Incommensurability as central enabler of cross-disciplinary collaborations is discussed by Darryn Reid in his blog post at https://i2insights.org/2021/03/30/capitalising-on-incommensurability/. It illuminates problem choices & points to better problems for collaborative creation & testing of candidate solutions. It means that growth of knowledge is better understood through successive revolutions in problem conceptions than in evolution of solutions. Incommensurability is therefore not an obstacle but worthy of celebration for advancement of knowledge.
===================================================
Professor Gabriele Bammer
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health
Research School of Population Health
ANU College of Health and Medicine
The Australian National University
62 Mills Road
Acton ACT 2601
+61 2 6125 0716
Gabriele.Bammer(a)anu.edu.au<mailto:Gabriele.Bammer@anu.edu.au>
@GabrieleBammer
http://i2s.anu.edu.au<http://www.anu.edu.au/iisn>
http://I2Insights.org
CRICOS Provider # 00120C
===================================================
Hi everyone,
I am hiring for many S&T policy analysts and related roles. Maybe some in
this community know of great analysts looking for career advancement.
Please consider and share. Could be relevant to a former student or postdoc.
Three of the roles, for those at the intersection of science & policy &
decision-making & data:
- Lead S&T Analyst
<https://digitalscience.applytojob.com/apply/uZaxYXdji1/Lead-Scientific-And-…>
- Scientific Research Analyst
<https://digitalscience.applytojob.com/apply/mnwU42Ky9M/Scientific-Research-…>
- Director Research Analytics
<https://digitalscience.applytojob.com/apply/JuZfYkwAyw/Director-Research-An…>
Some attributes common to these roles that may be appealing:
- direct impact on science and research via service to S&T management
and policy. decision makers at US federal agencies and similar
organizations globally (thousands of science organizations).
- a high volume and variety of analyses, working iteratively with
customers.
- analyses ranges from traditional bibliometrics, to scientific
portfolio analysis, to horizon scanning & technology forecasting, to
research impact, to global landscape studies, to program evaluation, to...
- a large and growing analytical team to lean on and learn from, with
leadership opportunities.
- support in the form of lots of data, toolkits, reusable code and
libraries, and an informal collaborative culture focused on world-class
analysis and thoughtful service.
- relevant to all levels of experience and skills, must have at least
some foundation of experience and skills to be productive from day one.
Thank you,
Ashlea
Ashlea Higgs
a.higgs(a)digital-science.com
202.642.2660
Managing Director, Government & Funders, Digital Science
Co-founder, Dimensions
<https://digitalscience.applytojob.com/apply/JuZfYkwAyw/Director-Research-An…>
<https://digitalscience.applytojob.com/apply/uZaxYXdji1/Lead-Scientific-And-…>
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Digital Science they represent.
Derrick Anderson of Arizona State University and I have recently published "Integrating Logics in the Governance of Emerging Technologies: The Case of Nanotechnology" in the Cambridge University Press Elements Series in Public Policy.
It is available open access until April 2, 2021 at https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/integrating-logics-in-the-governanc…
Here's the blurb:
"The governance of emerging technologies does not follow a single governance paradigm because of complex interactions between government, industry, and civil actors. In this Element, we will argue that for emerging technologies, governance is a ‘convergent paradigm’. We introduce governance issues associated with emerging technologies generally before turning to the specifics of nanotechnology. We then approach governance theory and practice by considering different perspectives on governance by their different orientations with respect to object and process. Finally, we construct a matrix of object and process oriented governance activities observed in the case of nanotechnology in the United States."
Please reach out to Derrick or me if you have any questions or thoughts about this project.
Best regards,
Andy Whitford
--
Andy Whitford
aw(a)uga.edu
http://www.andrewwhitford.com
4 key issues to foster transdisciplinary research in Africa are discussed by Basirat Oyalowo in her blog post at https://i2insights.org/2021/03/23/transdisciplinary-research-in-africa/. They are: 1) decolonise research, so that interrogate relevance, form equitable partnerships, shift centre of research gravity, 2) build ethical relationships with professional bodies, civil society, communities, private sector etc, 3) collaborate at a distance with good technology not only during pandemic, but also to cut costs, 4) communicate research to policy sector & other communities of users. Do you have relevant experiences to share?
===================================================
Professor Gabriele Bammer
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health
Research School of Population Health
ANU College of Health and Medicine
The Australian National University
62 Mills Road
Acton ACT 2601
+61 2 6125 0716
Gabriele.Bammer(a)anu.edu.au<mailto:Gabriele.Bammer@anu.edu.au>
@GabrieleBammer
http://i2s.anu.edu.au<http://www.anu.edu.au/iisn>
http://I2Insights.org
CRICOS Provider # 00120C
===================================================
Hi everyone,
I thought those of you who submit proposals to NSF might be interested in this new Dear Colleague Letter on broader impacts for SBE proposals: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21059/nsf21059.jsp.
