The AAMC Oct. 22 submitted comments to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in response to a request for information on actions the federal government can take to promote the bioeconomy.
As defined by OSTP, the bioeconomy “represents the infrastructure, innovation, products, technology, and data derived from biologically-related processes and science that drive economic growth, promote health, and increase public benefit.”
In its letter, the AAMC stressed the importance of basic science in establishing the translational pipeline, and the need for continued federal support of this research as well as associated facilities and administrative costs. Diversifying PhD and MD-PhD training, and emphasizing skills in data science and cross-disciplinary research, will also be important in developing a future research workforce for the bioeconomy. Finally, the comments highlighted emerging policy considerations around increased mandates for data sharing, as well as the need for clear standards and data storage and management solutions.