CSPO Conversations

This seminar discussed the challenges in a rural region, innovation opportunities that build on regional strengths; and new approaches

This seminar discussed new metrics for how funds are being used, how communities support innovation, and its impact on communities.

This CSPO Conversations program will bring together federal policymakers in science and technology policy, innovation policy, and regional development with Baltimore-based entrepreneurs, innovators, and ecosystem builders.

On March 21 at 1PM ET, join journalist Dan Charles (NPR contributor), professor Prakash Kumar (Penn State), and author Marci Baranski for a panel discussion of Baranski’s book, The Globalization of Wheat: A Critical History of the Green Revolution and the legacy of the Green Revolution. Panelists will discuss both successes and shortcomings of the Green Revolution’s impact on wheat production as a rare convergence of biological and political forces. This model, however, may not be as widely applicable as many proponents have claimed. Rethinking the fundamental assumptions and policy learnings from the Green Revolution is necessary to create more inclusive and sustainable solutions for modern agricultural development efforts.

Science is at the heart and center of our current national renewal. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, and the 2022 CHIPs and Science Act, dramatically increase public funding for research and development, create new institutions and linkages, and explicitly call on science to address the most vexing policy challenges from reducing dependence on fossil fuels and creating a 21^st century workforce, to combating climate change, to ending cancer as we know it, and winning global competitions on technological innovations. Join the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes on January 23 at 3pm for a discussion about what challenges and opportunities come with this new placement of science and how new policy tools for responsible and anticipatory governance could lead to a more inclusive, robust, and globally competitive innovation ecosystem.

The CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law in August, is one of the most significant pieces of science legislation in years. With $180 billion for research and development over the next five years, it aims to bolster the semiconductor industry as well as federal science agencies like the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy. But now comes what many observers view as the hardest part: not only must the money be appropriated, but the act must be implemented in a way that meets its many objectives. Writing in Issues in Science and Technology, a set of experts explored the ways the CHIPS and Science Act can deliver on its promises to spur innovation, strengthen regional economies and workforce, and promote US competitiveness.

On November 1 at 3:00 PM ET, join Yu Zhou (Vassar College), Steven C. Currall (University of South Florida), Venkatesh Naryanamurti (Harvard University), and Maryann Feldman (Arizona State University) in a discussion moderated by Will Thomas of the American Institute of Physics’ FYI on how implementation of this important legislation can best meet—and balance—its many goals.

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Claims that there is a significant shortage of STEM talent have been a running feature of STEM workforce policy discussions since the 1950s. The outcomes of these discussions influence not only federal investment in education and training, but also labor and immigration policy, as well as efforts to diversify the STEM workforce. Yet, as Ron Hira writes in Issues in Science and Technology, the data to bolster such claims are often lacking, and some voices are louder than others. How can STEM workforce needs best be determined, and how should policymakers balance the many factors in play?

On October 24 at 1:30 PM ET, join Howard University’s Ron Hira, Trevor Wagener of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, Matt Sigelman of the Burning Glass Institute, and Iris Wagstaff of Wagstaff STEM Solutions in a discussion moderated by Lydia DePillis of the New York Times on how to make STEM workforce discussions more nuanced and inclusive.

Register now to join this Zoom webinar!

What does the future look like? Who should decide it? Faced with threats like Brexit, the European Union (EU) institutions had a surprising answer: the people.

The Conference on the Future of Europe is an unprecedented experiment in transnational, large-scale deliberative democracy which led to 49 proposals for the future of the EU and more than 300 concrete measures for the European Institutions to implement. What can we learn from Europe, and how can we use deliberation to improve our democracy? On June 22 at 12PM ET, join Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul (European Commission, remotely), Servane Metzger (French Ministry of European Affairs, remotely) and Yves Mathieu (Missions Publiques, in-person) to learn more about the unique process of the Conference on the Future of Europe and the experiences of citizens and decision makers.