View source for Science Advisor to the President

{{Short description|Cabinet-level advisor to the president of United States}}
The '''science advisor to the president''' is an individual charged with providing advisory opinions and analysis on science and technology matters to the [[president of the United States]]. The first science advisor, [[Vannevar Bush]], chairman of the [[Office of Scientific Research and Development]], served presidents [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] and [[Harry S. Truman]] from 1941 to 1951. President Truman created the [[President's Science Advisory Committee]] in 1951, establishing the chairman of this committee as the president's science advisor. This committee continued under presidents [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], [[John F. Kennedy]], [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], and [[Richard M. Nixon]] until 1973. Nixon terminated the committee rather than appointing a replacement for his advisor who had resigned. The [[United States Congress|US Congress]] established the [[Office of Science and Technology Policy]] in 1976, re-establishing presidential science advisors to the present day.

The current advisor is [[Michael Kratsios]], who is serving as the 13th director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) since 2025.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 25, 2025 |access-date=March 25, 2025 |url=https://fedscoop.com/senate-confirms-michael-kratsios-white-house-ostp-director/ |first=Madison |last=Alder |title=Senate confirms Michael Kratsios to lead White House science, technology office}}</ref>

==History==
===Special Advisory Board===
Although the National Research Council (now known as the [[National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine]]), formed in 1916, was the first body formed to advise the government on science and technology, President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] launched the Science Advisory Board as a body within the NRC in 1933 in order to advise the president. [[Karl Taylor Compton]] served as the chair of the body. However, the body was dissolved in 1935.

===World War II===
{{Main|Office of Scientific Research and Development}}
The OSTP evolved out of the ''Office of Scientific Research and Development'' created in 1941 during [[World War II]] by Roosevelt. [[Vannevar Bush]] chaired this office through Roosevelt's death in 1945, and continued under Roosevelt's successor [[Harry S. Truman]] until 1951.

===PSAC===
{{Main|President's Science Advisory Committee}}
After the war, President [[Harry S. Truman]] replaced the OSRD with the '''Science Advisory Committee''' in 1951. The office was moved to the [[White House]] on November 21, 1957, by President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] to provide advice and recommendation in response to the  [[Space Race]] started by the [[USSR]]'s launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, [[Sputnik 1]].

===OSTP===
{{Main|Office of Science and Technology Policy}}
President [[Richard M. Nixon]] eliminated the PSAC in 1973, rather than appointing a replacement for his second science advisor, [[Edward E. David Jr.]], who resigned. The United States Congress established the OSTP in 1976 with a broad mandate to advise the president and others within the Executive Office of the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. The 1976 act also authorizes OSTP to lead [[inter-agency]] efforts to develop and to implement sound science and technology policies and budgets and to work with the [[private sector]], [[State governments of the United States|state]] and [[Local government in the United States|local governments]], the science and [[higher education]] communities, and other nations toward this end.

