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CONCLUSION
Rapidly changing infrastructure technology has simultaneously created
a challenge and an opportunity for the U.S. S&E enterprise.
The challenge is how to maintain and revitalize an academic research
infrastructure that has eroded over many years due to obsolescence
and chronic underinvestment. The opportunity is to build a new infrastructure
that will create future research frontiers and enable a much broader
segment of the S&E community. The challenge and opportunity
must be addressed by an integrated strategy. As current infrastructure
is replaced and upgraded, the next-generation infrastructure must
be created. The young people who are trained using state-of-the-art
instruments and facilities are the ones who will demand and create
the new tools and make the breakthroughs that will extend the science
and technology envelope. Training these young people will ensure
that the U.S. maintains international leadership in the key scientific
and engineering fields that are vital for a strong economy, social
order, and national security.
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