Bureaucratic hurdles to the entry of foreign scientists are seriously hampering US science, according to the presidents of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM). In a joint statement issued on December 13, the three National Academies officials said that strict new visa policies are preventing US and foreign researchers from meeting and engaging in the free flow of ideas so crucial to science.
The statement's authors warned, "The evidence we have collected from the US scientific community reveals that ongoing research collaborations have been hampered; that outstanding young scientists, engineers, and health researchers have been prevented from or delayed in entering this country; that important international conferences have been canceled or negatively impacted; and that such conferences will be moved out of the United States in the future if the situation is not corrected. Prompt action is needed."
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