Summary

To clear a path for the innovations that will fuel our nation’s economic recovery, the Biden-Harris Administration should streamline the patent application process by improving the correspondence between patent claims and the specification, supporting search clarity, and ensuring concise specifications. Not only would this reduce the time lost to bureaucratic paperwork, but these efforts would also give innovators a more efficient road to acquire patents. In turn, applicants, examiners, and the public at large would benefit from the new industries and innovations to come.

Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts on communities across the country. Tens of millions of people lost jobs and millions of school children have fallen behind. To help people recover from the effects of the pandemic, the next administration should invest in proven solutions by working with Congress to embed evaluation and evidence-building into economic stimulus legislation, strengthening the foundation for an equitable and efficient recovery.

The new administration and Congress should ensure that any forthcoming economic stimulus legislation include provisions requiring commitments to build new evidence and utilize existing evidence. Specifically, the administration should establish a task force coordinated by the National Economic Council to:

1. Work with agencies and Congress to set aside a portion of recovery resources (up to 1%) for evaluation and evidence-building, based in part on agency learning agendas created in response to the Evidence Act.
2. Create a National Economic Mobility Innovation Fund at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
3. Empower the Office of Evaluation Services (OES) within the General Services Administration (GSA) to help agencies develop evaluation and evidence-building capacity.
4. Create Excellence in What Works in Economic Mobility Awards.

These strategies, which we are collectively calling a “Stimulus Evaluation Act,” should be integrated into current and future economic recovery efforts.

Summary

Optimizing the dosing of many expensive drugs can drastically reduce both costs and toxicities. The Federal Government, state governments, employers, and individual patients could collectively save tens of billions of dollars each year by simply optimizing the dosing of the most expensive prescription drugs on the market, particularly in oncology. Optimized dosing can also improve health outcomes. The next administration should, therefore, launch an effort to control the cost of prescription drugs through an evidence-based approach to optimizing drug dosing and improving outcomes. The requisite trials pay for themselves in immediate cost savings.

Summary

The Biden-Harris Administration should launch a national initiative to bring together academic and industry researchers and practitioners in a public-private partnership (PPP) to advance, at scale, the research foundations of artificial intelligence (AI) and its application in areas of economic advantage and national need. The National Public-Private Partnership in AI (NPPP-AI) Initiative would initially create 10 coordinated national AI R&D Institutes, each with 10-year lifetimes and jointly funded by industry partners and the U.S. government through its research agencies at $10M/year each (10x10x10).

NPPP-AI would accelerate future breakthroughs in AI foundations, enable a virtuous cycle between foundational and use-inspired research that would rapidly transition into practice innovations that contribute to U.S. economic and national security, as well as grow education and workforce capacity by linking university faculty and students with industry professionals, settings, and jobs.

Summary

As the United States continues to grapple with unprecedented economic, health, and social justice crises that have had a devastating and disproportionate effect on the very communities that have long struggled most, the next administration must act quickly to ensure equitable recovery. Improving economic mobility and increasing equity in communities furthest from opportunity is more urgent than ever.

The next administration must work with Congress to quickly enact a new round of recovery or stimulus legislation. State and local governments, school systems, and small businesses continue to struggle to respond to COVID-19 and the economic and learning losses that have accompanied the resulting closures. But federal resources are not unlimited and there is little time to spare – communities need positive results quickly. It is imperative, furthermore that the administration ensures that the dollars it distributes are used effectively and equitably. The best way to do so is to use existing evidence and data — about what works, for whom. and under what circumstances — to drive recovery investments.

Fortunately, the federal government has access to unprecedented evidence and data tools that can increase the speed and effectiveness of these urgent recovery and equity-building efforts. And where evidence or data do not exist, this unique moment affords an opportunity to build evidence about what does work to help communities recover and rebuild.

Thus, one of the first priorities of the next administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should be helping agencies develop their capacity to use existing evidence and data and to build evidence where it is lacking in order to advance economic mobility across the country. OMB should also support federal agency efforts to assist state and local governments to build and use local evidence that can accelerate economic growth and help communities recover from the current crises.

