Accelerating Scientific Innovation to Benefit Society

11:00 AM Accelerating Scientific Innovation to Benefit Society

Moderator: William Provine, President and CEO, Delaware Innovation Space & DuPont

Emboldening Peer Review to Foster and Reward Transformative Ideas: Keith Yamamoto, Vice Chancellor for Science Policy and Strategy, University of California, San Francisco

Beyond Traditional Classes: How to Prepare University Graduates to Have an Impact in the World: Vanessa Chan, Professor of Practice, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania

Building Trust in Scientific Innovation to Solve Healthcare Challenges Around the World: Seema Kumar, Vice President of Innovation, Global Health and Policy Communication, Johnson & Johnson

Unintended Consequences of Emerging Technologies: Anticipating Societal Issues: Katina Michael, Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University

Program Highlights

Keynotes will highlight issues such as:

• Why Society Needs Science and Science Needs Society

• Fostering A New Generation of Scientists

• As Science and Technology Respond, How Policy Can Keep Pace

Session topics include:

• State of the Scientific Research Enterprise in 2019

• Accelerating Scientific Innovation Systems

• Who Sets the Research Agenda?

• Improving Our Future Research Culture to Strengthen Science 

Participatory sessions include:

• National Security and Science

• Societal Implications of AI

• Promoting Trust in Science

Key questions:

·       How do you see culture intersecting with innovation?  e.g., how do you see China innovating better or worse than the US?   What about places like Singapore?
·       Do you see European approach with “precautionary principle” and advanced privacy rules as good or bad for innovation?
·       How do you see public trust issues intersecting with enabling or impeding innovation?
·       What is the role of regulation and policy with emerging science and technology and/or innovation overall?
·       How do you see the push for Open Access in helping or impeding innovation?  What about high quality peer reviewed journals such as Science and Nature?
·       What about the current US political landscape in supporting innovation?
·       Investors?  Short term focus?  What about longer payback game changing innovations?  Who will fund?
·       What about price, affordability, and ROI for innovation?  How do we enable access to all for items like new treatments, best in class medicines, etc.?
·       The role of the entrepreneur – where do you see startups playing a critical role in accelerating innovation?
·       What about the role of government?  Where do you see the US government playing a critical role in accelerating innovation?  impeding innovation?

 ·       What does it mean to innovate responsibly?
·       What happens when the societal issue was created through the introduction of an emerging technology, and the solution being posed to that problem is yet another emerging technology?
·       Are there any limits to science or innovation?

Citations: Katina Michael, “Unintended Consequences of Emerging Technologies: Anticipating Societal Issues“, Accelerating Scientific Innovation to Benefit Society, AAAS Science & Technology Forum 2019, 2-3 May 2019, http://www.cvent.com/events/aaas-forum-on-science-technology-policy/agenda-1ad8cc71a098407cb78bc4358a648ef1.aspx