• A researcher works with equipment

        • About Us

          URA is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) academic consortium composed of over 94 premier research universities across the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan headquartered in Washington, D.C. supporting government lab management and operation in the national interest.

        • A grassy area is located next to a column-lined outdoor walkway at a college campus

        • Member Universities

          URA fosters valuable university research partnerships through membership. URA presents members with research opportunities at national engineering and physics labs, engagement with laboratory leadership and management, and recognition of academic achievements.

        • Lab Management

          Since 1965 URA has been an integral part of the management of Fermilab, overseeing the management and operations of the lab and bringing the expertise of our 94 member universities to bear on the challenges facing the Fermilab.  URA supports scholars and interns doing research at Fermilab and recognizes outstanding contributions.  In 2007 URA became part of the organization that manages and operates Sandia National Laboratories and since then has worked to support the scientific and technical demands of Sandia by supporting external calibration of science, technology and engineering (ST&E) programs; aid in ST&E programs’ strategic planning; and assist in development of university partnerships and diverse workforce talent.

        • Science & Research Policy

          URA strives to engender an awareness of the current national science policy issues among its members and early career scientists. This is achieved through a variety of platforms at URA, including science policy and communication training, connecting scientists and policymakers, and policy town halls and workshops. URA’s goal is to facilitate effective science communication to promote the public’s understanding of scientific discoveries, foster trust in scientific institutions, and facilitate informed decision-making by policymakers and the public.

        • Two researchers in hard hats examine computer equipment

        • High Energy Physics User Community

          URA has been a supporter, convener, and integral part of the high energy physics User Community since Fermilab’s creation. Currently approximately seventy-five percent of the university-based users at Fermilab come from URA members. URA members represent the best scientific expertise the nation has to offer. Through our leadership, oversight, and programs URA is committed to ensuring that the full range of expertise from around the Nation and the world contributes to Fermilab’s scientific challenges and the user and affiliate community remains the vital part of the lab’s research base that it has always been.

  • Events
  • News
  • Contact Us

News & Media

Home | Science Policy | URA President John Mester serves as panelist at the National Science, Technology and Security Roundtable hosted by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine

URA President John Mester serves as panelist at the National Science, Technology and Security Roundtable hosted by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine

Jun 30, 2022 | Science Policy

June 30, 2022

Washington, D.C. – President Dr. John Mester spoke at GUIRR roundtable hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) on June 29, 2022.

“URA is attempting to gather and amplify the views of our members in a way that informs the policy discussion and is useful to national level policy makers,” said Dr. John Mester, president of Universities Research Association (URA), to the NASEM co-chairs of National Science, Technology and Security Roundtable and invited guests.

Hosted by the NASEM, this sixth meeting of the Roundtable  focused on balancing national security and research openness across private and public sectors and their respective partnerships. President Mester was invited to speak alongside academic and research leaders and to provide insight from his experience in academia and from working with URA member universities.

“If one is to truly balance the benefits of mitigating research security threats, it is crucial to understand the value that the research enterprise holds on our nation’s culture, economy, health and national security,” President Mester said as a panelist at the National Science, Technology and Security Roundtable.

One point President Mester emphasized was the talent pipeline of international students to U.S. research institutions. President Mester noted that international students account for a large percentage of the workforce within academic research and the STEM field which can be impacted if an open research culture is not preserved. This also extends to international collaborations such as the Fermilab’s DUNE LBNF.

In addition to safeguarding the talent pipeline, Mester also emphasized the importance of not overwhelming regulatory costs on researchers’ resources. To achieve this, Mester suggested close dialog between the security enterprise and university and research centers.

“Universities need to understand what information is valuable for security and the security establishment needs to understand the impact of new information requests,” Mester suggested. In addition, Mester explained the importance of scaling policies and processes to the response capacity of both big and small academic and research institutions.

 An agenda and full list of speakers can be found here.