Aidan Schurr
Reflection:
Engineering And: A WISE Reflection on Bridging Science and Policy
“Science for policy, policy for science.” Two months ago, I could only grasp that phrase in abstraction. But after completing the IEEE-USA Washington Internship for Students of Engineering (WISE), I’ve come to see it as the foundational grammar of 21st-century engineering. My confidence as a society-driven engineer, one who bridges the lab bench to the
legislature, has grown exponentially.
At George Washington University, we’re taught to think beyond formulas. The School of Engineering’s motto, “Engineering And,” is not only a tagline– it’s a challenge. This summer, I tried to answer it.
My WISE research project, Biotechnology, National Competitiveness, and the Changing Role of Academia in the United States, examined how universities can drive U.S. leadership in emerging biotechnologies. I used GWU as a case study for what a flagship biotech institution of the future might look like, leveraging interviews and interdepartmental feedback across engineering, public policy, law, and international affairs. This was only possible because GWU’s faculty were not only willing to engage, but excited to connect their disciplines to the larger national challenge.
Few universities could offer such an integrated, responsive test bed.
In parallel, I led GW’s participation in the SCSP AI+ Expo, Washington D.C.'s premier AI and national competitiveness event. With support from both IEEE affiliated faculty at GW, I helped organize a showcase booth highlighting student-led AI research. The event provided a great crossroads to understand government, academia, and industry’s role in robust technology
development.
The WISE program didn’t just teach me policy topics; the program allowed me to experience Science and Technology policy in real time. And it showed me that the best engineers don’t just build technologies; they shape the systems in which those technologies live.
I’m walking away with a clear sense of purpose: I want to be a physician-scientist and an AI engineer who not only innovates in the lab, but ensures those innovations reach the people who need them most. IEEE and GWU helped me realize that vision is not only possible—it’s urgent.
Executive Summary:
The United States stands at a historic crossroads in biotechnology. As the bioeconomy accelerates globally—with a projected market value of US$3.8 trillion by 2030 [1]—America’s position as a life sciences superpower is under threat. Federal funding has stagnated [2],translational infrastructure lags, and global competitors, especially China, are outpacing the U.S. in talent development, patent filings, research output, and scale-up capacity. Most alarmingly, China has now surpassed the United States in the number of most-cited biotechnology research publications [3] and is rapidly catching up in R&D spending as a share of GDP [4].
This erosion of scientific leadership is not just an economic concern—it represents a profound threat to national security, supply chain resilience, and global influence.
To respond, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) was established under the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act [3]. In 2025, the Commission released a landmark report with 49 policy recommendations organized under six strategic pillars, from scaling the biotech workforce to mobilizing private sector capital. In response, Congress has introduced the National Biotechnology Initiative Acts of 2025 and
included biotechnology priorities in the FY26 NDAA [5].
However, policy momentum alone will not be enough. The future of U.S. leadership in biotechnology will hinge on the ability of academic research universities to adapt. The traditional post-WWII research model is no longer sufficient for today’s landscape, which demands mission-driven, interdisciplinary, and translational capabilities. To meet this challenge,
universities must reimagine their institutional frameworks to integrate AI, regulatory science, biosecurity, and innovation ecosystems under one cohesive vision.
This paper proposes that The George Washington University (GWU) serve as the national pilot site to lead this transformation. With strengths in engineering, law, public health, and proximity to federal agencies, GWU is ideally situated to become a testbed for the next-generation research university. The proposal outlines five strategic initiatives that align directly with NSCEB’s vision while offering a replicable model for peer institutions:
● Establish the GW Biotech Institute for Convergent Research: A transdisciplinary hub that brings together biomedical engineering, public health, trustworthy AI, regulatory law, sustainability, and computational biology to solve national biotechnology challenges.
● Lead the DNA Alley Academic Consortium: Formalize collaborations with
Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, and others to build a Mid-Atlantic biotechnology corridor modeled on the Research Triangle. Facilitate shared research infrastructure, rotating symposia, and regional training pipelines.
● Diversify Research Funding Models: Create a resilient financial architecture through public-private partnerships, translational seed funds, philanthropic co-investment, and federal-industry consortia, addressing the vulnerability of universities overly reliant on federal grants.
● Partner with the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP): Co-develop the nation's first university-based biotechnology and AI policy training program, featuring graduate fellowships, applied curriculum development, and policy-research lab partnerships with NIH, DARPA, ARPA-H, and others.
● Launch the GW Undergraduate S&T Policy Fellows Program: A flagship summer experience that embeds undergraduates in dual placements across research labs and policy offices. Fellows will develop white papers and contribute to real-time national science and technology policy.
Together, these recommendations position GWU not only to lead the U.S. biotechnology response but to anchor a broader national movement to modernize America’s research university system. By integrating research, education, and innovation under a unified framework, this model ensures that biotechnology’s ascent is guided by democratic values, scientific rigor, and
national interest. It is a blueprint for a stronger, more secure, and more competitive American future.
