China and India: A New Sputnik?

Fifty years ago, the launch of Sputnik fueled unprecedented public interest in and support of science. Going from 1958 to 1959, Congress increased NSF funding by a factor of five. Since then, public interest and government support have eroded. In the last the last few years, however, the public has become increasingly aware of global competition for jobs and technological supremacy, particularly from China and India, together 40\% of world population. Congress recently responded with the passage of the America COMPETES Act, which was signed into law in August. This talk will review how the federal government works and how it deals with science. After a review of current happenings and upcoming challenges, participants will learn how they can effect change in policies that affect science and scientists.