PCAST News Archive

Undergraduate STEM Education Report Released

On Tuesday, February 7, 2012, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released its report entitled “Engage to Excel: Producing One Million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.”  This report provides a strategy for improving STEM education during the first two years of college that we believe is responsive to both the challenges and the opportunities that this crucial stage in the STEM education pathway presents.

PCAST Meeting

The last PCAST meeting was January 6, 2012.

PCAST Conference Call on STEM Education Report

On Monday, December 12, 2011, PCAST held a conference call is to discuss its report on undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

September PCAST Meeting

The last PCAST meeting was September 16. Click here for more info.

PCAST Report on the Intersection of the Nation’s Ecosystems and the Economy

July 22, 2011 -- Today, PCAST released its latest report to the public, “Sustaining Environmental Capital: Protecting Society and the Economy.”

Advanced Manufacturing Report Released

President Obama Fills Vacancy on PCAST

June 7, 2011 - President Obama Fills Vacancy on his Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (pdf)

Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Event

PCAST NITRD Report

On December 16, 2010, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released and discussed its report entitled “Designing a Digital Future: Federally Funded Research and Development in Networking and Information Technology.” This congressionally-mandated report assesses the status and direction of the Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program.

Health Information Technology Report

PCAST Health IT Report

On December 8, PCAST released a report entitled “Realizing the Full Potential of Health Information Technology to Improve Healthcare for Americans: The Path Forward.”

Energy Technologies Report

On November 29, PCAST released a “Report to the President on Accelerating the Pace of Change in Energy Technologies Through an Integrated Federal Energy Policy.”

PCAST STEM Ed Report

On September 15, PCAST released a plan for improvements in K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education.

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PCAST Flu Vaccine Report

On August 19, PCAST released a "Report to the President on Reengineering the Influenza Vaccine Production Enterprise to Meet the Challenges of Pandemic Influenza."

President Signs PCAST Executive Order

Close watchers of all things PCAST may have noticed—and wondered about—the Executive Order signed by the President and released by the White House on April 21 entitled “President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.”

The new Executive Order (EO) is an administrative action necessitated by the fact that PCASTs are entities created by EOs (most recently in 2001) and not by Congress. That means that any Administration seeking to modify a PCAST to meet its needs must do so by issuing a new EO. The new EO signed by President Obama codifies some small changes compared to the last Administration’s PCAST, most of them already implemented. Specifically, the current PCAST has three co-chairs instead of two and 21 members instead of 45. The new EO also renamed the President’s Innovation and Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) instead of the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee. The President also reasserts PCAST’s responsibility for performing an assessment of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) and charges PCAST’s newly renamed PITAC with performing the review of the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) program. PCAST has already performed its assessment of the NNI program (released in March) and is beginning an assessment of the NITRD program.