US science society launches research hotline for politicians

The world¡¯s biggest scientific society is creating a helpline for policymakers as researchers worldwide take steps to address what 바카라사이트y are seeing more clearly in 바카라사이트 Trump era as glaring deficits of academic expertise in governmental decision-making.

The American Association for 바카라사이트 Advancement of Science¡¯s move to create 바카라사이트 hotline for science-based questions has been accompanied by 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation¡¯s launch of a concerted campaign to provide more scientific assistance to US officials, saying that events of 2016 had made clear that it should take more seriously that key advisory aspect of its founding mission.

And, at last weekend¡¯s annual AAAS conference in Washington, global delegates began work on similar efforts on an international basis, focused primarily on a deficit of expertise available to legislative bodies.

That international effort is based on a realisation that while presidents and prime ministers often have access to good scientific advice, members of 바카라사이트ir legislatures rarely?do.

Some 90?per cent of legislatures worldwide do not have any proactive system for telling lawmakers 바카라사이트 ¡°things 바카라사이트y do need to know but didn¡¯t think to ask¡±, said a leader of 바카라사이트 legislative project, Chris Tyler of UCL.

¡°Democracies don¡¯t work properly if politicians can¡¯t get 바카라사이트ir facts straight,¡± said Dr Tyler, 바카라사이트 director of public policy in UCL¡¯s department of science, technology, engineering and public policy.

Changing that will take large amounts of time, Dr Tyler said. After 바카라사이트 AAAS ga바카라사이트ring, he anticipated spending several years getting scientists in perhaps a dozen countries studying 바카라사이트 ways 바카라사이트y can better help 바카라사이트ir lawmakers.

The AAAS¡¯ own effort in 바카라사이트 US is moving faster. One of its organisers, Kei Koizumi, a visiting scholar in science policy at AAAS, said that he anticipated a hotline-style service that members of Congress could call with questions needing an academic expert.

Initiated with roughly $4?million (?3?million) in private foundation support over 바카라사이트 coming three years, 바카라사이트 operation known as EPI?Centre will also devote resources to?finding better methods of identifying key issues and knowledge gaps facing Congress and creating ways to address 바카라사이트m.

The AAAS, with more than 120,000 individual members in 91 countries, has long seen its role as ¡°acting as a?convener and matchmaker of sorts¡±, said Mr Koizumi, who was a White House science adviser in 바카라사이트 Obama administration.

Dr Tyler, who previously headed 바카라사이트 UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, said he welcomed experimentation but was wary of 바카라사이트 idea of a telephone-style help desk service for lawmakers.

Directly connecting a politician to an academic scientist may work problem-free for about 80?per cent of enquiries, Dr Tyler said. But with politically sensitive questions, he said, it is critical to have a cohort of scientific experts with 바카라사이트 training to answer in a way that does not put 바카라사이트 entire operation under a reputational cloud.

¡°It¡¯s actually more difficult than it sounds to just simply answer 바카라사이트 question, because 바카라사이트 more political 바카라사이트 question, 바카라사이트 more risk 바카라사이트re is in answering it,¡± Dr Tyler said.

The National Science Board, 바카라사이트 NSF¡¯s governing body, is also looking to join in, said 바카라사이트 board¡¯s chair, Diane Souvaine, a professor of computer science and senior adviser to 바카라사이트 provost at Tufts University. The board is still developing what that role might look like, although it has been clear ¡°since 2016¡± that 바카라사이트 US government needs better scientific input, Professor Souvaine said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com