== Science advisors ==
{|class="toccolours"
|{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes acting capacity.}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!class=unsortable |Image
!Name
!Agency
!Start
!End
!colspan=2 |President
|-
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Vannevar Bush.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |{{sortname|Vannevar|Bush}}
|rowspan=2 |[[Office of Scientific Research and Development|OSRD]]
|rowspan=2 |June 28, 1941
|rowspan=2 |December 31, 1947
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Franklin D.|Roosevelt}}<br>(1933–1945)
|-
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |{{sortname|Harry S.|Truman}}<br>(1945–1953)
|-
|[[File:Oliver E. Buckley.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Oliver|Buckley|Oliver Ellsworth Buckley}}
|rowspan=6 |[[President's Science Advisory Committee|PSAC]]
|April 20, 1951
|June 15, 1952
|-
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Lee A. DuBridge 1950.png|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |{{sortname|Lee|DuBridge|Lee Alvin DuBridge}}
|rowspan=2 |1952
|rowspan=2 |1956
|-
|rowspan=4 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=4 |{{sortname|Dwight D.|Eisenhower}}<br>(1953–1961)
|-
|[[File:II Rabi.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Isidor|Rabi|Isidor Isaac Rabi}}
|1956
|1957
|-
|[[File:James Rhyne Killian (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|James|Killian|James Rhyne Killian}}
|November 7, 1957
|July 1959
|-
|[[File:Kistiakowsky.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|George|Kistiakowsky}}
|July 1959
|January 20, 1961
|-
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Jerome Wiesner.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |{{sortname|Jerome|Wiesner}}
|rowspan=5 |[[Office of Science and Technology Policy|OST]]
|rowspan=2 |January 20, 1961
|rowspan=2 |January 24, 1964
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|John F.|Kennedy}}<br>(1961–1963)
|-
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |{{sortname|Lyndon B.|Johnson}}<br>(1963–1969)
|-
|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Donald|Hornig}}
|January 24, 1964
|January 20, 1969
|-
|[[File:Lee A. DuBridge 1961.png|75px]]
|{{sortname|Lee|DuBridge|Lee Alvin DuBridge}}
|January 20, 1969
|August 31, 1970
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |{{sortname|Richard|Nixon}}<br>(1969–1974)
|-
|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Ed|David|Edward E. David Jr.}}
|August 31, 1970
|January 26, 1973
|-
|[[File:Guyford Stever.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Guyford|Stever}}
|rowspan=25 |[[Office of Science and Technology Policy|OSTP]]
|August 9, 1976
|January 20, 1977
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Gerald|Ford}}<br>(1974–1977)
|-
|[[File:Frank Press at Seismological Observatory in Jerusalem 1953.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Frank|Press}}
|January 20, 1977
|January 20, 1981
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Jimmy|Carter}}
|-
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |{{sortname|Benjamin|Huberman}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |March 5, 1981
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |August 1981
|rowspan=5 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=5 |{{sortname|Ronald|Reagan}}<br>(1981–1989)
|-
|[[File:George A. Keyworth, II 1981, 4.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Jay|Keyworth|George A. Keyworth II}}
|August 1981
|December 1985
|- bgcolor="#e6e6aa"
|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|{{sortname|John|McTague}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|January 1986
|May 23, 1986
|-
|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Richard|Johnson|Richard G. Johnson (scientist)}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|May 24, 1986
|October 1, 1986
|-
|[[File:William Robert Graham, NASA photo portrait, November 1985.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|William|Graham|William Robert Graham}}
|October 2, 1986
|June 1989
|-
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |{{sortname|Thomas|Rona|Thomas P. Rona}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |June 1989
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |August 1989
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |{{sortname|George H. W.|Bush}}<br>(1989–1993)
|- bgcolor="#e6e6aa"
|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|{{sortname|William|Wells|dab=scientist}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|August 1989
|August 1989
|-
|[[File:D. Allen Bromley (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Allan|Bromley|D. Allan Bromley}}
|August 1989
|January 20, 1993
|-
|[[File:Dr Gibbons USDA (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Jack|Gibbons|John H. Gibbons (scientist)}}
|January 20, 1993
|April 3, 1998
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |{{sortname|Bill|Clinton}}<br>(1993–2001)
|- bgcolor="#e6e6aa"
|[[File:Kerri-Ann Jones.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Kerri-Ann|Jones}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|April 4, 1998
|August 3, 1998
|-
|[[File:Neal-lane.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Neal|Lane|Neal Francis Lane}}
|August 4, 1998
|January 20, 2001
|-
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |[[File:Dean Rosina M. Bierbaum.jpg|75px]]
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |{{sortname|Rosina|Bierbaum}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |January 21, 2001
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |September 30, 2001
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |{{sortname|George W.|Bush}}<br>(2001–2009)
|- bgcolor="#e6e6aa"
|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Clifford|Gabriel}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|October 1, 2001
|October 28, 2001
|-
|[[File:John Marburger official portrait.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Jack|Marburger|John Marburger}}
|October 29, 2001
|January 20, 2009
|-
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |[[File:Ted Wackler 2011.jpg|75px]]
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |{{sortname|Ted|Wackler}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |January 20, 2009
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |March 19, 2009
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |{{sortname|Barack|Obama}}<br>(2009–2017)
|-
|[[File:John Holdren official portrait small.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|John|Holdren}}
|March 19, 2009
|January 20, 2017
|-
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |[[File:Ted Wackler 2011.jpg|75px]]
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |{{sortname|Ted|Wackler}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |January 20, 2017
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |January 11, 2019
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |{{sortname|Donald|Trump}}<br>(2017–2021)
|-
|[[File:Kelvin Droegemeier official photo.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Kelvin|Droegemeier}}
|January 11, 2019
|January 15, 2021
|-
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |[[File:20161006-OSEC-RBN-7275 (30189848116).jpg|75px]]
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |{{sortname|Kei|Koizumi|dab=science policymaker}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |January 20, 2021
|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |January 25, 2021
|rowspan=4 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=4 |{{sortname|Joe|Biden}}<br>(2021–2025)
|-
|[[File:Eric Lander July 2021.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Eric|Lander}}
|January 25, 2021
|February 18, 2022
|- bgcolor="#e6e6aa"
|[[File:Francis Collins official photo.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Francis|Collins}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|February 18, 2022
|October 3, 2022
|-
|[[File:Arati Prabhakar, OSTP Director.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Arati|Prabhakar}}
|October 3, 2022
|January 20, 2025
|-
|[[File:Michael Kratsios official photo.jpg|75px]]
|{{sortname|Michael|Kratsios}}
|January 20, 2025
|present
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|Donald|Trump}}<br>(2025–present)
|}

== See also ==
* [[Chief Technology Officer of the United States]]

== References ==

{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Executive Office of the President of the United States]]
[[Category:Chief scientific advisers by country|United States]]


{{US-gov-stub}}