Office of Science and Technology Policy Exit Memo 117

From:
Fae M. Jencks
Office of Science and Technology Policy
The White House 1/05/17

Today, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Dr. John Holdren and
U.S. Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Megan Smith are releasing an Exit Memo that highlights the
profound impact President Obamas leadership has had reinvigorating the American scientific and
technological enterprise, including to help build a more effective, efficient, and innovative government.
The OSTP Exit Memo also offers an overview of science and technology frontiers and calls for actions
needed in the years ahead to include all Americans in driving continued innovation and progress across
those frontiers.
You can read OSTPs exit memo here and can check out all of the other Cabinet exit memos here. A
summary of OSTPs exit memo can be found here and below.
Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you for your continued work to support
science and technology across the country.
Fae M. Jencks
Office of Science and Technology Policy
The White House
PLEASE NOTE: MY LAST DAY IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND WITH ACCESS TO THIS E-MAIL
IS JANUARY 17TH
Connect with OSTP:
engagement@ostp.eop.gov
www.whitehouse.gov/ostp
@WhiteHouseOSTP

OSTP Exit Memo: A Progress Report on Americas Science, Technology, and Innovation
Enterprise
JANUARY 5, 2017 AT 6:00 AM ET BY CRISTIN DORGELO

Today, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Dr. John Holdren and
U.S. Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Megan Smith are releasing an Exit Memo that highlights the
profound impact President Obamas leadership has had reinvigorating the American scientific and
technological enterprise, including to help build a more effective, efficient, and innovative government.
The OSTP Exit Memo also offers an overview of science and technology frontiers and calls for actions
needed in the years ahead to include all Americans in driving continued innovation and progress across
those frontiers.
On January 20, 2009, President Obama pledged to restore science to its rightful place. Coming into
office, the President committed to reinvigorating the American scientific enterprise through a strong
commitment to basic and applied research, innovation, and education; to restoring integrity to science
policy; and most importantly, to making decisions on the basis of evidence, rather than ideology.
Under President Obamas leadership, America continues to lead the world in innovation, developing
the industries of the future and harnessing science and technology to help address important challenges.
In the last 8 years, President Obamas broad science, technology, and innovation agenda has had a
profound impact in setting the stage for new industries and continued innovation in the years ahead, by
building U.S. talent and capacity in science and technology; making the long-term investments that will
continue to power American innovation; upgrading government science and technology capabilities;
and setting ambitious goals that inspire and harness the ingenuity and creativity of the American
people.
OSTPs Exit Memo highlights 20 science and technology frontiers where future investment and crosssector collaboration will drive American innovation in the decades ahead, including:

Personal frontiers in health care innovation and precision medicine;

Local frontiers in building smart, inclusive communities that serve all residents;

National frontiers in harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence, data science, machine
learning, automation, robotics, and advanced computing to engage and benefit all Americans;

Global frontiers in accelerating the clean-energy revolution and developing advanced climate
information, tools, services, and collaborations; and

Interplanetary frontiers in space commercialization and exploration, including our journey to

Mars.

Looking ahead, Director Holdren and CTO Smith offer 10 actions that are needed in the near term to
broaden participation in the science, technology, and innovation that can drive prosperity for all
Americans in the coming decades. These actions include:
1.

Investing in fundamental research, the fundamental, curiosity-driven inquiry that is a

hallmark of the American research enterprise and a powerful driver of new technology and
innovation in the medium and long term.

2.

Recruiting, retaining, and empowering science and technology talent to help build a more
effective, efficient, and innovative government that can address our hardest challenges and
significantly improve service deliver to citizens.

3.

Identifying and pursuing grand challengesambitious yet achievable goals that harness S&T
and that have the potential to capture the publics imagination.

4.

Increasing access to high-quality STEM education and driving innovation for education to
allow more Americans to succeed in high-wage STEM fields and develop the human capital
needed to fuel American innovation, tackle inequality, and support informed citizenship.

5.

Improving diversity, equity, and inclusion, and mitigating the impacts of bias to harness one
of Americas foundational strengthsthe unparalleled diversity of the American people and the
diversity of ideas they generate.

6.

Supporting innovative entrepreneurs, accelerating high-growth entrepreneurship, ensuring

early-stage entrepreneurs from all backgrounds have access to startup capital, and expanding
access to entrepreneurial networks and resources across all communities.

7.

Maximizing economic and social return from Federal Government data and investments
research and development by opening data, increasing access to the information resulting from
Federally funded research, and leveraging data science.

8.

Increasing Federal agency capacity for innovation by pioneering new approachesand

applying approaches piloted by other sectorsthat can deliver better results at lower cost for
the American people.

9.

Promoting open government through transparency, participation, and collaboration to

empower citizens and transform how the Federal Government engages with the American
people.

10. Continuing and strengthening international science, technology, and innovation cooperation
and engagement among the United States and its international partners.
Read the Obama Administration OSTPs Exit Memo
All of us at OSTP have been honored to serve the American people and to serve President Obamaour
Science, Technology, and Innovation President. And we are so grateful to the science and technology
community for their continued collaboration, ingenuity, and commitment to building a healthier, more
prosperous, and more equitable America. As CTO Smith and Director Holdren note, we are especially
thankful for their shared passion for broadening participation, especially among our youth, to field the
whole American team in pursuing the frontiers that will increase prosperity, opportunity, justice, health,
and security for all.
Cristin Dorgelo is Chief of Staff at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.