Biden: "Science is back in the White House"

Vice President Joe Biden used a roundtable discussion with university presidents about stimulus research grants on Tuesday to promote the administration's renewed commitment to investing in scientific research.

“Science is back in the White House,” Biden said while promising Washington will continue to provide the "seed money" to help American universities "change the world."

The purpose of the gathering was to draw attention to the more than $18 billion included in the Recovery Act for university research. Biden said the research funds were among the most critical parts of the stimulus and key to the nation's economic competitiveness.

"Folks, this is where the future lies,” he said. “Our economic future will grow from ideas that are incubating at universities. That’s the breeding ground and it always has been.”

Biden also said he is "always amazed" at critics of federal research spending.

“Some of our critics act like we’ve come up with some new social intervention,” he said, contrasting that attitude with the mindset in countries such as India and China, where he said leaders understand the need for research investments. “The rest of the world gets this, and we can’t afford to lag behind. We cannot afford to not rededicate ourselves to the work you guys around the table do.”