SPARC has submitted key recommendations to the US Senate in response to the newly launched American Science Acceleration Project (ASAP), a bipartisan initiative introduced in June 2025 by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Mike Rounds (R-SD). The initiative aims to accelerate scientific progress in the United States tenfold by 2030, emphasizing improved data infrastructure, computing resources, AI development, enhanced collaboration, and streamlined regulatory processes.
With backing from over 70 organizations across research and industry, ASAP seeks to bolster US scientific leadership in the face of global competition. Its broad scope includes ambitious targets such as curing cancer and advancing fusion energy.
The initiative’s sponsors issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking recommendations on mechanisms to help achieve ASAP’s main objectives. SPARC’s response centered on three main suggestions:
• Codify Open Access Requirements: Congress should pass legislation making the 2022 OSTP memorandum permanent, requiring immediate public access to federally funded research with explicit reuse rights. This provides legal certainty beyond executive policy shifts.
• Mandate Persistent Identifiers: As AI becomes more prevalent in research, we need robust systems to track attribution and research lineage. This infrastructure becomes critical when AI systems are analyzing vast datasets and making cross-disciplinary connections.
• Integrate Open Education: Enable rapid incorporation of new research into educational materials without licensing barriers, creating a knowledge pipeline from lab to classroom.
The Senate will now review submissions from stakeholders. SPARC's response emphasizes that improving access, not just increasing funding, is essential for meaningful acceleration. It argues that eliminating barriers to publicly funded research can enhance innovation without requiring significant new investments.
The full SPARC submission, including detailed feedback on each ASAP pillar, is publicly available here.
Click here to read the original press release.
