Graduate and Undergraduate Student Research

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Browsing Graduate and Undergraduate Student Research by Author "Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program"

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    Building and Employing New Digital Resources for the Study of US Scientific Advisors
    (Rice University, 2024) Von Arx, Devin; Traylor, Jordan; Evans, Kenneth; Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program
    Policymakers in the United States executive branch increasingly rely on scientific data and analysis to make decisions on a wide range of public policy challenges, from improving public health and strengthening the national economy to nuclear nonproliferation and advancing global diplomacy. This poster outlines the creation of a relational database that enables systemic analysis of the role and impact of individual scientific advisors and advisory bodies involved in U.S. national science, technology, and innovation policymaking across time.
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    Why should the U.S. Invest in Science, Technology, and Innovation?
    (Rice University, 2024) Sapkota, Aastha; Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program
    In recent years, the United States' leadership in global R&D has shown signs of decline, raising urgent concerns about its future economic and technological competitiveness. A primary contributing factor to this trend is the pressing need for more investment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields within the country. With an emphasis on the US position, this study examines how R&D outputs and expenditures are changing globally. A comparative analysis with China and other leading countries highlights how China's increasing investment in STEM fields might pose a challenge to America's position as the world leader in innovation and technology. Utilizing economic frameworks such as the Solow and Romer models, this study also examines how technological advancement facilitates sustained economic growth over the long term. This project explores whether the United States' future economic potential will be severely compromised by the country's present underfunding of STEM research programs, potentially leading to a significant loss of global competitiveness, a prospect that could shift American hegemony and tip the scales of Western economic power.