Benchmarking the Competitiveness of the United States in Mechanical Engineering Basic Research

Benchmarking the Competitiveness of the United States in Mechanical Engineering Basic Research
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 119
Release: 2008-12-14
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0309114268

Mechanical engineering is critical to the design, manufacture, and operation of small and large mechanical systems throughout the U.S. economy. This book highlights the main findings of a benchmarking exercise to rate the standing of U.S. mechanical engineering basic research relative to other regions or countries. The book includes key factors that influence U.S. performance in mechanical engineering research, and near- and longer-term projections of research leadership. U.S. leadership in mechanical engineering basic research overall will continue to be strong. Contributions of U.S. mechanical engineers to journal articles will increase, but so will the contributions from other growing economies such as China and India. At the same time, the supply of U.S. mechanical engineers is in jeopardy, because of declines in the number of U.S. citizens obtaining advanced degrees and uncertain prospects for continuing to attract foreign students. U.S. funding of mechanical engineering basic research and infrastructure will remain level, with strong leadership in emerging areas.

International Benchmarking of U.S. Chemical Engineering Research Competitiveness

International Benchmarking of U.S. Chemical Engineering Research Competitiveness
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 247
Release: 2007-08-12
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309105374

More than $400 billion worth of products rely on innovations in chemistry. Chemical engineering, as an academic discipline and profession, has enabled this achievement. In response to growing concerns about the future of the discipline, International Benchmarking of U.S. Chemical Engineering Research Competitiveness gauges the standing of the U.S. chemical engineering enterprise in the world. This in-depth benchmarking analysis is based on measures including numbers of published papers, citations, trends in degrees conferred, patent productivity, and awards. The book concludes that the United States is presently, and is expected to remain, among the world's leaders in all subareas of chemical engineering research. However, U.S. leadership in some classical and emerging subareas will be strongly challenged. This critical analysis will be of interest to practicing chemical engineers, professors and students in the discipline, economists, policy makers, major research university administrators, and executives in industries dependent upon innovations in chemistry.

Review of NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program

Review of NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 74
Release: 2009-01-12
Genre: Science
ISBN: 030911943X

To meet the objectives of the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE), NASA must develop a wide array of enabling technologies. For this purpose, NASA established the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP). Currently, ETDP has 22 projects underway. In the report accompanying the House-passed version of the FY2007 appropriations bill, the agency was directed to request from the NRC an independent assessment of the ETDP. This interim report provides an assessment of each of the 22 projects including a quality rating, an analysis of how effectively the research is being carried out, and the degree to which the research is aligned with the VSE. To the extent possible, the identification and discussion of various cross-cutting issues are also presented. Those issues will be explored and discussed in more detail in the final report.

A Constrained Space Exploration Technology Program

A Constrained Space Exploration Technology Program
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 154
Release: 2009-01-29
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309125839

In January 2004, President George W. Bush announced the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE), which instructed NASA to "Extend human presence across the solar system, starting with a human return to the Moon by the year 2020, in preparation for human exploration of Mars and other destinations," among other objectives. As acknowledged in the VSE, significant technology development will be necessary to accomplish the goals it articulates. NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) is designed to support, develop, and ultimately provide the necessary technologies to meet the goals of the VSE. This book, a review of the ETDP, is broadly supportive of the intent and goals of the VSE, and finds the ETDP is making progress towards the stated goals of technology development. However, the ETDP is operating within significant constraints which limit its ability to successfully accomplish those goals-the still dynamic nature of the Constellation Program requirements, the constraints imposed by a limited budget, the aggressive time scale of early technology deliverables, and the desire to fully employ the NASA workforce.

Review and Assessment of Developmental Issues Concerning the Metal Parts Treater Design for the Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant

Review and Assessment of Developmental Issues Concerning the Metal Parts Treater Design for the Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 62
Release: 2008-04-26
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0309115159

The United States is in the process of destroying its chemical weapons stockpile. In 1996, Congress mandated that DOD demonstrate and select alternative methods to incineration at the Blue Grass and Pueblo sites. The Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (ACWA) program was setup to oversee the development of these methods, and pilot plants were established at both sites. One of the new technologies being developed at the Blue Grass pilot plant are metal parts treaters (MPTs) to be used for the empty metal munitions cases. During recent testing, some issues arose with the MPTs that caused the ACWA to request a review by the NRC to investigate and determine their causes. This book presents a discussion of the MPT system; an assessment of the MPT testing activities; an analysis of thermal testing, modeling, and predicted throughput of the MPT; and an examination of the applicability of munitions treatment units under development at Pueblo for the Blue Grass pilot plant.

