(CARNEGIE (COMMISSION ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND GOVERNMENT 437 MADISON AVENUE, 27TH FLOOR, New York, NY 10022 PHONE: (212) 207-6336 Fax: (212) 754-4073 EMAIL: CARNEGIE@ACFI1.NYU.EDU COMMISSION William T. Golden Co-Chair Joshua Lederberg Co-Chair David Z. Robinson Executive Director Richard C. Atkinson Norman R. Augustine John Brademas Lewis M. Branscomb Jimmy Carter William T. Coleman, Jr. Sidney D. Drell Daniel J. Evans Gen. Andrew J. Goodpaster (Ret.) Shirley M. Hufstedler Adm. B. R. Inman (Ret.) Helene L. Kaplan Donald Kennedy Charles McC, Mathias, Jr. William J. Perry* Robert M. Solow H. Guyford Stever Sheila E. Widnall Jerome B. Wiesner * Through February 1993 ADVISORY COUNCIL Graham T. Allison, Jr. William O. Baker Harvey Brooks Harold Brown James M. Cannon Ashton B. Carter Richard F, Celeste Lawton Chiles Theodore Cooper* Douglas M. Costle Eugene H. Cota-Robles William Drayton Thomas Ehrlich Stuart E. Eizenstat Gerald R. Ford Ralph E. Gomory Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh Walter E. Massey Rodney W. Nichols David Packard Lewis F. Powell, Jr.t Charles W. Powers James B. Reston Alice M. Rivlin¢ Oscar M. Ruebhausen Jonas Salk Maxine F. Singer Dick Thornburgh Adm. James D. Watkins (Ret.)§ Herbert F. York Charles A. Zraket * Died April 1993 + Through April 1990 + Through January 1993 § Through January 1989 TO: Commissioners and Members of the Advisory Council FROM: David Z. Robinson DATE: June 25, 1993 RE: The Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government: Follow-on activities and future plans of staff First, I want to thank you for the contributions you made to the work of the Commission. Bill Perry has told me that he feels that the Commission is the most successful of any he has worked with, because of the degree of commitment of individual Commissioners and Council members. As you know, the Commission is entering a new phase. I want to bring you up to date on recent and future activities involving Commission recommendations. On June 30, the main office of the Commission at New York University will close. The Commission’s Washington office will remain in operation at least through September 30, working on the Commission’s report on Congressional reform and publishing a monthly bulletin, Science & Technology in Congress. I am moving uptown to the Carnegie Corporation offices, where I will follow up on the Commission’s work for the next two years. My colleague Dolores Locascio will be assisting me in these endeavors. Our address, phone, fax, and e-mail numbers are on this letterhead. My direct dial phone number will be (212) 207-6316. For Commission reports, which we will continue to distribute, the fax number is (212) 838-6019. The last formal meeting of the Commission was held on April 1, and on April 8 Josh Lederberg, Bill Golden, John Brademas, Helene Kaplan and Rod Nichols made a final presentation before the Carnegie Corporation Board. David Hamburg gave a warm and laudatory introduction, and it was clear that the Board members were extremely pleased with the Commission’s work. We have printed 208,000 copies of our 19 Commission reports, and we continue to receive about 600 requests for copies each month. The two hundred or so major recommendations in our reports have been discussed with a number of key government officials, and that process will continue. Jesse Ausubel and Joshua Lederberg will be writing a book, Science and Technology in the American Government, which will be oriented to scholars and students in the field of science and technology, but which will also be accessible to a wider audience. New Administration Positions A number of people associated with the Commission have been chosen or mentioned for positions in the new Administration. Among them are: Commission & Advisory Council, Page 2 William Perry: Deputy Secretary of Defense Sheila Widnall: Secretary of the Air Force (strong rumors) Ashton Carter: Assistant Secretary of Defense (hearings held) Graham Allison: Assistant Secretary of Defense (hearings held) Stuart Eizenstat: Ambassador to the European Community (strong rumors) Alice Rivlin: Deputy Director, OMB Mark Schaefer: Assistant Director, OSTP In addition, James Woolsey (CIA), John Deutch (DoD), Donna Shalala (HHS), and Jack Gibbons (OSTP) were involved with Commission Task Forces. I am particularly pleased with the recognition of Mark Schaefer. Those of you who worked with him know that he did outstanding work for the Commission as Senior Staff Associate and Director of our Washington Office. With Jack Gibbons choosing him as Assistant Director of OSTP for Environment, he will have an opportunity to inform decision makers in government about the Commission’s recommendations. Recent Events = The Clinton/Gore technology policy document of February 22 is filled with ideas similar to the ones in our 1991 report on economic performance, drafted by the Inman task force. = Many of you heard Bill Perry say at the Forum following the April 1 Commission meeting, “I have spent the last five years giving advice which I will now try to take.” The recommendations of the task force he chaired are already being talked about in the Pentagon and in the press. On July 21, the Brookings Institution will hold a seminar on the Commission’s recommendations on defense procurement. The seminar is jointly sponsored by the Commission and the Department of Defense. = In May, the Vice President’s “Reinventing Government” group specifically requested a summary of the major unfulfilled recommendations of our reports. The key people working on regulatory reform expressed a special interest in the Commission’s work and have received a detailed briefing. = Before the end of June, the Supreme Court is expected to issue an opinion in the Daubert case, which will establish new standards for the admissability of scientific and technical evidence in the courts. The Commission’s amicus curiae brief, submitted on behalf of neither party, has proposed a new set of criteria that reflect the process by which scientific hypotheses are developed. New Institutions and Initiatives A number of the Commission’s recommendations have concerned new institutions that would address issues at the crossroads of science, technology, and government. Efforts are under way to create several of these organizations, and existing institutions