policy, statements · Mar 23, 2021

AIBS Letter of Support for the Confirmation of Dr. Eric Lander as OSTP Director

The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Senate Majority Leader
322 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Maria Cantwell
Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
511 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Senate Minority Leader
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Roger Wicker
Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
555 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Re: Letter of Support for the Confirmation of Dr. Eric Lander as OSTP Director

Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Chairwoman Cantwell, and Ranking Member Wicker:

I am writing on behalf of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) to express support for the confirmation of Dr. Eric Lander to the position of Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and presidential science adviser. We also applaud President Biden’s unprecedented decision to elevate the role of science in the federal government by designating the presidential science advisor as a cabinet-level position.

The American Institute of Biological Sciences is a non-profit scientific organization that promotes informed decision-making that advances the biological sciences for the benefit of science and society. Our members include professional societies, research centers, natural history museums, and other scientific and educational organizations representing the breadth of the biological sciences.

President Biden faces a wide range of public health, economic, and environmental challenges. Dealing with a deadly pandemic, tackling climate change, addressing the biodiversity crisis, ensuring economic security, reckoning with the nation’s history of racial and gender inequity, and responding to natural disasters—each challenge requires policy decisions informed by sound scientific and technological expertise.

Dr. Lander—a world-renowned geneticist, molecular biologist, and mathematician—was one of the principal leaders of the Human Genome Project. His work has made far-reaching scientific contributions to the field of human genetics. Dr. Lander’s background and experiences demonstrate his dedication to scientific discovery and his leadership in the scientific community. We wholeheartedly support his nomination to lead the OSTP and urge you to rapidly undertake the process for his confirmation. A swift confirmation will allow the OSTP Director to quickly begin the critical work of coordinating interagency science and technology policy efforts to address major domestic and international challenges.

Thank you for your consideration and for your efforts to ensure that we have a strong scientific leader at the OSTP.

Sincerely,

Scott Glisson
CEO