The Presidents of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Institute of Medicine have released a statement in which, on behalf of the U.S. scientific community, they "urgently call upon the U.S. government to implement an effective and timely visa screening procedure for foreign scientists, engineers, and medical researchers, one that is consistent with the twin goals of maintaining the health of science and technology in the United States and protecting our nation’s security." The Academy Presidents report that "the evidence we have collected…reveals that ongoing research collaborations have been hampered; that outstanding young scientists, engineers, and health researchers have been prevented from or delayed in entering this country; that important international conferences have been canceled or negatively impacted; and that such conferences will be moved out of the United States in the future if the situation is not corrected." They suggest mechanisms for streamlining the visa approval process without compromising security, to include:

• Reinstating a procedure of pre-security clearance for scientists and engineers with the proper credentials;

• Instituting a special visa category for established scientists, engineers, and health researchers; and

• Involving the U.S. scientific and technical community in determining areas of particular security concern.

They also call on the U.S. research community to "assist consular officials by providing appropriate documentation for those foreign citizens who are engaged in collaborations with our scientists and engineers."

The National Science Foundation has announced a solicitation of an open competition to establish a National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) as an integrated national network of user facilities in the nanoscale science and engineering field. The new national network will encompass the full spectrum of science and engineering that spans the scale from the nano to the micro domain and will build upon the culture of open-access facilities; the fostering of research, education and outreach in diverse fields; the necessary investments in capital equipment, processes, tools, and instrumentation; and will provide the infrastructure for education, training, and workforce development in nanoscale science, engineering and technology at all levels. NSF will host an informational meeting about the NINN on January 30-31, 2003, at the Arlington Hyatt Hotel in Rosslyn, Virginia. Details on the meeting and a copy of the solicitation are available at www.nsf.gov/nnin.htm

Companies spent $199.5 billion on research and development that they performed in the United States during the year 2000, up 9 percent over the 1999 figure, according to the National Science Foundation. Company funding of R&D continued to increase as it has every year since 1953, while federal funding of industrial R&D fell. After adjusting for inflation, total industrial R&D rose 7 percent, company-funded R&D rose 10 percent, and federally funded R&D in industry fell 17 percent. Manufacturing industries performed 61 percent of company-funded R&D in 2000. The R&D-to-sales ratio for all R&D-performing companies was an historical high of 3.8 percent in 2000. The InfoBrief, NSF 03-306, is available at www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs

NATIONAL SURVEY SHOWS DROP IN DOCTORAL DEGREES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

A 2001 nationwide survey conducted for the National Science Foundation reports that for the first time in nine years, the number of doctoral degrees awarded by U.S. universities dropped to below 41,000. A significant decline in science and engineering doctorates has led a rollback of total Ph.D,s to pre-1994 levels. However, analysts cite a two-year turn upward in 2000-2001 graduate enrollments in S&E that could reverse the downward trend. The survey shows that women and minorities have shown slow, steady increases but are still underrepresented in most fields. Approximately 59 percent of Ph.D.s went to U.S. citizens, according to the survey. For more information, see www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf03300/start.htm

TASK FORCE TO STUDY SCIENCE PROGRAMS AT DOE

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham recently named MIT President Charles M. Vest to head a high-level Task Force on the Future of Science Programs at the Department of Energy. The task force will examine science and technology programs across the department and consider future priorities for scientific research. The task force will make its report to the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) next summer.