are also becoming more active. For example: = In 1991, following Bill Golden’s initiative, the Commission organized two informal meetings of science advisors to the heads of government of the G-7 countries, Russia, and the European Community. As a result of the success of the initial meetings, the "Carnegie Group," as the participants call themselves, has continued to meet semi-annually in different member countries. The most recent meeting was in Canada in May. Commission & Advisory Council, Page 3 # Following a recommendation of the Task Force on Science and Technology in Judicial and Regulatory Decision Making, the Federal Judicial Center launched a three year pilot project on judicial management of scientific and technological evidence. Carnegie Corporation of New York is funding the project. We expect a draft manual on science and technology for federal judges will soon be completed by our consultant, Margaret Berger under the FJC. = The Commission’s Committee on Congress recommended the establishment of an S&T Study Conference for Congress, a bipartisan congressional organization designed to encourage informal discussion of science and technology issues that cut across committee jurisdictions. Senator Domenici and Representatives Valentine and Morella are actively exploring this concept with their colleagues. = We have prepared a draft charter for a Science and Technology Institute to complement the Study Conference. The Conference must be funded from the office budgets of Members of Congress, but the Institute can receive outside funds. The Institute would publish Science and Technology in Congress and carry out general studies and briefings. = The Judicial and Regulatory Task Force called for the establishment of an independent Science and Justice Council. Helene Kaplan, with help from Steven Gallagher and David Beckler, is trying to raise funds for this project. = Dick Celeste has been extremely active in promoting the recommendations of the report on S&T and the States. Dick was invited to Maine and New Mexico to discuss how the governor and legislature could use S&T. He has also initiated a colloquium, to be held in September at Airlie House, on federal-state partnership, a possible pre-cursor to the recommended interstate compact. = Guy Stever is working with the National Academy Complex to try to raise funds for a National Forum on Science and Technology Goals. Some of the funds needed might come from Carnegie Corporation, but additional funding will be necessary. = The concept of an international Consultative Group for REsearch on ENvironment (CGREEN) proposed as a means of coordinating environmental research endeavors worldwide continues to gain support and will be the subject of an international conference at Bellagio, Italy in November. = A number of nongovernmental organizations are planning to increase their activities in the areas dealt with by the Commission. Some of them have applied for funds to Carnegie Corporation. Acknowledgments I want to acknowledge first the outstanding work performed by my staff colleagues throughout the life of the Commission. They were all extraordinarily diligent and creative. I am also indebted to a number of individuals who were technically consultants, but who worked as staff on task forces. Kathryn Edmundson, Rollin Johnson, Chris Coburn, and Maryann Roper have contributed enormously to our work. Finally, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary cooperation we have received throughout the life of the Commission from organizations interested in our several agendas. The National Academy Complex developed the three reports on federal personnel policy, prepared by committees headed by Alan (Scotty) Campbell and Kenneth Dam. The American Association for the Advancement of Science prepared Working with Congress, a wonderful guide for scientists and engineers. The AAAS and the American Bar Association prepared a report on court-appointed experts for us, and they will Commission & Advisory Council, Page 4 hold a planning conference for a three-year demonstration program in November. The Council for Excellence in Government prepared The Prune Book, which has been extremely helpful to those in the new administration attempting to find outstanding individuals for high positions involving S&T. Sigma Xi, the National Academy of Public Administration, and The Brookings Institution convened workshops and seminars for us. These and other nongovernmental associations have always been available to discuss many aspects of our reports. So our activities continue, and others will be required if we are to exploit fully the insights and effort that went into our reports. As we discussed at the last meeting, we may reconvene the Commission in about two years to review our accomplishments and make additional recommendations. I empathize with Winston Churchill, who, accused during a debate of having consumed over his lifetime enough brandy to fill half the House of Commons, replied, “So much accomplished! So much left to do!” I intend to keep you informed about our follow-up activities, and I hope that I may seek your on- going counsel and help. Please be sure to call me if you see opportunities for getting the Commission’s recommendations to the right people at the right moment. Future Plans of Commission Staff From New York, Jeannette L. Aspden will be going to Carnegie Corporation as Editor for Special Projects. Jesse H. Ausubel will become Director of the Program for the Human Environment at Rockefeller University. Maxine L. Rockoff will become Director of Information Technology for United Neighborhood Houses of New York. Lori D. Skopp will become Assistant Director of Education and Director of the Science and Technology Expo at the New York Academy of Sciences. Paul Harris, Jr., will be looking for opportunities in computer network management. Doris Manville will remain at Rockefeller University with Jesse Ausubel. From Washington, David Z. Beckler will be a consultant to the Commission and other organizations. Steven G. Gallagher has not yet finalized his plans. Bonnie P. Bisol, Christina E. Halvorson, and A. Bryce Hoflund will be in the Washington Office through September. Jonathan Bender will be returning to Georgetown Law School. Simone Mechaly is looking to continue her career as an Executive Secretary/Administrative Assistant.