I have just returned from Singapore and Shanghai, where I visited life science research sites at universities, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and Singapore’s Biopolis. These institutions, and the government support behind them, invite complex reflections on the situation in the United States.
The United States is home to academic, commercial and government research institutions that remain the envy of the world. The total U.S. investment in research is very large compared with other countries. For example, the National Institutes of Health budget exceeds $29 billion; the National Science Foundation budget is more than $6 billion. Moreover, the United States has a strong tradition of philanthropy for biomedical research by universities and hospitals, and a venture capital community that helps move research into the commercial arena.
In addition, U.S.–based life science–related industries have very large investments in research and development. U.S. universities and hospitals are among world leaders in papers, citations and patents. In aggregate, the United States has the greatest laboratory infrastructure and intellectual critical mass in the sciences and engineering in the world.
Why then a feeling of disquiet on returning home?