A group of 29 heads of scientific organizations have pressed President-elect Donald Trump to quickly appoint a qualified science adviser to his administration. “This senior level advisor can assist you in determining effective ways to use science and technology to address major national challenges. Moreover, this individual can coordinate relevant science and technology policy and personnel decisions within the executive branch of government,” the group wrote in a letter to Trump released late Monday.
The adviser, which the group suggested should hold the title “Assistant to the President for Science and Technology,” should be duly qualified for the position, according to the letter. The holder of the position should be “a nationally respected leader with the appropriate engineering, scientific, management and policy skills necessary for this critically important role,” it says.
President Barack Obama for his presidency formed a Council for Advisors on Science and Technology lead by John Holdren, who currently holds the title of assistant to the president for science and technology.
Science has not been at the center of Trump’s agenda, the group acknowledged, but an understanding of science is nonetheless important to his priorities. “We know that one of your top priorities will be to focus on ensuring that the U.S. economy remains strong and continues to grow. If we are to maintain America’s global leadership, and respond to the economic and security challenges currently facing the nation, we must build on our strong history of federal support for innovation, entrepreneurship and science and technology,” the letter says.
Signatories include the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Astronomical Society, the American Chemical Society, the American Geophysical Union, the Ecological Society of America, and the Coalition for Life Sciences.