Is There a Future in Focused Research Organizations?

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With FROs, a scientist would never normally even think about the possibility of having a large amount of money to spend five years just trying to solve some scientific problem. Schmidt Futures can credibly say, if your idea is good enough, this is something that we might be willing to support. That just opens up a much broader range of possibilities for a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur to consider. I'm also interested in doing this at the intersection of AI and science as well.

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What is a "policy entrepreneur"? Can people become policy entrepreneurs if they're not already a political office holder? Aside from literally speaking to the POTUS, what are some ways that policy entrepreneurs can make progress on their goals? Why is it so hard for some people to articulate actionable plans that would accomplish their goals? What is market shaping? Why do some government departments have no budget for R&D?

Tom Kalil is Chief Innovation Officer at Schmidt Futures. In this role, Tom leads initiatives to harness technology for societal challenges, improve science policy, and identify and pursue 21st century moonshots. Prior to Schmidt Futures, Tom served in the White House for two Presidents (Obama and Clinton), helping to design and launch national science and technology initiatives in areas such as nanotechnology, the BRAIN initiative, data science, materials by design, robotics, commercial space, high-speed networks, access to capital for startups, high-skill immigration, STEM education, learning technology, startup ecosystems, and the federal use of incentive prizes. Follow him on Twitter at @tkalil2050.

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