We have come to know that our ability to survive and grow as a nation to
a very large degree depends upon our scientific progress. Moreover, it
is not enough simply to keep 1 abreast of the rest of the world in
scientific matters. We must maintain our leadership. President Harry
Truman spoke those words in 1950, in the aftermath of World War II and
in the midst of the Cold War. Indeed, the scientific and engineering
leadership of the United States and its allies in the twentieth century
played key roles in the successful outcomes of both World War II and the
Cold War, sparing the world the twin horrors of fascism and totalitarian
communism, and fueling the economic prosperity that followed. Today, as
the United States and its allies once again find themselves at war,
President Truman's words ring as true as they did a half-century ago.
The goal set out in the Truman Administration of maintaining leadership
in science has remained the policy of the U. S. Government to this day:
Dr. John Marburger, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology
(OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President, made remarks to that
effect during his 2 confirmation hearings in October 2001. The United
States needs metrics for measuring its success in meeting this goal of
maintaining leadership in science and technology. That is one of the
reasons that the National Science Foundation (NSF) and many other
agencies of the U. S.
