Assessing the Value of Research in Advancing National Goals

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In response to the request by the Congress in the America COMPETES Act, the National Academies' National Research Council (NRC) is investigating some of the many pathways through which research contributes to our economy and well-being and serves other national goals. A diverse committee of experts is appointed to explore various methodological approaches to measurement of research quality, productivity, and impact; examine the explanatory power, predictive ability, and incentive effects of various measures of the potential impact of research on society; and identify the research and data needed to develop measures or other means to assess the impact of research. The committee's work includes examining prior efforts to assess research output and impact in industry, as well as in government, and relevant experiences of other countries.The purview of the study is all federally supported research and spans basic research that contributes to fundamental understanding to use-inspired basic research. The committee, therefore, must be selective in identifying research areas for some in-depth investigations.The committee's charge includes recommending how research could be better organized and supported to further contribute to advancing national goals. In particular, the committee is asked to address how the U.S. research enterprise can further adapt to a competitive and highly linked world with a globalized economy. Broader impacts. The resulting assessments of research are critical to those who make decisions on the allocation of research funds. The study is expected to influence the pursuit of scientific research by many institutions and funded by many government agencies and other organizations.