The National Science Foundation (NSF) https://www.nsf.gov recently released the “NSF Strategic Plan for FY 2022-2026. The report emphasizes that the U.S. must invest in research that creates breakthrough technologies, powers new industries, and focuses on technologies.
New enabling technologies have enabled scientists to advance rapidly as new opportunities have opened up in research. For example, modern gene-editing techniques, coupled with greater understanding of molecular biological processes has opened up a whole new realm of synthetic biology where both molecular machines and novel organisms can be constructed.
The Strategic Plan mentions several areas which the U.S needs to further explore in the future. Biotechnology requires research in areas such as genomics, bioinformatics, structural and computational biology, biophysics, synthetic biology and tissue engineering, and the development of new types of biomaterials.
For example, investigations into bacterial adaptive immune systems led to the development of the CRISPR gene editing technique which in turn, is now spurring new basic research in functional genomics, how to advance innovation in healthcare, and how to develop innovative robotics and sensors.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) potential uses include developing robot assistants for the home-bound, diagnostic systems to aid physicians, and how to analyze large data streams and new tools.
Today, there is an unprecedented availability of data which leads to the need to develop and analyze very large quantities of data. AI and quantum information systems are developing new tools to extract insights from data.
However, new questions arise on how to ensure that very complex tools used to analyze data about people operates in a way that is fair and free from bias. For example, to what extent will it be possible to project behavior from the analysis of data and how should such projections be used.
Importantly, advancements in knowledge and innovation related to wireless technology and networks needs to ensure security for all users. This is extremely critical especially now and will be needed even more as the 21st century moves forward.
Lastly, The future in the 21st century for advanced manufacturing may enable breakthroughs in materials, technologies, and systems. This could build and contribute to even more developments in biotechnology, synthetic biology, sustainability, AI, robotics, sensing technologies, data science, and computational modeling.
Go to https://nsf.gov/pubs/2022/nsf22068/nsf22068.pdf for NSF’s Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2022-2026.