Innovation Nation: Sustaining America’s R&D Leadership
Published April 28, 2025
America’s leadership in science and technology has long fueled both economic prosperity and national defense. But with adversaries like China dramatically increasing R&D investments, the United States faces the urgent challenge of reversing its own decades-long decline in innovation funding and coordination. Reclaiming leadership will require a renewed national strategy: one that recommits to federal investment in foundational science, restores the synergy between government, academia, and industry, and rebuilds the workforce and infrastructure needed to drive discovery. Sustaining America’s competitive edge in emerging technologies is not just an economic imperative — it is a cornerstone of national security.
Check out more about America's R&D Leadership:
- Read "How to Create, and Sustain, R&D Leadership" by Norbert Holtkamp here.
- Read "A Deep Peek into DeepSeek AI’s Talent and Implications for US Innovation" by Amy Zegart here.
- Read "The Warfighter’s Pipeline" by Dan Berkenstock here.
Learn more about Norbert Holtkamp here.
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The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University.
© 2025 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.
>> Norbert Holtkamp: In the aftermath of World War II, the United States unsurprisingly emerged as the undisputed leader in scientific research and technological innovation. After all, most scientific and technological advancements typically occur in open and diverse environments in a free and prosperous society capable of attracting and retaining the best talent.
The confluence of conditions resulted in some of the most groundbreaking scientific discoveries, technological innovations, and propelled the United States economically through the second half of the 20th century. However, as America creeps closer to the mid-21st century, the landscape of global research and development has shifted. Some countries look to challenge and potentially surpass the United States economically, technologically, and militarily, with no regard on how to get there.
The past 20 years have seen US competitors exploit America's openness through espionage and intellectual property theft, often forcing their citizens to be accomplices. Over the same time period, the number of Americans pursuing STEM field degrees has decreased, which means the United States continues to have to look abroad for an ever-increasing demand for scientists and engineers.
But the United States is no longer the sole attractive destination for top-tier talent. It must compete with other nations for the best and the brightest minds. In an era where technological superiority translates to economic prosperity, military capacity, and national security, the United States cannot afford to lose its place as the world's leader in research and development.
The US must take strategic actions to sustain a vibrant and robust R&D ecosystem, lasting generations. And it must do so in a balanced way, safeguarding our secrets while staying true to our values as an open society. First and foremost, the United States must remain committed to the open and collaborative nature and values of scientific inquiry and research rather than resort to protectionism.
Values like trust, transparency, and academic freedom are the foundation of fast advancement and innovation. Federally funded research programs at universities and national laboratories have done well by reinforcing the tenets of President Reagan's 1985 National Security Decision Directive 189, which ensures full access to information, free collaboration, access to user facilities, and exchange of personnel.
Continuing to do so will encourage our allies and like-minded partners to collaborate and innovate with the United States for mutual benefit rather than being slowed by unilateral protection mechanisms. Legally binding agreements to establish global norms and standards for international collaboration in the spirit of NSDD 189 can again unleash the power of open collaborations.
Frameworks modeled after initiatives like the Budapest Open Access Initiative would allow vetted nations fast-tracked access to the research of participating member nations, fostering a secure yet open environment for innovation. Only non-member nations would be subject to more stringent review processes and have limited access to data, personnel, and facilities, encouraging nations to open themselves up to the vetting process and become participant nations.
An international precheck system for scientific collaboration, similar to an airport precheck lane amongst participating nations, would enjoy streamlined approval processes for joint research projects, shared data, and talent exchanges, further incentivizing countries to adopt the principles, values, and norms of open research. It would also relieve US Research institutions from the administrative burden to check and vet, and redirect valuable resources towards R&D again.
While committed to principles of open research, the US should continue to develop robust measures to safeguard pre-publication results, prevent unauthorized use of research, and uphold ethical standards in scientific inquiry. America must also cultivate homegrown STEM talent while continuing to develop international researchers. Expanding the Fulbright US Student Program, a government-funded international exchange program, will increase opportunities and mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through educational and cultural exchange, as well as create clearer pathways for talented foreign researchers to build careers in America.
A next-generation GI build type program can bring talent to the STEM field that never thought about going there. Federal investment in cutting-edge research infrastructure ensures that America's scientific facilities remain the best in the world, able to adapt to changing technological needs, whether in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, or other emerging scientific fields.
In today's interconnected world, scientific leadership cannot be achieved in isolation. By implementing these measures, the United States can create a dynamic ecosystem that safeguards its innovative edge and fosters groundbreaking discoveries with the potential to benefit all mankind.