In the final stretch of election season, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama have made their cases on the economy, health care, and international policy. But the nation's scientific issues have gone largely unaddressed. At best, they have been glossed over, and at worst, trivialized. Unfortunately, the next president of the United States might be in for a lot more than he's banking on because of the current financial climate.

One of the biggest challenges for the next president will be finding the appropriate funding for science initiatives and research in a struggling economy. Bioethics expert and president and CEO of The Hastings Center, Thomas Murray discussed this dilemma and the overall report by the Center for the Study of the President on NPR recently.

Another hot topic on the political stage is bioethics - namely, party stances on the beginning and end of life. Murray explains that it is a difficult issue for physicians, pharmaceutical companies, and families of ill loved ones, and that stem cell research, reproductive technologies, organ donation, and synthetic biology are all controversial subjects the next president will have to familiarize himself with in order to properly address the issues at hand.

Nanotechnology and synthetic biology are being used to remake human bodies and repair damaged ecosystems, but feelings are mixed about the marriage between these technologies and government control and funding. Murray admits the policies for synthetic biology will be difficult to shape but still need to be addressed because of the positive potential it possesses. But where are politicians getting their advice from? Lobbyists?

The Center for the Study of the President has detailed what the next president will need in order to be on top of the scientific issues facing the United States. The report's first recommendation calls for hiring an assistant to the president specifically for science and technology. Another recommendation is to create a congressional office to govern science and technology policy. It is a frequent complaint in the scientific community that we know more about the moon than our own oceans, and much research is needed to combat climate change, food and water scarcity, and energy shortages. But again, where is the money for this research going to come from?

Many scientists and politicians agree that renewable energy will stimulate the job market, thereby tackling economic and environmental problems simultaneously. Obama has a multi-step plan to rebuild the industrial economy with green jobs, and he also plans on dedicating a significant funding increase to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). McCain's plans for science policy do not indicate any substantial amount of funding for basic research, though spokespeople for the McCain campaign say that their candidate "has always felt that sound science is a foundation of good public policy."

Obama has reached out to a high-powered group of scientists for advice on policy. Barnes says that before the Bush administration took office, the federal government provided robust support for American science and gave American high-tech industries a competitive advantage.

"That's not where we are right now," she said. "Senator Obama believes that we have to double scientific research funding, so that we can take advantage of the enormous talent in the United States, and we can regain our global competitive edge." - NPR

Both candidates agree that whatever funding is available for scientific research will be spent with far less political involvement than there was previously. President Bush allowed federal funding for research, but also placed severe limitations on why and how that money would be spent. It remains to be seen how the economy will alter the candidates' original funding plans for scientific research, but it's safe to assume that there will be notable changes on both sides.