Over the past ten years there have been signs in Russia of a dangerous widespread tendency to underrate the creation of a whole set of conditions necessary for expanded reproduction of the country's science potential. Russia has fallen farther and farther behind technologically, its ability to compete in the world markets of science-intensive goods has fallen, and the crisis in health and ecological safety has worsened. The diminishing effectiveness of the state's intervention in the economy and the unsound decline in research on problems of society have had an adverse impact. In this paper, the author provides an in-depth analysis of this area and suggests to study alternative approaches and select the best-substantiated proposals. It is science that must provide the guidelines for the development and strengthening of the country's science potential, with a firm grasp of the problems and the possible ways to solve them. (Contains 1 table.)