• A New Social Compact for Science and Technology Policy

    Making federal science and technology policy fair and equitable for all

    Since it was established by Congress in 1976, the importance of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has only grown. Alondra Nelson, the first deputy director for science and society at OSTP, attributes the office’s increasing prominence in federal policymaking to the fact that “science and technology now sit in the center of every policy and social issue.” Read her recent conversation with Issues editor William Kearney.

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  • Science for the Messy and the Mysterious

    Bringing Social Science to Bear on the Pandemic

    By uncovering the uniquely human factors that affect responses to catastrophes, the social sciences can inform more nuanced and effective policy, now and in the future.

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  • Stuck in 1955

    Educating Engineers for the Century to Come

    Why is engineering education stuck in time? Engineering curriculums are still rooted in a 1955 report that emphasized theory over practical, hands-on work. This situation calls for sweeping change.

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  • Science, Values, and Democracy

    Announcing the newest title in the Rightful Place of Science book series.

    In an urgent new book, philosopher of science Heather Douglas argues that science requires social and ethical values for both the direction of research and for sound scientific inference.

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  • Reinvigorating the Scientific Enterprise

    Envisioning the Next 75 Years of Science Policy

    How can we structure science policy and scientific research to meet human needs in a world of accelerating changes? Global leaders, early career researchers, policymakers, businesspeople and more consider the future of the scientific enterprise and how it could be changed to create a healthier, more equitable, and secure society in an essay collection in Issues in Science & Technology.

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  • He Told Us There’d Be Days Like These

    Dan Sarewitz Retires

    In 1999, Dan Sarewitz helped found the Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes (CSPO). Over the past two decades, Dan and CSPO have worked to improve the interactions of science, technology, and society, advocating for science and science policy that is created by and benefits everyone. Dan’s leadership as co-director of CSPO and editor of Issues in Science and Technology will be missed.

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The Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes

Is an intellectual network aimed at enhancing the contribution of science and technology to society’s pursuit of equality, justice, freedom, and overall quality of life. CSPO creates knowledge and methods, cultivates public discourse, and fosters policies to help decision makers and institutions grapple with the immense power and importance of science and technology as society charts a course for the future.

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CSPO Events

Recent Newsletter

Fall 2019

Geoengineering, driverless cars, and much more!

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Blog: As We Now Think

Photo by Caspar Camille Rubin

Fake News and Disinformation

Fake news and disinformation in the digital sphere have been trending topics for years, but what do we really know about the public’s relationship to these issues? In partnership with the French organization, Missions Publiques, the Consortium for Science, Policy, & Outcomes (CSPO) recently hosted virtual public deliberations regarding the future of the internet. Participants […]

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Everything You Know About Shark Conservation is Wrong

After watching the cinematic masterpiece Deep Blue Sea, a movie about genetically engineered sharks that go on a rampage, I spent nights terrified of traversing my room’s navy blue carpet in the dark to make it to the bathroom. Many years later, I’m proud to say that I did safely make it to the bathroom […]

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Books We’re Reading this Fall

Summer reading is wonderful: the perfect time to find a comfy beach chair, sip a cold iced tea, and settle in with a well-plotted novel that makes the hours skip by in pleasurable escapism…. Who are we kidding? It’s impossible to get comfortable on a sandy beach towel; you’re sweaty and sunburned and half tipsy […]

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CSPO Highlights