Dr. Rita R. Colwell
Director
National Science Foundation
Balancing National Security and Open "Scientific Communication:
Implications of September 11th for the Research University"
Session: Defining Needed New Areas of Study and Research
National Academy of Sciences
December 14, 2001
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[Title slide]
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This meeting provides a very timely discussion for
this is a time of choice. Dwight Eisenhower said,
"The history of free men [ and women ] is never really
written by chance but by choice--their choice."
Just over three months ago, many of us would not have
chosen to address bioterrorism, yet we realize from
the speakers before me that these new circumstances
can present fresh choices, in many cases opportunities,
for science and engineering.
"Nine-eleven" has heralded one of the most difficult
periods in our country's history now and for the foreseeable
future. It bears reminding ourselves that the investments
we have made in fundamental science and engineering
over many decades, the broad, national expertise we
enjoy, comprise an immense resource for the country.
Within only a few days after September 11, the National
Science Foundation issued a number of grants, ranging
from studies of structural failure at the World Trade
Center site, to research on social responses to the
attacks. I would like to show a brief video of the
WTC site that illustrates one immediate search and
rescue effort. Let's watch the video.
[Image from
video; video not available]
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[NEES earthquake
network with inset photos]
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Technologies developed for natural disasters can also
be used to mitigate disasters of malicious origin.
Our National Network of Earthquake Engineering (NEES)--we
see the network here--will enhance earthquake-engineering
research and include a high-speed Internet grid to
link the facilities.
Researchers will share and remotely operate equipment
at more than twenty facilities, from shake tables
and a tsunami wave basin to field stations. The research
paradigm shifts from the current reliance on physical
testing to integrated experimentation and simulation.
Just this week, researchers involved in earthquake
engineering and social scientists supported by NSF
met in New York City to discuss "learning from urban
disasters." They are also meeting with New York City
officials to explore opportunities for future research.
Engineers are analyzing whether earthquake-engineering
methods can explain the types of damage to buildings
at Ground Zero. Others are looking at how the underground
infrastructure is reacting to this extreme event.
What we learn could help us increase the resilience
of urban utility and transportation networks.
[Earthscope]
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Engineering is one side of the coin; understanding
our earth's dynamics is the other. We have been discussing
a project called "EarthScope," a partnership throughout
the earth science community and beyond.
This array of seismic instruments will ultimately help
us to predict and mitigate natural hazards such as
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides.
One part of the project would thoroughly instrument
the San Andreas Fault for monitoring over time. Another
would construct a transportable array of 400 seismic
instruments designed to gradually roll across the
entire country over a decade, stopping at key sites
from one-to-two years.
[Arabidopsis]
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We move to new discoveries and new needs in biology.
Exactly a year ago yesterday, we announced the first
completed sequence of a plant genome.
Arabidopsis, which we see here, is the equivalent of
the laboratory mouse. It is a key to learning how
all sorts of living organisms behave genetically,
with widespread potential for agriculture, medicine
and energy, and--of course--many homeland security
concerns.
I should note that this plant's genome is entirely
in the public domain. Our "2010 Project" seeks to
determine the function of 25,000 Arabidopsis genes
over the next decade.
[agrobacterium]
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More in the genomics realm: Here we see the plant pathogen
Agrobacterium tumefaciens, whose sequencing was announced
yesterday and is featured on the cover of the December
14 issue of Science magazine.
Agrobacterium is a natural genetic engineer that transfers
genes into plant cells. The genes induce plants to
produce compounds useful to the bacteria.
The organism is used to create transgenic plants in
universities and industry. In fact, the public and
private sectors cooperated in its sequencing.
[plant pathogens
collage]
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Fundamental research on the interactions between plants
and microorganisms has broad implications for national
security.
Here we see some plant pathogens that have wreaked
havoc with crops in the past.
Among them are citrus canker, which required burning
of citrus trees in the 1980s; aflatoxin in grain,
which can cause human illness; and Karnal bunt, the
wheat disease that has led 78 nations to restrict
import of U.S. wheat.
Genome sequencing and other fundamental research will
help us find new ways to fight plant pathogens. This
will improve the security of agriculture, energy,
and manufacturing. Providing food safety is another
issue.
[NEON]
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Within the context of long-term environmental observation,
NSF has been discussing a network called "NEON," shown
here very schematically.
This is the planned National Ecological Observatory
Network--an array of sites across the country furnished
with cutting-edge sensor technologies. The graphic
does not mean to suggest specific sites, but to give
a sense of the overall scope of the network.
[Instrumenting
the environment]
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Here's an imaginative concept of a NEON site fully
instrumented (with apologies to Rousseau). We can
see that such a site will be capable of measuring
dozens of variables in organisms and their physical
surroundings. I actually think of this as a biological
"early warning system."
All the sites would be linked by high-capacity computer
lines, and the entire system would track environmental
change from the molecular to the global scales.
We can imagine how a network such as NEON could also
serve to monitor various locations for disruptions
by bioterrorism.
[NEON network
overlaying PACI]
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I have paired the proposed NEON network with the already
existing supercomputer network supported by NSF. Again,
the idea is to convey how the two systems would interact,
rather than depict specific NEON sites.
We can see how the system for gathering data on our
environment will mesh naturally with our computing
infrastructure, giving us state of the art information
on an array of parameters--from DNA detection to flora
and fauna--right at hand, across the nation. The network
becomes multidisciplinary and multidimensional.
[sensors]
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Networks such as NEON require state-of-the-art sensors
of every stripe. Here's an example--a sensor with
nanoparticles made of gold, which can be used to detect
DNA of anthrax and other biological warfare agents.
When the particles assemble on a sensor surface in
the presence of a complementary DNA strand, they change
color from red to blue--signaling the presence of
a DNA target.
More broadly, NSF is conducting a workshop next month
on state-of-the-art sensors for both biological and
chemical species. A prime goal will be to identify
projects that are ready for the product development
stage.
[computer
security threats: graph]
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My final thematic area is cyber-security, an issue
of many dimensions. Here we see the growth in attacks
on commercial computers. We need to keep in mind the
estimate that no more than 10% of all attacks are
detected.
NSF actually issued a "Trusted Computing" program announcement
on September 6, 2001. We now know how prescient that
was. But a great deal more is needed.
[array of
facial types]
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Another example--we see a set of "standard" human faces
used to extract patterns. The faces are used in biometrics,
with wide application in computer security.
Another prime area of information technology security
is the workforce. There are few researchers in computer
and communications security based in universities.
One survey of 23 large U.S. institutions found that
only 20 PhDs were awarded in computer security in
the past three years. Computer security has generally
been treated as an afterthought, and research is urgently
needed into rethinking security for computing and
communications from the ground up.
[NSF logo]
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I will conclude now by saying that there are many choices,
really many complementary opportunities--across the
disciplines. To echo Eisenhower, we can choose to
make these investments instead of letting chance carry
us along. Thank you.
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