Our mission is to engage policymakers, scientists, and students in substantive dialogue to bridge the gap between society and science policy.
The program organizes workshops, lectures, research projects and conferences to bring attention to and help bridge the gap between science and public policy. Issues of interest include space, health and medicine, energy and the environment, national and domestic security, science education, and the public’s understanding and trust of science.
02/23/2023
We're excited to announce our new campaign and its website, "Vaccines Cause Adults." It is a collaboration with The Immunization Partnership and funded through a grant by The Greenwall Foundation. https://www.bakerinstitute.org/vaccines-cause-adults
02/23/2023
In honor of Black History Month, we’re highlighting Dr. Shirley Mahaley Malcom, influential advocate for women of color in science and member of the NSB (National Science Board) and President Bill Clinton’s (President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology) in the nineties, as our trailblazer of the month. Dr. Malcom has had a distinguished career at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) where she currently serves as a Senior Advisor and Director of AAAS SEA Change (STEMM Equity Achievement Change).
This interview was conducted by David J. Caruso, Kenneth M. Evans, and Kirstin R. W. Matthews. You can learn more about Dr. Malcom’s pioneering contributions to PCAST, NSB, and AAAS and speaking up for the people not in the room in her full interview on our website: http://ow.ly/Qnt450N0Rfh
11/09/2022
06/01/2022
We are excited to announce that Jordan Traylor joined the Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy team as a digital archivist for the S&T Policy Program. Jordan will be working on White House Science Advisor & Civic Scientist Programs.
01/11/2022
In a new paper, Dr. Kirstin R.W. Matthews, Sam Lowe, & Dr. Ana Iltis examine a proposal for new human embryo and embryoid guidelines, writing that before conducting any research beyond day 14 — the current international limit recently being challenged by some in the field — scientists must develop clear, thoughtful and culturally sensitive guidelines that include limitations and oversight procedures to ensure that science responds to societal needs and values.
Read it here: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/emerging-human-embryo-research-technologies-14-day-rule-and-special-status-embryo/
11/22/2021
Today is Public Health Thank You Day! We appreciate the tremendous resilience that the public health workforce has demonstrated throughout the pandemic. Their extraordinary contributions to enhancing the public good and promoting healthy communities nationwide and globally through research, disease prevention, public health preparedness, and more have positioned our nation to not only recover, but thrive. Make sure you tell them thanks! Research!America
11/16/2021
“Only with thoughtful engagement and a continued willingness to examine and learn from the past are we likely to see a policy developed that is respectful of the publics it is serving and effective at guiding science.”
In their recent article, fellow Kirstin R.W. Matthews and nonresident scholar Ana S. Iltis discuss five ideals that should lead public and stakeholder engagement when developing science policy that addresses controversial scientific technologies, like human heritable genome editing. Furthermore, they emphasize the growing need for public and stakeholder engagement when it comes to creating effective science policy.
Read more here:
Public and Stakeholder Engagement in Developing Human Heritable Genome Editing Policies: What Does it Mean and What Should it Mean? This journal article explores why the public and stakeholders should help develop guidelines and policies governing scientific practices for controversial biomedical research issues, such as genetically editing human embryos.
11/11/2021
Join us for our Civic Scientist lecture series in collaboration with the Rice Science Policy Network to hear Gretchen Goldman, assistant director for environmental science, engineering, policy, and justice at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, talk about the role of scientists in shaping policy and how to effectively communicate science policy to relevant stakeholders.
Register here: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/events/2272/
Date: November 17 | 12 pm CT
11/09/2021
Join the Journal of Science Policy and Governance (JSPG)'s workshop on Equitable S&T by ECRs in response to the OSTP infrastructure challenge "The Time is Now: Advancing Equity in Science and Technology". The event will feature a panel and breakout rooms lead by the winning authors from the published JSPG Special Issue on Shaping the Future of Science Policy to provide a framework for early career voices to be heard in advancing a better future.
Date: November 12 | 10 am ET
Register here: https://bit.ly/3qeKLXT
10/26/2021
"The United States cannot afford to be complacent about the advancements in science and technology that are needed to power the economy, defend the nation, maintain public health, and combat climate change."
Senior Fellow Neal Lane & former Lockheed Martin CEO Norman Augustine urge the U.S. to make greater investments in STEM & basic R&D to meet the challenges of climate change, pandemics, cybersecurity, and competing with China in latest edition of Issues in Science and Technology.
Read more: https://issues.org/america-on-edge-settling-second-place-augustine-lane/
10/25/2021
Fellow Kirstin RW Matthews is the Explainer in the latest issue of the Rice Magazine. Matthews talks about vaccine hesitancy and her work combating vaccine misinformation to help legislators, policymakers and concerned parents make informed evidence-based decisions.
Read more here:
The Explainer: Kirstin R.W. Matthews – Rice Magazine Kirstin R.W. Matthews studies regulation and ethical issues associated with emerging biotechnology, including vaccines, stem cells and genomic medicine. We asked her to explain what factors lie behind vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccine rhetoric.
10/22/2021
Check out our recent Civic Scientist Lecture with Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Antonio Neri. Mr. Neri discussed HPE's future, the vitalness of international collaboration for companies, and the imperativeness of connectivity in the digital age. We are grateful to Mr. Neri for imparting his expertise as part of the Civic Scientist Lecture Series.
Watch the discussion:
Event - Webinar — Civic Scientist Lecture Series: Innovation and the Workforce of the Future Antonio Neri, CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, discussed the decentralization of the science and technology sectors and its impact on the work diversity and sourcing, training and housing of the technology workforce of the future.
