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J.J. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 



■ The science and technology base that undcxpins our environmental R&D 

 programs must be strengthened to ensure the availability of environmental 

 scientists and engineen, social scientists, and policy analysts, and to ensiuc 

 adequate facilities and equipment to support their work (see pages 104-106). 



■ The National Science Foundation and other government agencies should 

 take steps to strengthen the basi upon which our national environmental 

 R81D programs are built. The scope and direction of grant programs in NSF 

 and other agencies that support environmental R&D acuvities in universities, 

 nongovernmental organizations, and elsewhere should be examined care- 

 fully to determine if additional funding is needed to suppon cenain kinds 

 of research activities. We believe that the NSF, in particular, should sub- 

 stantially expand extramural grants programs devoted to research designed 

 to integrate the thinking across multiple disciplines, including policy research 

 and assessment. NSF should pay particular attention to the adequacy of 

 the nation's cnviroiunental science and technology disciplinary base. In 

 addition, NSF, with the assistance of the National Research Council, should 

 undenake a study of the future environmental R&D-related human resource 

 needs of the nation. 



■ Both government and the private sector should take deliberate steps to 

 improve educational programs in the environmental sciences. Undergrad- 

 uate biological, physical, engineering, business, and economics educational 

 programs should include an environmental science component in their cur- 

 ricula. Graduate and postdoctoral training programs in the environmental 

 and social sciences should be expanded. 



THE WAY FORWARD 



It is clear that wealth and physical resources alone will not be enough to 

 solve the daunting environmental challenges we fecc. Advanced knowledge 

 of earth's systems and processes is crucial, and developing it requires a strong 

 federal e£Fort in envirotmiental R&D. 



If adopted, our recommendations would aid in accomplishing sev- 

 eral objeaives, including a strengthening of the contribution of environ- 

 mental R&D to the missions of federal departments and agencies. Moni- 

 toring and information storage would be improved, as would the government's 

 ability to engage in assessment, strategic planning, and more effective en- 

 vironmental policy development. Bener linkages among federal entities and 

 with ouuide organizations will yield new knowledge, and investments in 



