Trump in Context: History of Science Advice in the White House

Science advice within the White House dates back to World War II, but the current organization, led by the Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) was more recently developed. OSTP is charged with giving and overseeing science and technology advice to the president and coordinating activities within the executive branch. The director is more informally known as the president’s science advisor and has often also served as an assistant to the president. OSTP was created during the Ford administration as a result of President Nixon dissolving the Office of Science and Technology (OST), a predecessor to OSTP, at the start of his second term. Additional advice to the president has also come from the President’s Council of Advisor on Science and Technology (PCAST). PCAST is a collection of highly respected experts in science and technology from the private sector. PCAST was created in President G.H.W. Bush’s administration to give the president additional outside advice, although similar bodies having been operating in some form since World War II. This presentation will review the history of these two bodies—OSTP and PCAST—and the president’s science advisor who oversee both. In addition, the talk will analyze the current state of the federal science advisory system and recent policymaking activities during the Trump administration, including an outlook for the future role of scientists in the White House and federal science agencies.