Following the resignation of Eric Lander, President Biden this week announced the selection of White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Deputy Director for Science and Society Alondra Nelson to perform the duties of Director until permanent leadership is nominated and confirmed. Nelson will also serve as Deputy Assistant to the President.
Additionally, former National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins will perform the duties of Science Advisor to the President and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
In making the selections, the White House said that the President “has doubled down on science” and that the appointments are responsive in part to “a strong OSTP that can drive science and technology solutions to our greatest challenges.”
In remarks following her appointment, Nelson noted OSTP’s mission to “maximize the benefits of science and technology to advance health, prosperity, security, environmental quality, and justice for all Americans — and to realize the vision of the Biden-Harris Administration,” and made commitments to OSTP staff; President Biden and his goals, including planet preservation, mapping the path to net-zero emissions, and remaining a global leader in science and technology; and the potential for science and technology to improve people’s lives.