Specifically, OMB should issue guidance directing federal agencies to: 1) define and prioritize evidence of effectiveness in their grant programs to help identify what works, for whom, and under what circumstances to advance economic mobility post-COVID; 2) set aside 1% of discretionary funding for evidence building, including evaluations, technical assistance and capacity building; 3) support state and local governments in using recovery funding to build their own data, evidence-building and evaluation capacity to help their communities rebuild; and 4) require that findings from 2021 evidence-building activities be incorporated into strategic plans due in 2022.

Summary

Open-source investigations and public interest research using platform data (e.g., Facebook, YouTube) have enabled the collection of evidence of human rights atrocities, identified the role of foreign adversaries in manipulating public opinion before elections, and uncovered the prevalence and reach of terrorist radicalization and recruitment tactics. Nascent data privacy legislation such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act have placed increased pressure on platforms to restrict third party access to data. In an overly cautious interpretation of these laws, platforms are increasingly restricting third-party access to the data they collect. In doing so, platforms shield themselves from public scrutiny and accountability.

To support transparency and accountability of platforms, the next administration should work with Congress to ensure that any new data privacy legislation proposed at the federal level does not inadvertently block the ability of third parties to gain access to platform data for open-source investigations and public interest research. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy should take the lead by convening a workshop among key actors to make progress on these goals. Out of the workshop, a federal working group should be formed to develop principles and operational guides to support ethical third-party access to platform data, including the formation of technical standards to ensure data privacy and security.

Summary

Modern civil rights challenges are technically complex. Today, decisions made by algorithms, rather than people, limit opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups in critical areas like housing, employment, and credit. The next administration should establish a broad, new task force, led by the U.S. Chief Technology Officer (CTO), to address issues at the intersection of civil rights and emerging technologies. The task force should encourage federal agencies to prioritize regulatory and enforcement activities where tech and civil rights overlap, and to increase temporary exchanges of staff between agencies to facilitate cross-pollination of civil rights and tech expertise. The Administration should also prioritize appointment of key agency personnel who are committed to addressing tech/civil rights challenges.

Summary

Labor shortages persist in the United States in a variety of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. To address these shortages, the next administration should establish a national, federally funded initiative involving the public and private sectors to develop a more robust and diverse pipeline of STEM talent. The Next Generation of STEM Talent Through K–12 Research Programming Initiative will remove significant barriers to participation in STEM careers through enhanced K–12 STEM programs such as science fairs and robotics competitions, as well as through strengthened federal support for teacher training to actively engage K–12 students in STEM research.

Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the world. In the same year, record fires, hurricanes, and weather wreaked havoc on the United States. These disasters have had devastating economic effects on American lives. To combat COVID-19, foster economic recovery, and address climate change, the United States should implement a National Bioeconomy Manufacturing and Innovation Initiative. The U.S. bioeconomy is composed of healthcare, agriculture, and life-science companies and contributes an estimated 2% of the U.S. GDP. This figure is expected to rise in the coming decade. The bioeconomy also contributes to addressing climate change by reducing U.S. dependence on petroleum-based products and creates American jobs through a growing biomanufacturing sector. Biomanufacturing is the production of products via biological and biosynthetic mechanisms, such as fermentation-based production of industrial ethanol. To fully realize the potential of the bioeconomy, the United States must invest in cross-cutting research and development (R&D) across the areas of healthcare, food & agriculture, energy, environment, and industrial applications. The pillars of this “National Bioeconomy Manufacturing and Innovation Initiative” should focus on (1) cutting-edge R&D, (2) development of fundamental and publicly available tools, and (3) biomanufacturing. The initiative should be coordinated out of the Executive Office of the President via a National Bioeconomy Coordination Office. The initiative should be supported by senior leadership positions at each federal agency with equities in the U.S. bioeconomy, as well as by appropriated funding.

The next administration should create a “Digital Corps” — a two-year early-career fellowship designed for the country’s top young technology talent to serve in the Federal Government. Such a program could compete for college graduates in technical fields and for other early- career technical professionals, potentially recruiting thousands per year. In an increasingly digital age, a transition accelerated by the COVID pandemic, a Digital Corps would improve government service delivery in critical areas, rebuilding trust in government, and create a broad talent funnel for the Federal Government to build the diverse, inclusive, and digital native workforce it needs in the 21st century.

