Jeffrey Mervis in Science:
In their bid to become the next U.S. president, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump have staked out fundamentally different positions on such divisive topics as reproductive rights, immigration, the economy, and the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. But they have said almost nothing about science. That’s typical for a presidential campaign. But their silence doesn’t mean the winner of the 5 November election won’t have a significant effect on the U.S. research enterprise. Their views on science-heavy issues such as climate change and public health will get wide attention. But outside the spotlight, the country’s 47th president will need to address other issues that directly affect the research community.
The list includes how the United States responds to China’s status as a rival scientific superpower, how it chooses to attract and retain foreign talent while boosting domestic production of scientists and engineers, and how it ensures artificial intelligence (AI) is a boon rather than a bane to society. For government scientists, the ability to do their jobs without political interference is a major worry after several notorious episodes during former President Trump’s administration. The next president will also propose annual budgets for thousands of research programs across the federal government, although Congress will decide on the actual spending levels.
More here.
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