By Rob Marus
Last week, the Senate voted to confirm leaders to two of the nation’s top science posts: Michael Kratsios as the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and Jay Bhattacharya as the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The votes were 74-26 for Kratsios and 53-47 for Bhattacharya.
Kratsios will serve as President Trump’s stop scientific advisor, while Bhattacharya will lead the nation’s largest medical-research agency – largely regarded as the global leader in biomedical research and innovation and public-health research. Many of the biggest advances in healthcare and pharmaceuticals over the last century originated with NIH-funded research – much of it conducted through AAU members and other leading research universities.
AAU President Barbara R. Snyder issued statements congratulating both Kratsios and Bhattacharya on their confirmation. “Global scientific competition is unrelenting, and Director Kratsios has the skills and experience America needs to guide our federal science and innovation policy at OSTP,” she said, in the statement congratulating Kratsios. “We look forward to partnering with him, OSTP, and the federal science agencies to empower our scientists and engineers as they make the discoveries that will lay the groundwork for future growth while encouraging the next generation of innovators.”
In the statement on Bhattacharya’s confirmation, President Snyder said, “We look forward to working closely with Director Bhattacharya to ensure that NIH continues to be the preeminent biomedical research engine in the world. Every day, NIH provides support for groundbreaking research – much of it conducted by our member universities – that leads to cures and treatments for previously chronic or terminal medical conditions, vaccines to prevent infectious diseases, and better health outcomes for all Americans.”
Rob Marus is deputy vice president for communications at AAU.