This document is part of a Bridgespan Group research project that focused on the question: "How could a philanthropist make the biggest improvement on social mobility with an investment of $1 billion?" In answering this question, the authors have sought to understand "what matters most" for improving social mobility outcomes.…

At the beginning of December 2014, Canada's Prime Minister and Minister of State (Science and Technology) released their science, technology and innovation strategy and launched the Canada First Excellence Research Fund (CFERF). This brief looks at the implications of the proposed policy on academic research and on research and development…

In fiscal year 2007, the majority of the Department of Defense's (DOD) basic research obligations were provided to higher education institutions. DOD reimburses these institutions for both direct and indirect costs for research. Two federal agencies, DOD and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), negotiate indirect cost rates used to…

Public funding for biomedical research is often justified as a means to encourage development of more (and better) treatments for disease. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between these expenditures and downstream pharmaceutical innovation. In particular, although recent analyses have shown a clear contribution of federally…

The federal government's role in PreK-12 education has long been contentious and continues to evolve. Many have written about education governance, but few have attempted to define an appropriate role for the federal government. That is the core purpose of this essay. The authors articulate a set of principles to guide the federal role in…

The federal government pays for a wide range of goods and services that are expected to be useful some years in the future. Those purchases, called investment, fall into three categories: physical capital, research and development (R&D), and education and training. There are several economic rationales for federal investment. It can provide…

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders represent the fastest growing demographic in the country today. The federal government has responded to this 21st century reality by creating the Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) federal program. This program is a competitive grant process for institutions with…

In 2005, West Virginia science and education leaders developed a strategic plan entitled: "Vision 2015: The West Virginia Science and Technology Strategic Plan." The plan is comprised of five (5) target areas for infrastructure development, with 14 goals for action by designated leaders from higher education, state government, and…

For many Americans, the confluence of a recession and a growing realization that the nation needs to end its reliance on fossil fuels seems like a double dose of bad news. But for the nation's research universities, it may be an opportunity. A Brookings Institution, a policy-study group with ties to the Democratic leaders now controlling the White…

Despite constraints on federal resources and authority in education policy, the federal government has a pivotal role to play in identifying a compelling, high-impact focal point that aligns policy priorities at the federal, state, and local levels. The federal government could play a critical role in expanding students' access to excellent…

Research universities, both public and private alike, are the leading producers of science and engineering (S&E) bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. They are contributors to economic development at the local, state, and national levels, performing over half of the Nation's total basic research in 2009, and they educate and train our…

This paper evaluates the performance of national higher education systems in 48 countries as measured with 20 variables grouped under the four headings of Resources, Environment, Connectivity and Output. Rankings within each module are then combined into an overall ranking that is topped by the United States followed by Sweden, Canada, Finland and…

Federal sponsorship of collaboration between academic institutions and industry is on the rise. Many government programs emphasize cooperation between universities and the commercial sector as a means to merge basic and applied research, promote economic development, and enhance knowledge dissemination. The intersection between academia and…

The "CAUT Almanac of Post-Secondary Education in Canada" is a source for the most current statistical information available on post-secondary education in Canada. The Almanac provides statistics on the following: (1) finance; (2) academic staff; (3) students; (4) universities and colleges; (5) research and development; (6) libraries; (7)…

Innovation inducement prizes have been used for centuries. In the United States, a recent federal policy change--the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010--clarified and simplified a path by which all federal agencies can offer innovation inducement prizes, thus intensifying interest in how government agencies can most effectively design…