Challenge and Opportunity

The Federal Government faces a massive talent problem, especially in technology. Approximately one-fifth of the federal IT workforce is under 40 years old, and in the Department of Veterans Affairs, in particular, less than 1% of the 8,000 IT workers are under 30 years old, while almost 17% are over 60 years old.¹ As in other industries, software and technology are changing government for the better—if we can keep up. If a new generation of IT professionals is offered a chance to serve in meaningful roles, they can help us refashion a simpler and better government.

Technology talent is core to ensuring that government can better meet the needs of its constituents. Whether it has involved modernizing Medicare, improving access to VA services, or responding to the pandemic, the U.S. Digital Service, the General Services Administration’s 18F, and the Presidential Innovation Fellows have already demonstrated that design and technology are key to delivering better services to the American people.

There are approximately 65,000 computer science and 331,000 STEM college graduates each year.² However, there is a gap in existing programs to hire early-career technologists. The Federal Government has created well-regarded programs for technology talent to serve, but none have focused on young technologists.

Generation Z wants to serve. Successful service programs—Teach For America, AmeriCorps, and others—demonstrate that college graduates are eager to contribute to public service. Technically-skilled college graduates, with many career options, are similarly interested in public service. The non-profit Coding it Forward runs the Civic Digital Fellowship, a cohort-based internship in federal agencies for college-aged technologists; in less than five years, they have placed over 200 young technologists from across the United States at eleven federal agencies, selected from over 3,000 applicants (with an acceptance rate under 10%). Recruiting even a small subset of computer science and STEM graduates for the Digital Corps could be extremely important for the Federal Government’s long-term IT workforce; in Coding it Forward’s summer 2020 cohort, over 34% of students stayed on with their agencies at the end of their fellowship, in either a full-time or part-time capacity, demonstrating the value of early-career opportunities. Federal agencies’ experiences with the Civic Digital Fellowship have shown that junior-level technology talent, when paired with mentors and staffed on high-potential projects, is capable of making a substantial, immediate impact in government.

Plan of Action

A Digital Corps would generate a diverse talent infusion of highly-skilled college graduates and other early-career technologists in the Federal Government, matching them with high-stakes work impacting government service delivery—including in information technology, cybersecurity, product management, design, program management, and acquisition. The fellowship would be designed to give Digital Corps Fellows a cross-agency cohort experience, senior federal mentorship, modern skills development, and the ability to rotate at least once in their fellowship. Digital Corps Fellows would also qualify for substantial federal loan forgiveness. Fellows would be placed across several agencies, rotating among placements and agencies to gain experience and broaden their skill set. After two years of high-intensity service, fellows would be able to compete for accelerated entry into conventional federal service and would be well-prepared for professional jobs or graduate school. Whether remaining in government or pursuing other opportunities, Digital Corps alumni will build the brand for federal service among early-career technologists and will serve as critical allies and advocates for the work of the Federal Government.

A small group of White House senior staff members—for example, Office of Management and Budget’s Deputy Director of Management, U.S. Chief Information Officer, U.S. Digital Service Administrator, and U.S. Chief Technology Officer—would serve as executive sponsors and champions.

The next administration should begin exploring the formation of a program office with dedicated staff, at the General Services Administration (GSA), where the Presidential Innovation Fellows program is housed, or the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), where the Presidential Management Fellows program is housed. Over the next 12 months, the goals of the program office would be three-fold:

1. Develop the core components of the fellowship. This would include:

• Recruiting a core set of agency partners focused on critical Presidential priorities;
• Developing a centralized onboarding and training program;

• Designing high-impact project placements, with mentorship and a focus on cross- cutting skillsets that Fellows would work to gain (e.g., information technology, cybersecurity, product management, design, etc.);
• Ensuring the opportunity to rotate amongst agencies and across types of work at least once during the fellowship;
• Building a strong recruiting, selection, and corps experience program; and
• Working with OPM to ensure the ability of the Fellows afterward to stay in government if they wish.

