Dilip GersappePresident of the Department of Stony Brook University Science of materials and chemical engineeringwent to the national capital earlier this month to defend strong federal investments in defense-related research within the framework of current discussions of federal credits for financial year on Capitol Hill. His visit comes in the middle of a global push for scientific and technological progress, stressing the importance of continuous leadership in the United States in basic research and innovation.
During his visit, Professor Gersappe met senior executives from the delegation of the New York Congress, including representatives of the offices of Senator Chuck Schumer,, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand And Representative Nick Lalota. He also participated in joint meetings with defense employees of the Northern Dakota Congress Delegation, reflecting the active collaboration of his department with the University of Northern Dakota on research initiatives funded by the Federal Government in Advanced Sciences of Critical Materials in National Defense.
“Our research ecosystem plays a central role in the progression of technologies that underlie both national defense and civil progress,” said Gersappe. “Federal support for defense searchs for fundamental discoveries that lead to breakthroughs in materials science, energy storage, AI and quantum IT – areas that have an impact on all the sector of society.”
Gersappe underlined the vital role of university institutions in carrying out long-term research and at high risk that industry can often not continue by itself. He highlighted the importance of partnerships between universities, federal agencies and the private sector in the displacement of laboratory innovations to practical applications that benefit the larger economy and society.
With the ongoing federal budgetary negotiations, Gersappe’s message to federal decision-makers was clear: the investment sustained in research is essential not only for national preparation, but also to maintain the position of the United States as a world leader in science and technology.
The Gersappe hill visit was coordinated by the Stony Brook University Federal Relations Office In Washington, DC, which works daily with the Delegation of the New York Congress, federal agencies, the administration and partners of the National Research Association of Stony Brook to defend all the federal priorities of federal research in Stony Brook.