transformation. In order to maintain its leadership role, Jaffe argues, the United States must embrace the digital revolution and foster American achievement. Bringing together analyses of technological innovation, energy policy, and geopolitics, Energy’s Digital Future gives indispensable insight into the path the United States will need to pursue to ensure its lasting economic competitiveness and national security in a new energy age.




Rising Above the Gathering Storm


Book Description

In a world where advanced knowledge is widespread and low-cost labor is readily available, U.S. advantages in the marketplace and in science and technology have begun to erode. A comprehensive and coordinated federal effort is urgently needed to bolster U.S. competitiveness and pre-eminence in these areas. This congressionally requested report by a pre-eminent committee makes four recommendations along with 20 implementation actions that federal policy-makers should take to create high-quality jobs and focus new science and technology efforts on meeting the nation's needs, especially in the area of clean, affordable energy: 1) Increase America's talent pool by vastly improving K-12 mathematics and science education; 2) Sustain and strengthen the nation's commitment to long-term basic research; 3) Develop, recruit, and retain top students, scientists, and engineers from both the U.S. and abroad; and 4) Ensure that the United States is the premier place in the world for innovation. Some actions will involve changing existing laws, while others will require financial support that would come from reallocating existing budgets or increasing them. Rising Above the Gathering Storm will be of great interest to federal and state government agencies, educators and schools, public decision makers, research sponsors, regulatory analysts, and scholars.




Jump-Starting America


Book Description

The untold story of how America once created the most successful economy the world has ever seen—and how we can do it again. The American economy glitters on the outside, but the reality is quite different. Job opportunities and economic growth are increasingly concentrated in a few crowded coastal enclaves. Corporations and investors are disproportionately developing technologies that benefit the wealthiest Americans in the most prosperous areas -- and destroying middle class jobs elsewhere. To turn this tide, we must look to a brilliant and all-but-forgotten American success story and embark on a plan that will create the industries of the future -- and the jobs that go with them. Beginning in 1940, massive public investment generated breakthroughs in science and technology that first helped win WWII and then created the most successful economy the world has ever seen. Private enterprise then built on these breakthroughs to create new industries -- such as radar, jet engines, digital computers, mobile telecommunications, life-saving medicines, and the internet-- that became the catalyst for broader economic growth that generated millions of good jobs. We lifted almost all boats, not just the yachts. Jonathan Gruber and Simon Johnson tell the story of this first American growth engine and provide the blueprint for a second. It's a visionary, pragmatic, sure-to-be controversial plan that will lead to job growth and a new American economy in places now left behind.







Harnessing Public Research for Innovation in the 21st Century


Book Description

A guide to maximizing the impact of work done at public research institutions and universities to boost innovation and growth.




Federal Research Resources


Book Description




The Creative Enterprise


Book Description

Creativity is the lifeblood of any business—from fledgling startup to global giant, creativity is what inspires entrepeneurs to take the leap into the unknown, motivates project teams to design faster and better products, drives executives to set their sights on new markets and customers. The Creative Enterprise asks: where do these creative impulses come from, and how can they be channeled into profitable ventures? Contributions from scholars and practitioners around the world integrate insights from the fields of management, economics, technology, psychology, and sociology to shed new light on innovation and how it drives business growth. Volume 1 focuses on innovation strategies, with chapters on developing the new product pipeline, technology transfer, and strategic alliances. Volume 2 considers the individual and organizational aspects of innovation, with chapters on the psychology of creativity and the influences of organizational culture on innovation. Volume 3 covers the infrastructure for promoting and sustaining innovation, with chapters on managing creative teams, selecting and funding projects, and developing effective performance measurement and rewards systems. Create—to make or bring into existence something new, derived from the Latin crescere, to grow. Creativity is the lifeblood of any business—from fledgling startup to global giant, creativity is what inspires entrepreneurs to take the leap into the unknown, motivates project teams to design faster and better products, drives executives to set their sights on new markets and customers. Where does this creativity come from? How can it be channeled into profitable ventures? The Creative Enterprise brings together the most current thinking from academics and practitioners around the world to shed new light on creativity and how it drives business growth. It addresses such topics as: Why are some organizations creative and others are not? What catalyzes new ideas? How can leaders balance short-term financial pressures and long-term creative aspirations? And how can firms maximize the value of their ideas into profitable products and services? While many authors have tackled pieces of the puzzle, this set uniquely integrates insights from the fields of management, economics, technology, psychology, and sociology, to cover the spectrum across individual and organizational innovation. Volume 1 focuses on innovation strategies, with chapters on developing the new product pipeline, measuring the impact of innovation on firm growth, technology transfer, and strategic alliances. Volume 2 considers the individual and organizational aspects of innovation, with chapters on creativity and artwork, idea catalysts and blocks, and the interplay between organizational culture and innovation. Volume 3 covers the infrastructure for promoting and sustaining innovation, with chapters on managing creative teams, selecting and funding projects, and developing effective performance measurement and rewards systems.




The Online Teaching Survival Guide


Book Description

Essential reading for online instructors, updated to cover new and emerging issues and technologies The Online Teaching Survival Guide provides a robust overview of theory-based techniques for teaching online or technology-enhanced courses. Covering all aspects of online teaching, this book reviews the latest research in cognitive processing and related learning outcomes while retaining a focus on the practical. A simple framework of instructional strategies mapped across a four-phase timeline provides a concrete starting point for both new online teachers and experienced teachers designing or revamping an online course. Essential technologies are explored in their basic and expanded forms, and traditional pedagogy serves as the foundation for tips and practices customized for online learning. The tips cover course management, social presence, community building, integration of new technologies, discussion and questioning techniques, assessment, and debriefing, along with new coverage of intensive or accelerated courses, customizing learning strategies, developing expertise, advanced course design, and assessment techniques exclusive to this new second edition. The theory and techniques of successful online teaching can be significantly different from those used face-to-face. With more and more classes being offered online, this book provides a valuable resource for taking your course to the next level. Understand the technology used in online teaching Learn specialized pedagogical tips and practices Examine new research on cognition and learning Adopt a clear framework of instructional strategies The explosion of online learning has created a demand for great online teachers. Increasingly, faculty who normally teach face-to-face are being asked to cover online courses—yet comprehensive pedagogical resources are scarce. The learning curve is huge, and faculty need a practical approach to course design and management that can be quickly and easily implemented. The Online Teaching Survival Guide provides that essential resource, with a customizable framework and deeper exploration of effective online teaching.