A Workshop to Focus on Strategies for Improving the Public Understanding of Science

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This award supports a workshop to engage members of the broad scientific and education communities, government agencies, business, and the media in discussions that will better inform efforts to develop a national campaign or network for improving the public understanding of and engagement in science. The primary goals of the workshop are (1) to build broad consensus, (2) to articulate the characteristics, strategies, organization, and activities of such a network and (3) to develop plans for implementation. The products of the workshop will include: (1) a procedural plan for the development of this campaign and network, (2) a set of prioritized activities and services, (3) a business plan and funding recommendations, (4) print materials appropriate for disseminating the goals of the campaign and network, and (5) a report of the workshops' recommendations designed for web publication. There continues to be concern among a broad spectrum of the scientific, education, and business communities that science and our leadership in science are at risk. Among the suggestions offered in recent reports addressing this concern is the need to regain public endorsement of the scientific enterprise and their support for efforts to preserve America's scientific leadership. To consider this issue, a workshop was held in Berkeley, CA, January 25-27, 2006, that brought together a small, but diverse group of people to initiate discussions on the creation of a national effort that would focus on improving the public understanding of and engagement in science. Participants agreed that to re-engage the public in science could best be achieved through a coordinated national campaign or set of programs that would take place at local, regional, and national levels. In order to articulate the characteristics, strategies, and management models for such an effort, participants concluded that it would be necessary to convene a second workshop to include expertise and perspectives from four key stakeholders: decision and policy makers, non-governmental organizations, science communicators, and business and industry. This will be achieved through this workshop. Informed understanding of the nature and value of science is necessary in order to regain public endorsement of the scientific enterprise and public support for efforts to preserve America's scientific leadership. The proposed workshop will result in a procedural plan for the development of a national network and campaign that will focus on sharing science with a broader audience in order to improve public perception and understanding of science and to re-engage the public with science. This effort will bring together researchers from all science disciplines and will facilitate collaborations with representatives from education, business, government, and the media.