Office of Science and Technology Policy

Office of Science and Technology Policy
Agency overview
Formed May 11, 1976
Preceding agency
  • Office of Science and Technology
Headquarters Eisenhower Executive Office Building
725 17th Street, Washington, D.C.
Employees 45
Agency executive
Parent agency Executive Office of the President
Website Office of Science and Technology Policy

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is a department of the United States government, part of the Executive Office of the President (EOP), established by United States Congress on May 11, 1976, with a broad mandate to advise the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs.

The director of this office is colloquially known as the President's Science Advisor. Dr. John Holdren, Director, nominated in December 2008, serves as Science Advisor to President Barack Obama.[1] Holdren also co-chairs the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and supports the President's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).[2][3]

History

President Richard M. Nixon eliminated the President's Science Advisory Committee after his second Science Advisor, Edward E. David Jr., resigned in 1973, rather than appointing a replacement. The United States Congress then established the OSTP in 1976 with a broad mandate to advise the President and others within the Executive Office of the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. The 1976 Act also authorizes OSTP to lead inter-agency efforts to develop and to implement sound science and technology policies and budgets and to work with the private sector, state and local governments, the science and higher education communities, and other nations toward this end.

Mission

The OSTP's mission is set out in the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (Pub. L. 94-282). The act calls for the OSTP to serve as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans, and programs of the federal government.

It further authorizes the OSTP to:

The OSTP handles a broad range of scientific and technological issues within the Executive Office of the President. It participates in a multitude of White House Policy Coordinating Committees (PCC) that are tasked with developing policies for the federal government and are populated by senior officials from cabinet and independent agencies. The OSTP has approximately 45 staff members, most of whom are experienced scientists functioning as assistant directors or policy analysts.

Key staff

OSTP chairmen

Name President Term
H. Guyford Stever Gerald Ford 1976–1977
Frank Press Jimmy Carter 1977–1981
Benjamin Huberman (acting) Ronald Reagan 1981
George A. Keyworth, II 1981–1985
John P. McTague (acting) 1986
Richard G. Johnson (acting) 1986
William Robert Graham 1986–1989
Thomas P. Rona (acting) 1989
William G. Wells (acting) George H. W. Bush 1989
D. Allan Bromley 1989–1993
John H. Gibbons Bill Clinton 1993–1998
Kerri-Ann Jones (acting) 1998
Neal F. Lane 1998–2001
Rosina Bierbaum (acting) George W. Bush 2001
Clifford Gabriel (acting) 2001
John H. Marburger III 2001–2009
John Holdren Barack Obama 2009–present

References

  1. "President-elect Obama announces key members of Science and Technology team" (Press release). Office of the President-Elect. 2008-12-20. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  2. "About OSTP: John Holdren". OSTP.gov. Office of Science and Technology Policy. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
  3. "About PCAST". OSTP.gov. Office of Science and Technology Policy. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  4. "About OSTP: Department Organization". OSTP.gov. Office of Science and Technology Policy. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  5. Yale’s Handelsman nominated for key U.S. science post > Yale School of Medicine | Yale School of Medicine. Medicine.yale.edu (2013-08-13). Retrieved on 2014-01-14.
  6. "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts" (Press release). Office of the Press Secretary. 2010-03-22. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
  7. Archived December 14, 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Nominations sent to the Senate" (Press release). Office of the Press Secretary. 2009-03-10. Retrieved 2009-09-16.

See also

External links


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