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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Limiting Factor of “The Endless Frontier” Is Still a Human One

Shirley M. Malcom

In science policy circles, the human resources challenge of research rarely receives the attention it urgently needs and deserves for the United States to remain a leader in advancing the next generation of science. Realizing the nation’s scientific potential will depend on finally adopting necessary—and long-overdue—systemic changes to its institutions that will allow it to build and foster a robust talent pool, leading to a more diverse scientific and technical workforce.Read More

STEM Workforce

Is There Really a STEM Workforce Shortage?

Ron Hira

Claims that there is a significant shortage of scientific and technical talent in the United States have been an ongoing feature of STEM workforce policy discussions. But for just as long, many experts have argued that the available data tell a different story.Read More

Keeping the World Going

The Grind Challenges

Guru Madhavan

The grand challenges of engineering are widely celebrated, but the grind challenges—the myriad interlocking tasks that keep our highly engineered world functioning—go underappreciated. Giving them their due provides a more mature vision for conceiving and communicating engineering.Read More

Biotech Innovation

Reinventing the Peach, the Pimento, and Regional Identity

Cynthia R. Greenlee

At the turn of the twentieth century, the South was producing powerful discourses that blended grievance and aspiration. Such shared stories fueled innovation—in part because these improvement narratives inherently assessed what was not working and why.Read More

Artificial Intelligence

AI Designed With Humans in Mind

Angelique Taylor

Human-centered design forefronts the need to maintain human control over artificial intelligence to ensure that systems are safe, reliable, and trustworthy. Understanding how the AI has succeeded or failed over time can prepare designers to plan for future situations users might encounter.Read More

In Focus

the next 75 years of science policy

NEW! The Summer Issue

The Summer 2022 Issues explores the role of networks in innovation policy, rebuilding Ukrainian science, the science of mentoring, perfecting the peach, and much more. 

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STEM Equity

Expanding Science Fellowship Opportunities

Megan E. Damico, Sharon A. Rivera, Jacob B. Ruden, Alyssa Shearer, Alejandra Villegas Lopez

Receiving a prestigious fellowship for graduate science training can transform the recipient’s academic and professional career. But some of the most respected fellowships are awarded disproportionately to students at a small number of very well-resourced universities.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

Reshaping NSF

Fostering Innovation to Strengthen US 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

News

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

Lessons for Protecting African Wildlife Parks

Students Tackle Ecofriendly Bioplastics

Extreme Rainfall Threatens Infrastructure

Returning Martian Samples to Earth—Safely

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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