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

该奖项支持一个研讨会，让广大科学和教育界成员、政府机构、企业和媒体参与讨论，更好地为开展全国性运动或网络以提高公众对科学的理解和参与提供信息。讲习班的主要目标是(1)建立广泛的共识，(2)阐明这一网络的特点、战略、组织和活动，以及(3)制定执行计划。讲习班的产品将包括：(1)发展这一运动和网络的程序计划；(2)一套优先活动和服务；(3)业务计划和筹资建议；(4)适当宣传运动和网络目标的印刷材料；以及(5)为网上出版而设计的讲习班建议报告。科学、教育和企业界的广泛人士继续担心，科学和我们在科学领域的领导地位正处于危险之中。在最近针对这一担忧的报告中提出的建议中，有必要重新赢得公众对科学事业的支持，以及他们对维护美国科学领导地位的努力的支持。为了审议这一问题，2006年1月25日至27日在加利福尼亚州伯克利举办了一次研讨会，聚集了一小群不同的人，开始讨论创建一项全国性的努力，重点是提高公众对科学的理解和参与。与会者一致认为，要让公众重新参与科学，最好是通过在地方、地区和国家各级开展一项协调的全国性运动或一系列计划来实现。为了阐明这一努力的特点、战略和管理模式，与会者得出结论认为，有必要召开第二次研讨会，吸收四个主要利益攸关方的专门知识和观点：决策者和政策制定者、非政府组织、科学传播者以及工商界。这将通过这次研讨会来实现。为了重新赢得公众对科学事业的认可和公众对维护美国科学领导地位的努力的支持，对科学的性质和价值的知情理解是必要的。拟议的讲习班将产生一项发展国家网络和运动的程序性计划，其重点将是与更广泛的受众分享科学，以提高公众对科学的认识和理解，并使公众重新参与科学。这一努力将把所有科学学科的研究人员聚集在一起，并将促进与教育、商业、政府和媒体代表的合作。

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.