The Northeast President Joseph E. Aoun joined 50 university presidents and industry leaders on May 22 in the signing of a joint declaration calling for the federal government to restore research funding, which has experienced significant discounts under the second Trump administration.
THE statemententitled “an appeal renewed to action” was published by the Competitiveness And warns that there is an urgent need to revitalize the United States innovation system in the midst of world disturbances and China competition. He explains that the United States must recover its leadership in many key industries, including science and technological progress, by reinvesting in research, infrastructure and talent.
Northeastern was taken in the cross fires of the many decrees of the Trump administration limiting federal research funding and targeting specific research subjects. In February, an investigation by senator Ted Cruz identified Nearly 14 million dollars of the National Science Foundation of Northeastern, or NSF, of research suffers from “neo-Marxist propaganda”. To date May 21About 40 of the 900 federal research subsidies in total of Northeastern were interrupted.
Aoun is a member of the competitiveness council, as well as other notable members, including the CEO of Pepsico and the president of the Tofts University, who both signed the document.
“Today, the United States confronts the turmoil and geopolitical transformation, and its most important competitor in almost 250 years: China, a nation which aims to rewrite the rules of the global economy, the emerging control of double-use technologies” and to dominate the strategic industries of the future, “said the press release.
The press release indicates that the investment of the American federal government in research and development, or R&D, for the STEM field has increased from almost 2% of the gross domestic product, or GDP, in the 1960s to 0.7% today. The cuts took form for decades while Many opponents of the country have increased spending, thus strengthening their competitiveness.
Inasmuch as Level 1 Research University – a classification attributed to select the universities of the United States by the Carnegie classification of higher education establishments – Northeastern spends at least $ 50 million in R&D and produces at least 70 research doctorates per year. The University has several research projects funded by federal agencies, notably the American Department of Defense, the American Department of Internal Security and the US National Security Agency.
In addition to stops on NSF subsidies, the Trump administration was deployed Several decrees restrict funding for Research projects related to Dei and tried to cut Indirect costs On subsidies. Many of these decrees have been frozen.
The historic domination of the United States in the science and technology industry since the Second World War is based on “strategic and co-investment partnerships” with governments, national laboratories, industry partners and universities, the declaration indicates. These long -term collaborations have “motivated unprecedented economic growth, created millions of high -value jobs, launched new industries, equipped the most powerful army in history and generated the greatest economy in the world”.
“Our universities and laboratories generate new knowledge, stimulate regional economic development, educate the next generation of scientists, engineers and citizens, and to develop technologies and businesses that shape modern life and strengthen national security,” the statement said.
The letter proposes that “realizing the vision of President Trump of an American age of American innovation”, the federal investment of R&D must be restored to 2% of the GDP of the United States. Signatories have called for an increase in investments in two-use critical technologies, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology and semiconductors, as well as improving international technology alliances and the reduction of bureaucratic research charges. In addition, they call a “law on the education of national defense” modernized to extend STEM education and the development of talents.
The declaration of May 22 is the second letter that Aoun signed calling for a renewal of efforts to increase the financing of R&D in the United States. On April 23, Aoun approved A joint declaration entitled “A call to a constructive commitment“Denouncing the Trump administration to” endanger American higher education “by threatening academic freedom.
“We are hosting efforts to meet major challenges – in particular the increase in regulatory mandates and costly administrative charges – but significant reductions in scientific agency budgets, staff and capacity reductions in the main federal offices, and proposals to considerably reduce the reimbursement of indirect costs threatens the research infrastructure and the capacity of innovation and the capacities of innovation and America, ”says May 22.