The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is a council in the
Executive Branch of the United States. It is designed to coordinate science and technology policy across the branches of federal government.
History
The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) was established by
President Bill Clinton through
Executive Order12881 on November 23, 1993.[1] Each presidential administration has utilized the NSTC in varying ways. During the
Clinton administration, the NSTC wrote 6 Presidential Review Directives, used for President Clinton's own future directives. The council has not issued any of these since.[2] Instead, the council's recommendations often serve as advice for other committees as policy is drafted. Members of the science and technology community have debated whether the NSTC should play a more direct role in policymaking by issuing formal directives and having increased authority.[3]
The structure of the NSTC has changed multiple times in the last few decades. Under the
Obama Administration, the Council's subcommittees were restructured and a new committee for directing STEM education was added. A committee focused on science and technology enterprise was added under the
Trump Administration, as well as special committees on artificial intelligence and research environments.[citation needed]
Mission
The primary functions of the NSTC are:
to coordinate the science and technology policy-making process;
to ensure science and technology policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President's stated goals;
to help integrate the President's science and technology policy agenda across the Federal Government;
to ensure science and technology are considered in development and implementation of Federal policies and programs; and
to further international cooperation in science and technology.[4]
Another objective of the NSTC is the establishment of clear national goals for federal science and technology investments in virtually all the mission areas of the executive branch. The Council prepares research and development strategies that are coordinated across federal agencies to form investment packages aimed at accomplishing multiple national goals.[1] While a fundamental mission of the NSTC is to further the President's scientific policies, it also has been directly and indirectly charged by
Congress to coordinate activities in a number of federal projects. These include combating ocean acidification,[5] overseeing the National Nanotechnology Program,[6] and supporting STEM education.[7]
Committees
At present, the work of the NSTC is organized under six primary committees and two special committees. Each committee oversees theme-specific subcommittees and working groups.
List of Committees
Primary Committees:
Science & Technology Enterprise
Environment
Homeland & National Security
Science
STEM Education
Technology
Special Committees:
Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence
Joint Committee on Research Environment
Committee Membership
The NSTC is chaired by the
President. The rest of the NSTC membership is made up of Cabinet Secretaries and Agency Heads with significant science and technology responsibilities, and other
White House officials and advisors where necessary. The APST is responsible for managing the NSTC. The
Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director
Kelvin Droegemeier managed the NSTC under the
Trump administration even though Executive Order 12881 does not include the
OSTP Director in the NSTC. The president and cabinet-level officials are rarely present at meetings of the NSTC. Therefore, NSTC activities are carried out by OSTP and NSTC staff in collaboration with federal agency staff. Federal agencies assign staff to the NSTC and their numbers have ranged from 5 to 21 members in previous years.[2]
Member Agencies
Agencies represented in the NSTC include:
Department of Agriculture
DARPA
Department of Commerce, NIST
Department of Commerce, NOAA
Department of Commerce, U.S. Patent and Trade Office
Department of Defense
Department of Education
Department of Health and Human Services, NIH
Department of Homeland Security
Department of the Interior
Department of Labor
Department of State
Department of Transportation
Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
National Security Agency
National Science Foundation
NASA
Director of National Intelligence, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity
Office of Management and Budget
Smithsonian Institution
Funding
As the NSTC does not receive direct appropriations, member agencies contribute funding to the projects that the NSTC oversees. From FY2010 to FY2018, their contributions ranged from $12 million to $18 million per year and funding was $17.1 million in FY2018.[2] These funds go towards multi-agency projects. The rest of the funding comes from agency contributions to their own internal NSTC projects or the OSTP infrastructure contributions.[citation needed]
Key Staff
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(November 2022)
Co-Chair:
Walter Copan, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST)
Co-Chair:
Walter Copan, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST)