Cabinet-making Advice from the Association of American Universities

A couple of weeks ago, the Association of American Universities, a nonprofit representing 62 of the largest and most influential research institutions in the United States, released its policy recommendations for the next president. The recommendations straddle the sciences and the humanities, but the item at the top of the group’s list is the very same as the top recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences: elevate the role of the president’s science adviser and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to a cabinet-level position, and appoint a highly qualified person to that position quickly.

Chris Mooney explained in this week’s column, “All the President’s Scientists,” that speed and effectiveness matter, and that’s part of why the tone of the NAS recommendations has changed over the years:

The Bush administration did not appoint an influential, cabinet-level science adviser, and certainly did not appoint its senior science adviser promptly. It was, in fact, the slowest administration ever to fill the top 500 positions in government, according to the Brookings Institution, and left many science-related agencies (such as the Food and Drug Administration) leaderless for significant periods of time.

The message from the AAU seems clear: Appointing an effective adviser as “First Scientist” right away won’t just make federal scientists happy—it will help support the country’s entire research infrastructure.

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