Committee on Benchmarking the Research Competitiveness of the United States in Chemistry Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology Division on Earth and Life Studies THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS Washington, D.C. www.nap.edu NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Govern- ing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineer- ing, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropri- ate balance. This study was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant CTS- 0534814 and the U.S. Department of Energy under Grant DE-FG02-05ER15735. Any opinions, indings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publica- tion are those of the authors and do not necessarily relect the views of the organiza- tions or agencies that provided support for the project. International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-10533-0 International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-10533-1 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2007927596 Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap. edu. Copyright 2007 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonproit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientiic and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Acad- emy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientiic and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding en- gineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineer- ing programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is presi- dent of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Insti- tute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sci- ences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientiic and engineering communities. The Coun- cil is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. www.national-academies.org COMMITTEE ON BENCHMARKING THE RESEARCH COMPETITIVENESS OF THE UNITED STATES IN CHEMISTRY Chairperson Charles P. Casey, University of Wisconsin, Madison Members Joanna Aizenberg, Bell Laboratories, Alcatel-Lucent, Murray Hill, NJ Paul S. Anderson, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (retired), Lansdale, PA Louis E. Brus, Columbia University, New York, NY Sylvia T. Ceyer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge Gregory R. Choppin, Florida State University (emeritus), Tallahassee Catherine C. Fenselau, University of Maryland, College Park Joanna S. Fowler, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY Joseph S. Francisco, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN Timothy E. Long, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg Tobin J. Marks, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL Michele Parrinello, ETH Zürich, Switzerland Chi-Huey Wong, Academia Sinica (Taiwan) and Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA Staff Albert Epshteyn, Christine Mirzayan Graduate Fellow (January-March 2007) Tina M. Masciangioli, Program Oficer Kela Masters, Project Assistant Ericka McGowan, Associate Program Oficer Federico San Martini, Program Oficer José Zambrana, Christine Mirzayan Graduate Fellow (June-August 2006) Dorothy Zolandz, Director, Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology v BOARD ON CHEMICAL SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY Chairpersons Elsa Reichmanis, Alcatel-Lucent, Murray Hill, NJ F. Fleming Crim, University of Wisconsin, Madison Members Paul T. Anastas, Yale University, New Haven, CT Gary S. Calabrese, Rohm & Haas Company, Philadelphia, PA Jean De Graeve, Université de Liège, Belgium Pablo G. Debenedetti, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ Miles P. Drake, Weyerhauser Company, Federal Way, WA George W. Flynn, Columbia University, New York, NY Mauricio Futran, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, New Brunswick, NJ Paula T. Hammond, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge Robert Hwang, Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, NM Jay V. Ihlenfeld, 3M Research & Development, St. Paul, MN James L. Kinsey, Rice University, Houston, TX Martha A. Krebs, California Energy Commission, Sacramento Charles T. Kresge, Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI Scott J. Miller, Yale University, New Haven, CT Gerald V. Poje, Independent Consultant, Vienna, VA Donald Prosnitz, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA Matthew V. Tirrell, University of California, Santa Barbara National Research Council Staff Tina M. Masciangioli, Program Oficer Kela Masters, Project Assistant Ericka M. McGowan, Associate Program Oficer Sybil A. Paige, Administrative Associate Jessica L. Pullen, Research Assistant Federico San Martini, Program Oficer Dorothy Zolandz, Director vi Acknowledgment of Reviewers This report has been reviewed in draft form by persons chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets institutional standards of objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain conidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Dr. Andreas Manz, ISAS—Institute for Analytical Sciences, Dortmund, Germany Dr. John M. Campbell, Sr., (Retired President and CEO, Campbell Companies), Norman, OK Dr. Catherine E. Costello, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA Dr. Miles P. Drake, Weyerhaeuser Company, Allentown, PA Dr. Erick M. Carreira, ETH Hönggerberg, Zürich, Switzerland Dr. Lloyd M. Robeson, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, PA Dr. Mark S. Wrighton, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO Dr. William A. Lester, Jr., University of California, Berkeley, CA Dr. Gordon Brown, Stanford University, Pasadena, CA vii viii ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF REVIEWERS Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive com- ments and suggestions, they did not see the inal draft of the report be- fore its release. The review was overseen by Dr. Maxine Savitz, retired, General Manager, Technology/Partnerships Honeywell Inc, appointed by the National Research Council and Dr. C. Bradley Moore, Northwestern University, appointed by the Division on Earth and Life Studies, who was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the inal content of this report rests entirely with the authors and the institution. Contents Summary 1 1 Why Benchmark the Research Competitiveness of U.S. Chemistry Now? 7 The Rising Above the Gathering Storm Report, 7 Timeliness of Benchmarking Chemistry, 8 Panel Charge and Rationale, 9 2 Key Characteristics of U.S. Chemistry Research 13 What Is Chemistry Research?, 14 What Key Factors Characterize Chemistry Research?, 14 How Important Is It for the United States to Lead in Chemistry R esearch?, 16 What Are Some Caveats?, 19 3 Current Research Leadership Position 20 Approach, 20 Journal Article Contributions, 21 Journal Article Citations, 28 Other Measures of Leadership, 38 Assessment of Leadership in Specialized Areas of Chemistry, 40 Summary, 68 ix x THE FUTURE OF U.S. CHEMISTRY 4 Key Factors Influencing Leadership 70 National Imperatives, 70 Innovation, 71 Scientiic Culture, 74 Centers and Major Facilities, 78 Human Resources, 84 R&D Funding, 96 Summary, 108 Appendix, 110 5 Likely Future Position: Increasing Challenges to U.S. Leadership in Chemistry 113 U.S. Leadership in Chemistry, 113 U.S. Leadership in Areas of Chemistry, 119 Summary, 123 Appendixes A Statement of Task 127 B Panel Biographical Information 128 C Journal Analysis 132 D Virtual World Congress 137