Social Science Research Council

The American scientific enterprise is undergoing a momentous transformation. This transformation is manifest, for example, in the rise of pervasive claims to intellectual property rights and the pursuit of income from licensing; in the proliferation of new institutions, such as free standing quasi-academic research centers; and, in the reorganization of traditional scientific fields and practices. These as well as other associated changes have implications for the immediate conduct of research, and also for the long-term character of science. Ripple effects are evident in the professional practices and career paths of scientists; the financial strategies and fiscal arrangements of universities; the problem choices and research priorities of science sponsors and practitioners; and, the accessibility and availability of results to other scientists, potential users of scientific knowledge, and the public. The Science Program supports new cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches; enhance capacity; and raise the academic, public, and political profile of factors affecting the future of the scientific enterprise.