As his term progresses, President Trump will be faced with a large number of policy challenges, some of them requiring immediate science & technology expertise. In this Science Magazine article, the authors urge the president to consider the Office of Science & Technology Policy, the science advisor and the presidential S&T councils as vital resources that should be used early in the term to drive his policy agenda.
Kirstin R.W. Matthews, Kenneth M. Evans, Neal F. LaneFebruary 10, 2017
Science, technology, and innovation are vital to America’s economy and workforce, and the competitiveness of U.S. industry. The authors offer five recommendations to ensure the establishment of an effective White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Kirstin R.W. Matthews, Kenneth M. Evans, Neal F. LaneDecember 5, 2016
This policy brief analyzes the impact of the increasing number of parents who opt their children out of school-entry vaccinations for nonmedical reasons in Texas and argues that the state should make obtaining nonmedical exemptions more rigorous in order to reduce the public health risks and costs associated with vaccine-preventable diseases.
This study of biologists and physicists in the UK found that a majority of the respondents disagree with evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins’ “celebrity scientist” outreach approach and believe his work misrepresents science and the scientific research process.
Elaine Howard Ecklund, Kirstin R.W. MatthewsOctober 10, 2016
The director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) plays a central role in advising the president on the impact of science and technology on domestic and global affairs, and on federal funding of scientific research. This paper provides recommendations for the next president to consider when choosing a science advisor and establishing science and technology policy priorities. The project also offers guidance to the next science advisor for developing effective policy while serving in the White House. The recommendations are based on lessons learned from past presidential science advisors as well as feedback from more than 60 reviewers, including individuals who currently serve or have served the OSTP, the President’s Council of Advisors for Science and Technology, federal agencies, Congress or congressional staff, and nongovernmental organizations as well as policy scholars.
Neal F. Lane, Kirstin R.W. Matthews, Kenneth M. EvansSeptember 12, 2016
In this first-ever survey of biologists and physicists in eight regions around the world, the authors analyze the religiosity of scientists or their perceptions of the science-faith interface. The study is published in the Aug. 31, 2016, issue of Socius: Sociologic Research for a Dynamic World.
Elaine Howard Ecklund, Kirstin R.W. Matthews, Steven W. LewisSeptember 1, 2016
State "right to try" laws can give terminally ill patients early access to experimental drugs and medical devices — but they arguably make safety and efficacy secondary to speedy access.
This issue brief argues that continued investments in global health and the study of emerging pathogens could yield better tools to fight infectious diseases like the Zika virus long before they become a problem in the developed world.
Jennifer R. Herricks, Kirstin R.W. MatthewsMarch 4, 2016