USA - The United States’ scientific lead is shrinking as China and other nations build up their science resources, says a report prepared by the National Science Board. “Other nations, particularly China, are rapidly developing their science and technology (S&T) capacity,” says the report, titled “The State of US Science and Engineering.” The report continued: ...the United States has seen its relative share of global S&T activity remain unchanged or shrink, even as its absolute activity levels have continued to rise … Increasingly, the United States is seen globally as an important leader rather than the uncontested leader. The report suggests the problem is a lack of federal funding: ...the share of US R&D funded by the federal government has declined. This decline is notable as federally funded R&D is an important source of support, particularly for the higher education sector and for the nation’s basic research enterprise.