Assessing and Enhancing the Impact of Science R&D in the United States: Chemical Sciences

A Workshop Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and The Council for Chemical Research

National Science Foundation
Arlington, VA
November 16-17, 2009

View the C&EN News Article, Valuing R&D, by David Hanson, for an overview of the Workshop.

Purpose of the Workshop
The workshop will bring together academic scholars and industry experts to discuss the state of knowledge about the impact of science R&D in the United States, focusing on chemical sciences and related industries.  The workshop is intended to advance our understanding of how to characterize an optimal portfolio of R&D investment in the chemical sciences, and what economic analyses could be used to guide a public-sector support strategy. The timing of the workshop is particularly important, given the importance of science R&D in the centerpiece of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

An intended output of this workshop is the identification of useful and important directions for relevant future scholarship.

Monday, November 16, 2009
6:30pm  Working Dinner

Tuesday, November 17, 2009
8:30 - 8:45am   Opening Remarks: Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director of the NSF

8:45 - 9:00am   Welcome, Purpose, and Overview of the Day: Kelsey D. Cook, NSF and Hratch Semerjian, CCR

9:00 – 10:00am  Understanding the Impact of R&D in the Context of the Chemical Sciences Baruch Lev, NYU
Discussant: Adam Jaffe, Brandeis University

10:00 – 10:15am  Coffee Break

10:15 – 11:15am   Indicators of R&D Performance in the Chemical Sciences Industry, Fiona Murray, MIT, Discussant, Bob Cava, Princeton University

11:15 – 12:15pm   The Role of Public Infrastructure in the Context of the Chemical Sciences, John Scott, Dartmouth College Discussant: Greg Tassey, NIST

12:15 – 1:15pm   Lunch/Presentation

1:15 – 2:15pm   Returns to Public R&D Investments in Chemical Science, Empirical Evidence Bronwyn Hall, UC Berkeley
Discussant: Al Link, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

2:15 – 2:30pm   Coffee Break

2:30 – 3:30pm    Lessons Learned from the Day: Academic and Industry Perspectives, Wes Cohen, Duke University

3:30 – 3:45pm    Closing Remarks and Next Steps, Kelsey Cook, NSF and Julia Lane, NSF

3:45pm    Adjourn