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The U.S. government is developing its bioeconomy strategy

Stanford Bio.Polis is working to make sense of what actions are mandated by recent federal policies on the American bioeconomy, on what timescales those activities will take place, who the key players will be, and where there may be opportunities for policy engagement.

Engaging with New Developments in U.S. Bioeconomy Policy

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On August 9, 2022 President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act, which included bioeconomy provisions, mandated the establishment of a Federal bioeconomy coordination effort. Not long after on September 12, 2022, the Biden Administration issued an Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy, describing a two year timeline for the Federal offices and agencies to plan and coordinate their strategies for developing the bioeconomy. Together, these two new policies represent an ambitious effort to develop a modern biotechnology policy strategy.

These policy documents are lengthy, complex and can be difficult to navigate. Stanford Bio.Polis is developing resources to help stakeholders - including researchers, industry leaders, and advocates across civil society- understand what these policies require, on what timescales, who is involved, and where there may be opportunities for engagement. We are making this resource readily available to anyone with an interest in shaping the future of biotechnology in the U.S. and across the globe.

Initial Resources

Our draft bioeconomy policy tracker is a series of spreadsheets breaking down the Bioeconomy EO into a more digestible format, including:

  • A Timelines and Activities sheet arranging the deadlines of all activities chronologically outlining the following:
    • The section of the EO describing the activity
    • A shorthand description of the activity
    • Who is leading the activity
    • Who else is engaged
    • Who is receiving any products of that activity
    • Abridged text from the EO providing more detailed context
  • A Referenced Agencies/Offices sheet outlining all the agencies/offices referenced in the EO and their personnel
  • A Referenced Policies sheet naming all the other policies referenced by the EO and linking to their text
  • A Glossary sheet spelling out any acronyms and words specifically defined in section 13 of the EO

This is a living document that we are aiming to improve with time. If you have feedback to improve this tracker or have another suggested initiative or resource to share, please contact us at biopolicy@stanford.edu.

View our Draft Bioeconomy Tracker 

Other Opportunities

These are other activities of which we are aware related to the tracking, analysis, and engagement with recent developments in U.S. bioeconomy policy.

FAS Day One Project

Bioeconomy Policy Development Sprint

The Federation of American Scientists Day One Project is soliciting proposals for innovative, specific, and actionable policy ideas that the U.S. government could use to supercharge the U.S. bioeconomy.

Engineering Biology Research Consortium

Bioeconomy White Papers

The Engineering Biology Research Consortium is developing a series of white papers on bioeconomy policy. You can read their previous publications below; please contact India Hook Barnard for questions on how to engage with their work.