Notice2025-21150
Notice of Request for Information; Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 26, 2025
Issuing agencies
Science and Technology Policy Office
Abstract
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on Federal policy updates that aim to accelerate the American scientific enterprise, enable groundbreaking discoveries, and ensure that scientific progress and technological innovation benefit all Americans. Through this Request for Information (RFI), OSTP seeks input from academia; private sector organizations; industry groups; state, local, and tribal governments; and other stakeholders regarding priorities for strengthening the science and technology (S&T) ecosystem to support both the expansion of scientific knowledge and the mechanisms to transition these discoveries into the marketplace. This RFI will inform the formulation of Executive branch efforts to advance and maintain U.S. S&T leadership.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 226 (Wednesday, November 26, 2025)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 26, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54412-54413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-21150]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Notice of Request for Information; Accelerating the American
Scientific Enterprise
AGENCY: Office of Science and Technology Policy.
ACTION: Request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requests
input from all interested parties on Federal policy updates that aim to
accelerate the American scientific enterprise, enable groundbreaking
discoveries, and ensure that scientific progress and technological
innovation benefit all Americans. Through this Request for Information
(RFI), OSTP seeks input from academia; private sector organizations;
industry groups; state, local, and tribal governments; and other
stakeholders regarding priorities for strengthening the science and
technology (S&T) ecosystem to support both the expansion of scientific
knowledge and the mechanisms to transition these discoveries into the
marketplace. This RFI will inform the formulation of Executive branch
efforts to advance and maintain U.S. S&T leadership.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
11:59 p.m. (ET) December 26, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Interested individuals and organizations should submit
comments electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> by searching the Docket ID number OSTP-TECH-2025-
0100. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted
electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> by selecting the Docket ID number. Information on
how to use <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>, including instructions for accessing agency
documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket, is available on
the site under ``FAQ'' (<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/faq">https://www.regulations.gov/faq</a>).
Instructions
Response to this RFI is voluntary. Please note that all submissions
received in response to this notice may be posted on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a> or otherwise released in their entirety.
Do not include in your submissions any copyrighted material;
information of a confidential nature, such as personal or proprietary
information; or any information you would not like to be made publicly
available.
OSTP will not respond to individual submissions. A response to this
RFI will not be viewed as a binding commitment to develop or pursue the
project or ideas discussed. This RFI is not accepting applications for
financial assistance or financial incentives.
Responses containing references, studies, research, and other
empirical data that are not widely published should include copies of
or electronic links to the referenced materials. Responses from minors,
or responses containing profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other
inappropriate language or content will not be considered.
Comments submitted in response to this notice are subject to the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Please note that the United States
Government will not pay for response preparation or for the use of any
information contained in a response.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information, please
direct questions to Sihao Huang at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#debbb0b9bfb9bbb3bbb0aa9eb1adaaaef0bbb1aef0b9b1a8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5d38333a3c3a38303833291d322e292d7338322d733a322b">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: America's scientific enterprise is a complex
machine comprising researchers, institutions, publishers, funders, and
private-sector organizations that turn discoveries into reality--all
supported by a public that both shapes and benefits from scientific
progress. For decades, this enterprise has made American science the
envy of the world. Our innovation engine has powered America's
dominance across industries, improved health outcomes nationwide, and
fueled the greatest period of prosperity in history.
However, scientific discovery and technological progress are never
guaranteed. They require the
[[Page 54413]]
concentrated effort of individuals and organizations. Over the past
century, America relentlessly reinvented the machinery of science
itself. Examples include establishing university research programs,
marrying large-scale engineering with scientific exploration across
America's national laboratories, founding the National Science
Foundation, launching the Apollo Program to win the Space Race, and
pioneering the venture capital model.
Today, multiple forces are reshaping how scientific research is
conducted. New institutional models like focused research organizations
operate outside traditional academic structures; emerging questions in
fields like quantum information science and biology require ever-closer
collaboration between engineering and basic science; and rapid progress
in AI promises to accelerate discovery cycles. These shifts demand
continuous improvement in how the Federal government supports
scientific research. Simultaneously, America's strategic competitors
have placed unprecedented focus on scientific advancement. While the
U.S. retains a leading global position, breakthrough research that
advances our short- and long-term national security and economic
competitiveness is now more urgently needed than ever.
These converging factors, which include new scientific
opportunities, intensifying global competition, and evidence that
traditional approaches to research could be greatly improved, call for
a comprehensive assessment of how the Federal government prioritizes
and structures scientific research.
Specifically, OSTP invites responses to one or more of the
following questions:
(i) What policy changes to Federal funding mechanisms, procurement
processes, or partnership authorities would enable stronger public-
private collaboration and allow America to tap into its vast private
sector to better drive use-inspired basic and early-stage applied
research?
(ii) How can the Federal government better support the translation
of scientific discoveries from academia, national laboratories, and
other research institutions into practical applications? Specifically,
what changes to technology transfer policies, translational programs,
or commercial incentives would accelerate the path from laboratory to
market?
(iii) What policies would encourage the formation and scaling of
regional innovation ecosystems that connect local businesses,
universities, educational institutions, and the local workforce--
particularly in areas where the Federal government has existing
research assets like national laboratories or federally-funded research
centers?
(iv) How can Federal policies strengthen the role played by small-
and medium-sized businesses as both drivers of innovation and as early
adopters of emerging technologies?
(v) What empirically grounded findings from metascience research
and progress studies could inform Federal grantmaking processes to
maximize scientific productivity and increase total return on
investment? Please provide specific examples of evidence-based reforms
that could improve funding allocation, peer review, or grant
evaluation.
(vi) What reforms will enable the American scientific enterprise to
pursue more high-risk, high-reward research that could transform our
scientific understanding and unlock new technologies, while sustaining
the incremental science essential for cumulative production of
knowledge?
(vii) How can the Federal government support novel institutional
models for research that complement traditional university structures
and enable projects that require vast resources, interdisciplinary
coordination, or extended timelines?
(viii) How can the Federal government leverage and prepare for
advances in AI systems that may transform scientific research--
including automated hypothesis generation, experimental design,
literature synthesis, and autonomous experimentation? What
infrastructure investments, organizational models, and workforce
development strategies are needed to realize these capabilities while
maintaining scientific rigor and research integrity?
(ix) What specific Federal statutes, regulations, or policies
create unnecessary barriers to scientific research or the deployment of
research outcomes? Please describe the barrier, its impact on
scientific progress, and potential remedies that would preserve
legitimate policy objectives while enabling innovation.
(x) How can Federal programs better identify and develop scientific
talent across the country, particularly leveraging digital tools and
distributed research models to engage researchers outside traditional
academic centers?
(xi) How can the Federal government foster closer collaboration
among scientists, engineers, and skilled technical workers, and better
integrate training pathways, recognizing that breakthrough research
often requires deep collaboration between theoretical and applied
expertise?
(xii) What policy mechanisms would ensure that the benefits of
federally-funded research--including access to resulting technologies,
economic opportunities, and improved quality of life--reach all
Americans?
(xiii) How can the Federal government strengthen research security
to protect sensitive technologies and dual-use research while
minimizing compliance burdens on researchers?
(Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6613.)
Dated: November 21, 2025.
Stacy Murphy,
Deputy Chief Operations Officer/Security Officer.
[FR Doc. 2025-21150 Filed 11-25-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3270-F1-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on November 26, 2025.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.