THE LATEST

Biosecurity

When All Research Is Dual Use

Sam Weiss Evans

For most of the last century, the science and policy community has chosen a path that built a scientific-industrial structure based on the assumption that the best way to maximize the societal benefits from science was to leave it to its own devices, divorced from the society it ostensibly serves. But as the world grows ever more complex, is this still the best way? Was it ever?Read More

Biosafety

Charting a New Course for Biosafety

David Gillum, Rebecca Moritz, Yong-Bee Lim, Kathleen Vogel

A well-designed biosafety strategy is necessary to resolve today’s inconsistent governance while catalyzing scientific innovation, economic growth, and public benefits. Modern biosafety efforts should break with tradition and take a fresh, proactive, risk-based approach to understand, detect, and mitigate biosafety risks. Read More

Data Systems

Building a Data Infrastructure for the Bioeconomy

Gopal P. Sarma, Melissa Haendel

In an era of rapid environmental change, sophisticated biological threats, and an economy enabled by biotechnology, the United States should establish a standing capacity to collect, harmonize, and sustain a wide range of data types and sources.Read More

Engineering Biology

Building a Bottom-Up Bioeconomy

Philip Shapira, Nicholas E. Matthews, Carrie A. Cizauskas, Emily R. Aurand, Douglas C. Friedman, Donovan S. Layton, Mary E. Maxon, Megan J. Palmer, Laurence Stamford

New approaches enabled by advances in engineering biology could be used to bolster more equitable and resilient societies and foster sustainable “circular” economies that can reduce waste and pollution, reuse materials, and more readily address climate and other environmental challenges.Read More

Reshaping NSF

Fostering Innovation to Strengthen Competitiveness

Steven C. Currall, Venkatesh Narayanamurti

American competitiveness—and the effectiveness of the National Science Foundation’s new directorate—can be maximized by fostering breakthrough innovations. Here are evidence-based principles drawn from scholarship and previous experience that can serve as a guide to building institutions that promote innovation.Read More

Orbital Debris

A Montreal Protocol for Space Junk?

Stephen J. Garber, Lisa Ruth Rand

The growing number of near misses between orbital debris and spacecraft has prompted calls for a more robust and consistent space traffic management system to safeguard astronauts and to ensure the continued functioning of crucial satellite infrastructure. But it has been difficult to spur action on debris. Could treating it as pollution be an answer?Read More

The Spring Issue

The Spring 2022 Issues features a discussion with Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman, a look at the role of power thieves in modernizing Mexico City, an exploration of lethal autonomous weapons regulation, and much more. 

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Youth Mental Health

When Youth Are Experts in the Field

Erin G. Fox, Nicole F. Kahn, Gabrielle Battle

To make research relevant and responsive to the diverse lived experiences of young people, it must incorporate the personal knowledge about the world gained through firsthand accounts of everyday events rather than through representations constructed by other people.Read More

Federal Science Funding

Revisiting NSF’s Founding Compromise

Nicholas Robichaud, Jessica L. Rosenberg, James L. Olds

Over the past 70 years, the National Science Foundation and the National Science Board have created a national ecosystem for scientific innovation that has enabled generations of discoveries and discoverers. It’s now time to revisit how NSF and NSB work together.Read More

Geopolitical Competition

Democracies Must Coordinate Industrial Policies

Bruce R. Guile, Stephen Johnson, David Teece, Laura D. Tyson

Without immediate moves to implement public-private cross-border collaboration among liberal democracies, there is a growing risk that these countries will be outmatched by China in essential emerging industries.Read More

Research Integrity

Protecting the Integrity of Federal Science

Elizabeth Southerland

Federal science will only be protected if senior leaders are held accountable and all employees feel comfortable filing reports of possible violations. Current efforts to protect scientific integrity don’t go far enough.Read More

News

Connecting today’s headlines with deeper policy analyses from the Issues archives.

Pentagon Staying Mum on UFOs

Protecting Coastlines by Limiting Flood Insurance

Texas Electric Grid Comes Up Short—Again

Balancing Green Tech and Mineral Needs

Creativity During COVID

cpnas creative responses archive

A Time Capsule of Creative Responses to the Pandemic

Creativity often flourishes in stressful times. A remarkable collection of creative responses from individuals, communities, organizations, and industries is now available to explore in a new archive.Read More

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