Project

The Public Face of Science

Energy & Environment
Science & Technology
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Public Face of Science

The Public Face of Science project was dedicated to exploring the complex and evolving relationship between scientists and the public. This multi-year project engaged the expertise of a broad range of leaders in communication, law, humanities, the arts, journalism, public affairs, and the physical, social, and life sciences.

Featured publication

The Public Face of Science in America: Priorities for the Future

The Academy’s multi-year Public Face of Science initiative concludes with recommendations for improving connections between the public and science. The goals and findings of this initiative are increasingly urgent as the world faces COVID-19.
Overview

The Academy undertook the Public Face of Science initiative to explore and improve the connection between science and society in America. The project produced a trio of publications to respond to three core inquiries:

The COVID-19 crisis made the work exceptionally timely. A statement about the implications of COVID-19 and this project - issued by Richard A. Meserve, the Chair of this project, and Academy president David Oxtoby - highlights the inextricable connection between understanding science and ensuring a society’s well-being and, even, survival.

Additional publications from the project highlight public science perspectives around the world, advice for managing science during crisis, and an issue of Daedalus (the journal of the Academy) dedicated to science and the law.

The research and recommendations of the project are rooted in the recognition that improving science communication and engagement will strengthen the complex and evolving relationship between scientists and society, which is more important than ever. The Chair and Steering Committee benefited from a broad array of experts who participated in workshops and discussion groups at the beginning of the initiative and whose input guided the work.

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