What are the three most important things the next U.S. president needs to do for science? To cut through the jargon and find an answer, we bring you the DISCOVER Science Policy Project, in which we give a group of the country’s most celebrated scientists and thinkers the chance to state their views. All past responses can be found here. BUZZ ALDRIN Astronaut
Commit to an expansion of federal funding for all U.S. federal scientific research (at least a 50 percent increase).
Elevate the president’s science adviser to report directly to the president (not the chief of staff) and make the Office of Science Technology Policy a cabinet rank, overseen by the science adviser. Commit to a long term and stable federally funded program of exploration of space including manned exploration and settlement of the solar system and robotic exploration of the universe.