Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1992 08:20:24 -0500 >From: "(Gary Chapman)" Subject: File 2--Carnegie Commission on S&T Policy/Long-Term Goals The Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government has released a new report on democracy and science and technology policy, entitled, "Enabling the Future: Linking Science and Technology to Societal Goals" (September 1992). The report was prepared by a small panel that was a subset of a larger group studying the entire range of science and technology policy issues; the larger group's report has not yet been released. The panel on long-term social goals was chaired by H. Guyford Stever, who was director of the National Science Foundation during the Ford administration, White House Science Adviser to both Nixon and Ford, and president of Carnegie-Mellon University >from 1965 to 1972. Panel members included Harvey Brooks of Harvard University; William D. Carey, former head of AAAS; John Gibbons, director of the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment; Rodney Nichols, head of the New York Academy of Sciences; James B. Wyngaarden, foreign secretary of the National Academy of Sciences and former head of the National Institutes of Health; and Charles Zracket, former CEO of the MITRE Corporation and now a Scholar-in-Residence at the Kennedy School at Harvard University. This report begins as follows: The end of the Cold War, the rise of other economically and scientifically powerful nations, and competition in the international economy present great opportunities for the United States to address societal needs: policy- makers may now focus more attention on social and econo- mic concerns and less on potential military conflicts. In the next decade and those that follow, the United States will confront critical public policy issues that are intimately connected with advances in science and technology. . . . Policy issues will not be resolved by citizens, scientists, business executives, or government officials working alone; addressing them effectively will require the concerted efforts of all sectors of society. Further on, a passage worth quoting at some length: We believe that American faces a clear choice. For too long, our science and technology policies, apart from support of basic research, have emphasized short-term solutions while neglecting longer-term objectives. If this emphasis continues, the problems we have encountered in recent years, such as erosion of the nation's indust- rial competitiveness and the difficulties of meeting increasingly challenging standards of environmental quality, could overwhelm promising opportunities for progress. However, we believe there is an alternative. The United States could base its S&T policies more firmly on long-range considerations and link these policies to societal goals through more comprehensive assessment of opportunities, costs, and benefits. We emphasize the necessity for choice because there is nothing inevitable about the shape of the future: the policy decisions we make today will determine whether historic opportunities will be seized or squandered. . . As Frank Press, President of the National Academy of Sciences, said recently, "Without a vision of the future, there is no basis for choosing policies in science and technology that will be appropriate for the years ahead." The panel says that their report does not propose societal goals that should be met by changing S&T policy; "we believe this is primarily a political process," the report says. The report instead addresses the process of defining social goals and shaping policy to meet them. There are five major recommendations of the panel: 1. Establishment of a nongovernmental National Forum on Science and Technology Goals. This Forum, says the report, would "assemble a broad-based and diverse group of individuals who are both critical and innovative, and who can examine societal goals and the ways in which science and technology can best contribute to their achievement." This group would also sponsor meetings and research, and would eventually propose "specific long-term S&T goals in both national and international contexts, and identify milestones in achieving them." The panel proposes two options for the convening of such a National Forum: under the umbrella of the National Academies, or as a new, independent, nongovernmental organization. 2. The panel says that "Congress should devote more explicit attention to long-term S&T goals in its budget, authorization, appropriation, and oversight procedures." The panel recommends annual or biennial hearings on long-term S&T goals before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. 3. The panel suggests that federal government agencies supporting science and technology policy should be directed to aid the Congress in assessing long-term S&T goals, such as OTA and the Congressional Budget Office. 4. The same goes for executive branch agencies, particularly the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of Management and Budget. 5. Finally, federal departments and agencies should contribute to the process of developing long-term goals by coordinating R&D efforts and sponsoring extramural research that helps support analysis and vision. The panel does propose some potential societal goals that might be addressed through the process the report recommends. The goals are very broad and include education; personal and public health; cultural pluralism; economic growth; full employment; international cooperation; worldwide sustainable development; and human rights, among other very expansive goals. The report also identifies the "players" that should be part of the process of policymaking. These include the above-mentioned components of the federal government, state governments, academia, industry, and nongovernmental organizations. In the latter category, the panel mentions professional societies in science and technology, environmental organizations, and the National Academies complex, which includes the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Research Council. The report very admirably concludes with a quote from Einstein: "The concern for man and his destiny must always be the chief interest of all technical effort: Never forget it among your diagrams and equations." Copies of the 72-page report are available for free from: The Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government 10 Waverly Place, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10003 (212) 998-2150 (voice) (212) 995-3181 (fax) Gary Chapman Coordinator The 21st Century Project Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility Cambridge, Massachusetts chapman@lcs.mit.edu Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253