2. Launch a recruiting funnel for the first cohort of Fellows to start in Fall 2021. Focus on building a pipeline of exceptional candidates by:

• Identifying referral partners that can recommend strong candidates; and
• Developing a marketing strategy that showcases the high expectations and selectivity of the program, brand and community, mission-orientation and live examples of high- potential projects, commitment to diversity and inclusion, access to modern tools,and ongoing professional development.

3. Build a path for the program to grow. If the first set of placements (e.g., 20-50 fellows) show strong reviews, design a scaling strategy that includes:

• Incorporating the program’s core budget into 2022 budget planning, and
• Identifying core agency customers for the program who are willing to set asidededicated funds for Fellows.

Top students have many options, but many want to serve. Important criteria to attract the next generation of technology talent to government include:

• Prestige: Attract high-quality early career talent with a selective program with high expectations and with White House affiliation.
• Cohort model: Build community (dedicated meet-ups, regular co-working, speaker series, etc.), which would provide a strong two-year experience and build a brand for the Digital Corps.
• Mission-orientation: Promote strong messaging around contributing to the public good, showcasing both accessible and exciting missions, demonstrating to candidates that they can have a chance to make a real impact on that mission.
• Diversity and inclusion: Show candidates that government cares about attracting, retaining, and promoting a diverse workforce.
• Modern environment and tools: Ensure that employees have a modern physical work environment and provide modern computers and modern technology tools.
• Professional development: Provide coordinated mentorship with senior officials and continuous personalized skills-based training.
• Visible alumni: Demonstrate to fellows that they can be successful in their career after leaving government and create a vibrant alumni network.

Conclusion

Given the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy, systemic racism, and climate change, we need the most talented young people to serve in government. Talented law school graduates’ clerk for federal judges for a year or two before embarking on the rest of their careers; we should provide a pathway for talented technologists to similarly serve in the Federal Government.

A Digital Corps will also help taxpayers. Digital Corps Fellows would be less expensive, comparatively, than retiring federal IT employees. Moreover, as other federal digital programs like U.S. Digital Service and Presidential Innovation Fellows have shown, high-impact technologists help the government to be more effective and efficient, ultimately generating a strong return on investment.

Summary

Over 23 million homes in America have significant lead paint hazards and more than 200,000 children have unsafe levels of lead in their blood. Lead poisoning causes significant decreases in math and reading scores and a host of other health problems, all of which are preventable.

The urgent need for homes that support good health has never been clearer: the COVID-19 pandemic has meant more time in our residences, bringing healthy housing to the fore as a national priority. Inadequate housing conditions—such as exposure to lead paint, radon, mold and moisture, pest infestations, structural instability, and fire hazards—cause or exacerbate asthma, allergies, poisonings, falls and injuries, cancer, cardiovascular problems and other preventable illnesses. They needlessly burden our hospitals, schools, communities, and housing finance institutions, exacerbating the housing affordability crisis. Sustainable healthy housing is essential to economic vitality, climate change mitigation, and children’s futures.

This Executive Order establishes a cabinet-level Presidential Task Force on Lead Poisoning Prevention and Healthy Housing to coordinate the nation’s response to lead paint and other housing-related diseases and injuries under the Biden administration. Led by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, this Task Force will recommend new strategies, regulations, incentives and other actions that promise to conquer these avoidable problems. With strategic leadership and concerted action, the Task Force can eliminate childhood lead poisoning as a major public health problem and ensure that all American families have healthy homes.

Summary

Young people today face surveillance unlike any previous generation, at home, at school, and everywhere in between. Constant use of technology while their brains are still developing makes them uniquely vulnerable to privacy harms, including identity theft, cyberbullying, physical risks, algorithmic labeling, and hyper-commercialism. A lack of privacy can ultimately lead children to self-censor and can limit their opportunities. Already-vulnerable populations—who have fewer resources, less digital literacy, or are non-native English speakers—are most at risk.

Congress and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have repeatedly considered efforts to better protect children’s privacy, but the next administration must ensure that this is a priority that is actually acted upon by supporting strong privacy laws and providing additional resources and authority to the FTC and support to the Department of Education (ED). The Biden-Harris administration should also establish a task force to explore how to best support and protect students. And the FTC should use its current authority to increase its understanding of the children’s technology market and robustly enforce a strong Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rule.