A short release associated with the letter:
A new framework for articulating broader impacts in research proposals is now available from the U.S. National Science Foundation's Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences.
NSF's existing criteria for evaluating research proposals through both intellectual merit and broader impacts remain unchanged. The new framework offers guidance on how researchers can better articulate the potential impacts of their proposed research and how those impacts can lead to benefits for society, including improved quality of life. The framework includes questions for researchers to consider when developing the broader impacts of their research and suggestions on how to explain them.
"By effectively describing a project's potential broader impacts, researchers can help others understand the relevance of that research to their lives," says Arthur Lupia, head of NSF's Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences. "As more researchers do this, more people in the U.S. will understand the tremendous and irreplaceable public value of fundamental research in the social, behavioral and economic sciences."
Josh
[cid:image002.png@01D71EEB.DF5AB2D0]
Josh Trapani, Ph.D. (always "Josh," never "Joshua" please)
Program Director, Science of Science: Discovery, Communication, and Impact (SoS:DCI)<https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505730>
Senior Analyst, Science and Engineering Indicators<https://ncses.nsf.gov/indicators>
Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE)
National Science Foundation
2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandra VA 22314
10 lessons for interdisciplinary collaborations from the science of team science are described by Suzi Spitzer in her revisited blog post at http://i2insights.org/2018/06/19/interdisciplinarity-and-science-of-team-sc…
They are: 1) team up with the right people, 2) start off on the right note, 3) practice self-awareness as a leader, 4) employ different styles of collaboration to balance efficiency & integration, 5) go beyond avoiding jargon to develop a shared understanding, 6) use visualizations as translation tools, 7) do not avoid conflict, it is inevitable and can be healthy, 8) share knowledge and advice, 9) build in 'alone time' to maximise team creativity, 10) think about collaboration as a scientific virtue.
===================================================
Professor Gabriele Bammer
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health
Research School of Population Health
ANU College of Health and Medicine
The Australian National University
62 Mills Road
Acton ACT 2601
+61 2 6125 0716
Gabriele.Bammer(a)anu.edu.au<mailto:Gabriele.Bammer@anu.edu.au>
@GabrieleBammer
http://i2s.anu.edu.au<http://www.anu.edu.au/iisn>
http://I2Insights.org
CRICOS Provider # 00120C
===================================================
4 rules of thumb for selecting among frameworks for evaluating research impact are presented by Elena Louder, Carina Wyborn, Christopher Cvitanovic & Angela T. Bednarek in their blog post at https://i2insights.org/2021/03/16/evaluating-research-impact/. They are 1) Be clear about underlying assumptions of knowledge production & definitions of impact, 2) Attempt to measure intermediate & process-related impacts, 3) Balance emergent & expected outcomes and 4) Balance indicators that capture nuance & those that simplify. Are there others you would add?
===================================================
Professor Gabriele Bammer
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health
Research School of Population Health
ANU College of Health and Medicine
The Australian National University
62 Mills Road
Acton ACT 2601
+61 2 6125 0716
Gabriele.Bammer(a)anu.edu.au<mailto:Gabriele.Bammer@anu.edu.au>
@GabrieleBammer
http://i2s.anu.edu.au<http://www.anu.edu.au/iisn>
http://I2Insights.org
CRICOS Provider # 00120C
===================================================
Colleagues,
Please join the Washington DC chapter of the Technology Transfer Society for our monthly Technology Transfer and Innovation Forum in March. Our speakers are Dr. Tim Persons, Chief Scientist of the US Government Accountability Office (the audit and performance assessment agency for the US Congress) and Dr. Karen Howard, Technology Assessment Director. They will present about the recently-created Science, Technology Assessment and Analytics Team at GAO, which in part is designed to provide functions similar to the now-defunct Office of Technology Assessment. The event is via Zoom at noon on March 17 US Eastern time. More information and a link to register (free) is shown below. You can read a background piece by Dr. Persons at https://issues.org/the-return-of-science-and-technology-assessment-for-cong… and responses by three well-known commentators on US technology policy at https://issues.org/debating-gao-and-st-forum/. The GAO recently published the final version of its Technology Assessment Handbook at https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-347g<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gao.g…>.
-jeff
----------------------------------------------
Jeffrey M. Alexander, Ph.D.
