Science and national security
Patricia Falcone, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The quality, scope, and impact of U.S. science and technology is admired the world over. International scientific collaborations highlight key values including evidence, peer review, transparency, teamwork, and dialog. Scientific leadership and technological prowess are also elements of national power and national security for the U.S. and for other nations. Today, roughly half of U.S. government funded research and development is carried out in support of national security missions. Such research is supported to enable the government to make informed assessments, to develop and deploy defensive technology and systems, and to undergird effective offensive systems. A perspective on effective approaches for reaping national security benefits from open science, discovery, applied research, and innovation will be offered with examples from some current dual use domains.
About Patricia Falcone
Patricia Falcone is the Deputy Director for Science and Technology at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California. She is the principal advocate for the Laboratory’s science and technology base and oversees the strategic development of the Lab’s capabilities. She is responsible for the Lab’s collaborative research with academia and the private sector, as well as its internal investment portfolio. Falcone joined LLNL in 2015 after six years at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), including serving as the presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed associate director of OSTP for National Security and International Affairs. In that capacity, she led a team that advised on the science and technology dimensions of national security policy deliberations and on federal support of national security research and development.
Audience: Public

