America’s R&D infrastructure enabled us to win the Cold War, put a man on the moon, connect us to the internet, and become the most technologically advanced nation in world history. Recently, America’s R&D leadership has been on full display in the effort to combat COVID-19. The private sector is leading and, in many cases, collaborating with academia and the public sector on advanced pharmaceuticals like the COVID-19 vaccines. Pfizer and Moderna, for example, developed and deployed a vaccine in less than a year. That would not have been possible without the long-term R&D efforts by life sciences companies, or the short-term laser focus by a unique partnership of the federal government, the private sector, and academia.