Excerpt

In general, the committee focused its discussions on five issues central to promoting a robust scientific and technological enterprise essential to our economic and national security. These topics arose repeatedly during the three regional meetings: The need for rational and coherent policies governing openness and control of scientific and technical information and the tools and products of research The centrality of human capital in science and engineering—that is, the education and free movement of students and scholars among institutions and across borders; The need for discussion and education in, and between, the scientific and security communities; The requirement for rational, transparent, and international approaches to controlling dual-use life science research, and; The need for ongoing dialogue between the scientific and security communities and improved strategies for assessing and addressing threats.

In this report the committee discusses the background for the concerns that persist in these areas. It also makes recommendations for addressing these concerns while calling on the university community and government to seek a new and enduring partnership dedicated to dialogue and ongoing solutions. The committee’s efforts are by no means the first to try to shape a reasonable policy for moving forward in the complex worlds of science and security. In general, the committee’s findings and recommendations build on and emphasize the importance of these prior efforts. (See Appendix B.)

Contents

• The National Academies
• Committee on a New Government-University Partnership for Science and Security
• Committee on Science, Technology, and Law
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Summary
  • Charge to the Committee
  • Response to the Charge
  • Conclusions and Recommendations
• I. Introduction
  • Charge to the Committee
  • Response to the Charge
• II. Policies for Openness and Information Control
  • National Security Decision Directive 189 (NSDD-189)
  • Classification and Sensitive But Unclassified
  • Export Controls and Deemed Exports
  • Summary
• III. The Internationalization of U.S. Science and Engineering
  • Recent Trends in International Graduate-Student Enrollments
  • Summary and Recommendations
• IV. Biosecurity and Dual-Use Research in the Life Sciences
  • Oversight of Dual-Use Life Sciences Research
  • The National Science Advisory Board on Biosecurity
  • Self-Governance Versus Regulation
  • Local Oversight and Assurance
  • Summary and Recommendations
• V. Research Priorities
  • Fundamental (Long-Term) Versus Applied (Short-Term) Research
  • Social Science and Security Concerns
  • Summary
• VI. Partnerships for Science and Security
  • Creating New Partnerships Between the Science and Security Communities
  • Summary
• Appendixes
  • A Letter to Honorable John H. Marburger
  • B Previous Reports Regarding Science and Security
  • C References
  • D Committee Member Biographies
  • E Meeting Agendas

This study was supported by Contract Task Order #163, between the National Academies and the National Science Foundation (NSF#: O1A-0439670) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH#: N01-OD-4-2139). Dissemination of the report was supported by The Starr Foundation. The views presented in this report are those of the committee and are not necessarily those of the funding source.

Suggested citation:

National Research Council. 2007. Science and Security in a Post 9/11 World: A Report Based on Regional Discussions Between the Science and Security Communities. Committee on a New Government-University Partnership for Science and Security. Committee on Science, Technology, and Law. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.