President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology

OSTP’s external advisory committee is called the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) established through Executive Order 13226. The PCAST was originally established by President George H.W. Bush, and was reestablished in the Clinton and George W. Bush Administrations. The executive order indicates that PCAST provides a mechanism for the President “to receive advice from the private sector and academic community on technology, scientific research priorities, and math and science education.” On occasion, PCAST also meets with the President to discuss science and technology policy issues. Several presidential level advisory committees established in previous Administrations have been subsumed under PCAST.

PCAST’s members are high-level executives from industry, education and research institutions, and other nongovernmental organizations. PCAST conducts workshops and sometimes uses technical advisory groups to gather information for reports to the President on topics such as federal-state cooperation, energy, U.S. competitiveness, nanotechnology, and information technology.