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18 April 2014
OSA Applauds the U.S. Fast-Track Action Committee on Optics and Photonics for New Report Recommending Investments in Optics and Photonics Research
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lyndsay Meyer
The Optical Society
+1.202.416.1435
lmeyer@osa.org
OSA Applauds the U.S. Fast-Track Action Committee on Optics and Photonics for New Report Recommending Investments in Optics and Photonics Research
WASHINGTON, April 18, 2014—The Optical Society (OSA) today commended the U.S. Fast-Track Action Committee on Optics and Photonics (FTAC-OP) for recommendations related to investments in optics and photonics research in their newly released report, Building a Brighter Future with Optics and Photonics. In response to the report, OSA CEO Elizabeth Rogan released the following statement:
“OSA has long been an advocate for investments in optics and photonics, which enable technologies that are vital to a strong economy. FTAC-OP made seven key recommendations that will support the creation of new industries and their related jobs in areas such as communications, healthcare and energy.
“We thank the committee members for focusing their expertise on key challenges and the related solutions aimed at advancing innovation. The report is in line with the findings detailed in the National Academy of Sciences’ (NAS) 2012 report, Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for Our Nation. OSA is a founding partner of the National Photonics Initiative (NPI), which was created as a result of the NAS report.
“We urge White House and Congressional collaboration to ensure the work of the FTAC-OP committee is implemented and the U.S. continues its leadership in scientific research and development.”
FTAC-OP prepared the report for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Physical Sciences Subcommittee of the Committee on Science, National Science and Technology Council. FTAC-OP is made up of representatives from the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Defense, Health and Human Services, and Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the White House Offices of Management and Budget and Science and Technology.
NPI is being led by a coalition of scientific societies, including the American Physical Society (APS), the IEEE Photonics Society, the Laser Institute of America (LIA), OSA and SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics.
About OSA
Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional society for scientists, engineers, achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership programs, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of professionals in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.