The Competitive Edge

The Competitive Edge
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 185
Release: 1991-02-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0309047846

To maintain competitiveness in the emerging global economy, U.S. manufacturing must rise to new standards of product quality, responsiveness to customers, and process flexibility. This volume presents a concise and well-organized analysis of new research directions to achieve these goals. Five critical areas receive in-depth analysis of present practices, needed improvement, and research priorities: Advanced engineered materials that offer the prospect of better life-cycle performance and other gains. Equipment reliability and maintenance practices for better returns on capital investment. Rapid product realization techniques to speed delivery to the marketplace. Intelligent manufacturing control for improved reliability and greater precision. Building a workforce with the multidisciplinary skills needed for competitiveness. This sound and accessible analysis will be useful to manufacturing engineers and researchers, business executives, and economic and policy analysts.

Experiments in International Benchmarking of US Research Fields

Experiments in International Benchmarking of US Research Fields
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2000-02-28
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309172187

How can the federal government gauge the overall health of scientific researchâ€"as a whole and in its partsâ€"and determine whether national funding adequately supports national research objectives? It is feasible to monitor US performance with field-by-field peer assessments. This might be done through the establishment of independent panels consisting of researchers who work in a field, individuals who work in closely related fields, and research "users" who follow the field closely. Some of these individuals should be outstanding foreign scientists in the field being examined. This technique of comparative international assessments is also known as international benchmarking. Experiments in International Benchmarking of U.S. Research Fields evaluates the feasibility and utility of the benchmarking technique. In order to do this, the report internationally benchmarks three fields: mathematics, immunology, and materials science and engineering, then summarizes the results of these experiments.

Engineering Research and America's Future

Engineering Research and America's Future
Author: National Academy of Engineering
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 60
Release: 2005-11-06
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0309096421

Leadership in innovation is essential to U.S. prosperity and security. In a global, knowledge-driven economy, technological innovationâ€"the transformation of new knowledge into products, processes, and services of value to societyâ€"is critical to competitiveness, long-term productivity growth, and an improved quality of life. Preeminence in technological innovation depends on a wide array of factors, one of which is leadership in engineering research, education, and practice. A threedecade- long decline in the share of federal investment in research and development devoted to engineering and a perceived erosion of basic, long-term engineering research capability in U.S. industry and federal laboratories have raised serious questions about the long-term health of engineering research in the United States. This book illustrates the critical role of engineering research in maintaining U.S. technological leadership; documents major challenges and opportunities facing the U.S. engineering research enterprise; and offers specific recommendations for leaders in federal and state government, industry, and universities to help strengthen U.S. engineering research in the face of intensifying global competition.

The Future of U.S. Chemistry Research

The Future of U.S. Chemistry Research
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2007-07-08
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309105331

Chemistry plays a key role in conquering diseases, solving energy problems, addressing environmental problems, providing the discoveries that lead to new industries, and developing new materials and technologies for national defense and homeland security. However, the field is currently facing a crucial time of change and is struggling to position itself to meet the needs of the future as it expands beyond its traditional core toward areas related to biology, materials science, and nanotechnology. At the request of the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Research Council conducted an in-depth benchmarking analysis to gauge the current standing of the U.S. chemistry field in the world. The Future of U.S. Chemistry Research: Benchmarks and Challenges highlights the main findings of the benchmarking exercise.

Forces Shaping the U.S. Academic Engineering Research Enterprise

Forces Shaping the U.S. Academic Engineering Research Enterprise
Author: National Academy of Engineering
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 144
Release: 1995-08-12
Genre: Education
ISBN: 030905284X

The way in which academic engineering research is financed and public expectations for the outcomes from such research are changing at an unprecedented rate. The decrease in support of defense-related research, coupled with the realization that many U.S. technological products are no longer competitive in the global market, has sent a shock wave through research universities that train engineers. This book argues for several concrete actions on the part of universities, government, and industry to ensure the flow and relevance of technical talent to meet national social and economic goals, to maintain a position of leadership in the global economy, and to preserve and enhance the nation's engineering knowledge base.