U.S. Government Funding of Cooperative Research and Development in North America

Since 1993, U.S. government agencies have spent, on average, more than $100 million a year on research and development projects involving the participation of researchers from Canada and/or Mexico. These activities have been focused primarily on environmental, agricultural, and earth sciences, as well as biomedical and genetic research. The U.S. government's R & D relationship with these two countries, while having common scientific interests, differs in character: The R & D relationship with Canada has the quality of a partnership between equals. In contrast, the relationship with Mexico, while sound and growing, is not an equal exchange, being more formal and having more one-way transfer of information and assistance. Moreover, while the U.S. has an active cooperative relationship with Canada in both defense and space R & D (the areas where the U.S. spends the majority of its research funds), there is little of this type of activity with Mexico. A three-way science and technology foundation or commission could provide support to enhanced cooperation.