SCIE 20403 Science Policy: Impacts & Opportunities
The advancements of science and technology have accelerated over the past century, leading to corresponding societal advances and impacts on different communities. While much of the public thinks these advances are natural, many are, in fact, the result of sustained commitment by the nation to support
science and technology through a deliberate set of policies. Federal policies affect science and technology on small and large scales, from undergraduate training grants to National Laboratories to State Department. Issues such as global climate change, energy sustainability, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, human genomics, and exponentially evolving technologies are among the most challenging and complex facing contemporary society and their impacts on local and native communities. This course will highlight the important role of national science policy in how science is used to affect large scale national and international policy decisions and how these decisions have or may impact minority and disadvantaged communities.