Barack Obama Receives Advice on Filling Executive Science and Technology Posts from the National Academies.

The 76-page booklet Science and Technology for America's Progress: Ensuring the Best Presidential Appointments in the New Administration was issued in September during the presidential election campaign. The overall advice being proffered may be summarised: "The nation requires exceptionally able scientists and engineers in top executive positions and on federal advisory committees to weigh available data, to consider the advice of scientists and technical specialists, and in the case of presidential appointees, to make key management, programmatic, and policy decisions," and make those appointments are early as possible.

In short appoint early, appoint well.

Here is the Academies' statement immediately following the election of Mr Obama.