About
25 April 2012
Scientists and Engineers Make the Case for Sustained Federal Investments in Science and Technology
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lyndsay Meyer
The Optical Society
+1.202.416.1435
lmeyer@osa.org
Scientists and Engineers Make the Case for Sustained Federal Investments in Science and Technology
OSA members meet with legislators on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON, April 25 – Optical Society (OSA) members from around the United States are coming together on Capitol Hill today to speak with lawmakers about science policy issues, federal investments in research and development (R&D) and discuss proposed funding levels in the upcoming FY 2013 appropriations bills. The OSA members will join more than 200 scientists, engineers and graduate students as part of the annual Congressional Visits Day (CVD), sponsored by the Science-Engineering-Technology Working Group. CVD is held each year to educate legislators about the importance of R&D funding and the impact it has on the economy and innovation.
OSA’s participants will meet with more than 20 Capitol Hill offices in Washington, D.C., asking policy makers to continue to make sustained federal investments in science and technology programs including programs at the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards in Technology, the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, and the Department of Defense. The members will share their personal stories about the research they are doing, the jobs being created at their companies as a result, and the importance of federal R&D funding to their work.
“Continued, sustained investments in science, technology and R&D are vital to ensuring long-term economic prosperity,” said OSA CEO Elizabeth Rogan. “OSA members participate in CVD meetings to emphasize their level of involvement in these critical budget decisions. Legislators need to hear from us.”
By sharing their experiences as professionals in the field of optics and photonics and by pointing out specific optics-related advances that have been made possible as a result of federal funding, the participants hope to show lawmakers that investing in science and technology is an investment in America’s future. Advancements like the Internet, energy efficient lighting and the laser were all funded by federal research dollars.
About OSA
Uniting more than 130,000 professionals from more than 175 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics and photonics community through programs and initiatives. Since 1916, OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information visit www.osa.org.
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