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An R&D Investment Plan to Enhance US Competitiveness

The US lead in advancing science and technology is eroding, and other countries are making leaps to catch up. Though the US has steadily increased its total R&D spending over time, its global share of R&D expenditure has fallen significantly. American technological leadership is in jeopardy partly because the federal government’s contribution to basic research has been steadily declining, and the US workforce is falling behind in STEM-related skills. If the US wants to return to being the uncontested leader in science and engineering, it will have to sow seeds for innovation by raising its level of investment.