Thomas Kalil, Chief Innovation Officer at Schmidt Futures and former Deputy Director for Policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Obama Administration, discusses some of the science and technology policy priorities of President Obama – including STEM education, identifying and pursuing 21st-Century Grand Challenges, such as the BRAIN Initiative, and increasing R&D in critical technologies such as robotics, advanced materials, and Big Data. He also discusses “lessons learned” from his service at the White House and address future challenges for U.S. science and technology policy.