APPLICATIONS

20.1.2009

ROBERT LANGER ADVISED PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ON SCIENCE FUNDING

In year 2006 the Millennium Technology Prize winner, Dr. Robert Langer received an honorary doctor degree together with U.S. President Barack Obama. In his book The Audacity of Hope President Obama tells about his conversation with Dr. Robert Langer at Northwestern University commencement.

"Langer isn't just an ivory tower academic. His research has led to everything from the development of the nicotine patch to brain cancer treatments." Obama writes.

Obama asked Langer whether the limitations of stem cell research was a barrier to advances in his field.
"Having more stem cell lines would definitely be useful," Langer told, "but the real problem we´re seeing is significant cutbacks in federal grants."
Langer explains how dramatically federal support for research has declined during the last 15 years. For scientists this means more time spent in raising money, and less time spent on research.
"As Dr. Langer points out, our declining support for basic research has a direct impact on the number of young people going into math, science and engineering," President Obama concluded in his book.