In April 1997, the NSTC report of the multi-agency “Children' s Initiative” titled Investing in Our Future: A National Research Initiative for America' s Children for the 21st Century was published.  It assessed the current scope of research on child and adolescent development, identified significant gaps in the research agenda, and developed recommendations for needed efforts not only in the research area but also in linking research and policy development.

Status:

An interagency working group (IWG) has been established to act on the report' s recommendations.  To guide agencies' fiscal year 2001 budget preparations, the IWG will:
 

• Identify key research investment opportunities related to children and youth within the priority areas that emphasized multi-agency collaborations and research-policy linkages.
• Work with OSTP and OMB to develop a research strategy, including budgetary issues.
• Identify mechanisms to strengthen research-policy linkages among NSTC, DPC, Federal agencies, and state and local governments, as well as non-governmental organizations and other public and private sector parties at the national, regional, and community levels.

Involve the scientific community outside the government in the development and assessment of the research investment opportunities, partnerships, and research-policy linkages.