Director, Innovation Policy
RTI International
6110 Executive Boulevard, Suite 900
Rockville, MD 20852
Phone +1.301.230.4656
https://www.rti.org/expert/jeffrey-m-alexanderhttp://www.rti.org
RTI: Delivering the promise of science for global good
Technology Transfer and Innovation Forum Series
This meeting will be conducted entirely online via Zoom. You must register for the meeting to receive the Zoom link, which will be sent to you by e-mail by March 16.
Wednesday, Mar. 17, 2021
12:00 N - 1:30 PM
Subject: Expanding S&T Capacity and Analysis to Meet the Needs of Congress
Presenters:
Dr. Tim Persons, Chief Scientist and Managing Director of Science, Technology Assessment and Analytics
Dr. Karen Howard, Director of Technology Assessment
US Government Accountability Office
Location: On-line presentation
Registration: Free, but registration is required to attend
Register at https://t2sdcforum11-6.eventbrite.com<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ft2sdcforu…>
Information on remote access (via Zoom) will be distributed to registrants prior to the forum.
Cooperating Organizations:
Technology Transfer Society, Washington Chapter (T2SDC.org)
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU.org)
Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA.org)
The Federal Laboratory Consortium (federallabs.org)
National Council of Entrepreneurial Technology Transfer (NCET2.org)
The Entrepreneur Center@The Northern Virginia Technology Council (nvtc.org)
Maryland Technology Development Corp. (tedco.md)
Johns Hopkins BioTech Network (hopkinsbio.org)
Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. (https://thinkmoco.com/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthinkmoco…>)
Abstract:
Rapid developments in S&T are transforming multiple sectors of society. Like all technological change, these developments bring both opportunities and the potential for unintended consequences. The ability of Congress to understand, evaluate, and prepare for such changes will be critical for the United States to remain secure, innovative, and globally competitive. In January 2019, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) created the Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics (STAA) team to build on and expand its decades-long work providing Congress with S&T analysis. STAA is a large interdisciplinary technical team that advises Congress, generates policy options, and informs legislation on topics in the computational sciences (such as artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics), physical sciences (such as sustainable chemistry and nuclear waste management), life sciences (such as epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases and biosurety of Select Agents), and engineering (such as IoT, 3D printing, and hypersonic systems). Dr. Tim Persons and Dr. Karen Howard will discuss STAA's history, organization, and its technology assessment portfolio.
The Speakers:
Dr. Timothy M. Persons is the Chief Scientist and Managing Director of the Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics team of the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO - the oversight, insight, and foresight entity of the U.S. Congress). Dr. Persons is the founder of GAO's Innovation Lab - an exploratory research and development environment for advanced data analytic activities as well as the exploration of emerging technologies at GAO. He also is the managing executive director of GAO's science, technology, and engineering portfolio - including technology assessment, technical assistance, and engineering in support of the Congress and GAO. In these roles he leads He also directed the production and release of GAO's Best Practices Guides - Cost, Schedule, Technology Readiness Assessment, and Agile Software Development. Prior to joining GAO, Dr. Persons served as the Technical Director for the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) as well as the technical lead for Quantum Information Sciences and Biometrics research groups for the Information Assurance Directorate at the National Security Agency. Dr. Persons is a recipient of a 2020 Fed 100 Award in recognition of national leadership in artificial intelligence and machine learning, a 2016 James Madison University (JMU) Distinguished Alumnus Award, a 2014 GAO Distinguished Service Award, among other honors. Dr. Persons received his B.Sc. (Physics) from JMU, a M.Sc. (Nuclear Physics) from Emory University, and M.Sc. (Computer Science) and Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering) degrees from Wake Forest University.
Dr. Karen Howard, as a Director in GAO's Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics team, manages teams covering a broad portfolio of topics at the nexus of science, technology, and policy, including sustainable chemistry, forensic algorithms, applications of artificial intelligence in health care, ocean acidification, management of toxic chemicals and emerging contaminants, water quality challenges, and a range of other science and technology issues. Prior to joining GAO, Dr. Howard enjoyed a 12-year career as a high school chemistry and biology teacher. Upon her initial appointment to GAO, she worked as an analyst in GAO's Health Care team, examining federal management of public health issues, drug pricing across federal programs, and FDA's drug and medical device approval processes. She holds dual bachelor's degrees in Biology and Secondary Education, a master's in Education, a master's in Analytical Chemistry, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry.
Hi All,
You may be interested in working papers being pulled together in an effort to assess the challenges of the current national and international innovation system. This link below takes you to the full set. The most recent one at the bottom is mine: "Flows and Networks Among the Top R&D Nations." Comments welcome, as always.
https://www.brginstitute.org/working-papers<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.brginstitute.org/working-papers__;!!…>
Caroline Wagner
wagner.911(a)osu.edu