Advanced Research and Talent Capture

The Accord treats frontier science as a sovereign capability. The United States built its postwar lead through heavy federal investment in basic research and deliberate openness to exceptional global talent. Both degraded. The Accord restores both.

The Genius-Track Visa

Researcher-evaluated, employer-sponsorship-free, country-cap-free pathway for top-tier technical talent. Decisions made quickly, spouses work immediately, permanent residence follows continued activity. This is strategic capture: every PhD who stays is a capability gain; each one turned away is a transfer to a competitor.

Domestic Investment

Expanded NIH, NSF, DARPA, ARPA-H, ARPA-E, DOE national labs. PhD stipend parity with industry. Postdoctoral retention. Translational startup authority. Priorities: advanced fission, grid systems, materials, biotech, semiconductors, AI, quantum, pandemic preparedness. Compact fusion claims are not near-term planning assumptions.

Scoring Endnote 14: Research and Talent

Federal R&D (CBO baseline): ~$180B/yr. Accord increment: +$30–50B/yr. Total: ~$210–230B/yr.

Genius-Track Visa: USCIS processing ~$0.5B/yr. Economic value: ~$3M lifetime per PhD retained. At 10K visas/yr: $30B human capital, $0.5B cost.

PhD stipend parity: ~30K stipends from ~$35K to ~$55K = ~$600M/yr. Within NIH/NSF expansion.

Total Ch.14 above baseline: ~$0.03–0.05T. In Part A carryforward (Science line $0.06T → $0.09–0.11T).

⚠ R&D ROI (20–30% social return per NBER) materializes over 15–30 years. CBO scores zero revenue within 10-year window. The R&D increment is an investment in 2045–2080 productivity, not a 2030–2040 fiscal instrument.