President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology

The order establishes the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), a body of up to 24 members drawn from academia, industry, and government. The council is co-chaired by the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and the Special Advisor for AI & Crypto. Non-federal members are appointed by the President and serve without compensation. PCAST is directed to advise the President on science, technology, education, and innovation; provide scientific input on economic, workforce, and national-security policy; and also serve as the statutory advisory committee under the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 and the National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel under the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act.

The order authorizes PCAST to form subcommittees and ad hoc technical advisory groups, and allows Co-Chairs to request security clearances for members who need access to classified materials. The Department of Energy is directed to provide administrative and financial support. PCAST terminates two years from signing unless extended, and the 2021 PCAST order (EO 14007, as amended) is revoked.

Up to 24 PCAST members drawn from outside the federal government — scientists, technologists, educators, and innovators appointed by the President — as well as federal officials including the APST and Special Advisor for AI & Crypto. The Department of Energy bears the administrative and funding burden.

Federal science and technology policy advice will now flow through a council with a new leadership structure and an explicit emphasis on AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology. Researchers, universities, national laboratories, and private-sector technology firms are among the stakeholders the council is directed to consult.

PCAST is funded and staffed by the Department of Energy and operates under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, with reporting functions delegated to the Energy Secretary. Co-Chairs can form standing subcommittees and ad hoc groups to develop preliminary analysis. Members needing classified-information access can seek clearances under EO 12968. The council advises both the President directly and the National Science and Technology Council, which coordinates interagency science policy. It sunsets in two years unless the President extends it.