NSF-Funded Research Evaluates Key Technology Areas to Inform Investment Plans

A National Science Foundation-backed research effort has completed an initial assessment of key technology areas using new data and analytics approaches to inform the NSF’s future investment plans.

Thought leaders from 13 universities in the United States were awarded nearly $4 million in funding to perform the yearlong study, which focused on the maturity, trajectories and impact of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals, and energy and critical materials, and the United States’ competitiveness in the said technology areas, the NSF said.

The release of a report, titled “Securing America’s Future: A Framework for Critical Technology Assessment,” marked the completion of the pilot effort, supporting the NSF’s newly launched program aiming to develop the capability to predict outcomes of tech investments, assess U.S. competitiveness in specific tech areas, identify gaps in funding and evaluate funding impact on U.S. innovation and competitiveness. 

NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said integrating advanced data and analytics approaches into decision-making and assessment processes could have a transformative effect on how the NSF invests its limited resources into research and innovation initiatives.