Adviser to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. Wm. A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

For more information on BMSA, see its Web site at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bms

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This report was commissioned by the Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (OASCR) at the Department of Energy (DOE). This office, which has broad responsibilities for applications of mathematics and computing to all fields of science of importance to DOE, sought advice as specified in the charge to the committee:

In discussions with OASCR officials, it became apparent that the intent was to sponsor a broad, scientifically based view of the opportunities that now lie at the interface between the mathematical sciences and biology. “The mathematical sciences” was to be broadly defined to include statistics, computational science, and all areas of applied mathematics.¹ Although the Department of Energy is an agency with deep roots in applying the mathematical sciences to the physical sciences—as well as a pioneer in selected biological applications such as protein-structure de-

termination and genome sequencing—there was no intent that the committee analyze specific DOE programs or restrict itself to DOE’s existing programmatic boundaries. Hence, the recommendations are stated in general terms and are applicable to programs at any of the funding organizations whose missions encompass the mathematical sciences, biology, and the interactions between these fields, including but not limited to DOE. The committee has worked very hard to provide substantiated guidance about the scientific opportunities that these organizations are poised to support.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Ronald Douglas, Texas A&M University. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

In addition, the committee thanks Mark Daly, Avner Friedman, and Alan Perelson for their remarks and suggestions during the study process.

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