New Presidential Science Adviser Will Face Complex Issues

Abstract

It's transition time again in that ill-perceived, self-enclosed but important world of science policy in Washington, D.C. A new science adviser has been nominated by President Reagan—William R. Graham, currently deputy administrator of the National Aeronautics & Space Administration. He will face issues that have never been hotter or more complex. They include such areas as the futures of nuclear energy, the space program, university research, scientific manpower, the continuing technological competition from Japan, and the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy itself. Mostly, however, he will have to face the crisis over the health of the country's scientific enterprise. For his part, Graham isn't talking with the press until he's confirmed. So without the benefit of his comments, this article takes a look at Graham's past, what he will face, and whether he will have the power to make any difference. NEWS ANALYSIS William R. Graham is truly the most unknown of ...