Dialog on Science Impact: Benchmarking External Efforts 

and Organizations 

By Nathan Wood 

Report Series 2006–1013 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey 
ii

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Gale A. Norton, Secretary 

U.S. Geological Survey 

P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director 

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, 2006 

For product and ordering information: 

World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod 

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS 

For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, 

its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: 

World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/ 

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS 

Suggested citation: Wood, Nathan, 2006, Dialog on Science Impact: Benchmarking External Efforts and 

Organizations: Menlo Park, CA. 

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply 

endorsement by the U.S. Government. 

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual 

copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report. 
iii

Contents 

Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................1

Science Synthesis..............................................................................................................................................................2

Perceptions and needs assessments .........................................................................................................................2

Participatory research...................................................................................................................................................3

Guidelines on the use of science.................................................................................................................................4

Nonresearch mechanisms to facilitate integration..................................................................................................4

Coordination with external organizations ..................................................................................................................5

External funding ..............................................................................................................................................................5

Science Applications.........................................................................................................................................................6

Decision-support tools and methods ..........................................................................................................................6

Application-development centers ...............................................................................................................................6

Integrated science assessments.................................................................................................................................7

Policy analysis.................................................................................................................................................................8

Science Evaluations...........................................................................................................................................................8

Role and value of science in decisionmaking ...........................................................................................................8

Implications of science and technology for society ................................................................................................9

Risk communication .......................................................................................................................................................9

Science advisory groups.............................................................................................................................................10

Summary ............................................................................................................................................................................10

Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................................................10

References Cited ..............................................................................................................................................................10

Appendix A. Organizations Cited ...................................................................................................................................11

Appendix B. Summaries of Individual Organizations.................................................................................................16
Dialog on Science Impact: Benchmarking External 

Efforts and Organizations 

By Nathan Wood 

Introduction 

This report summarizes the efforts of organizations external to the U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) that focus on improving the use of science to support societal decisionmaking. This 

information was collected to provide the USGS with additional program ideas and potential 

avenues for collaboration as it develops the Science Impact Program (USGS 2005). 

The Science Impact Program, a research program dedicated to increasing the use and value 

of USGS science in societal decisionmaking, is a focused effort by the USGS to enhance its 

program performance and science delivery in support of the Department of the Interior’s “Four 

C’s”: consultation, cooperation, and communication – all in the service of conservation (DOI 

2003). The benchmarking effort described in this report is a first step for the USGS toward 

consulting other federal agencies and nations, as well as academic groups and the private sector, to 

exchange ideas and best practices for improving the use of science in decisionmaking. The USGS 

can then cooperate with external organizations in areas of mutual interest so as to develop new 

ways to communicate the best available science. This integrated and collaborative approach will 

increase the relevance, utility, and customer value of USGS science. 

The USGS has much to learn from external organizations, such as about the organizational 

frameworks of research/application-development centers and guidelines on the use of science in 

societal decisionmaking. Federal agencies take various approaches to expand the use of science in 

decisionmaking, including the establishment of application centers (e.g. the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]’s Coastal Services Center) and science-policy councils 

headed by science advisors (e.g., the Environmental Protection Agency). Much documentation is 

also available from European organizations and agencies that focus on the science/society interface. 

Data for this study, which were collected in the summer of 2004 via an Internet search, are 

organized in this report by the three primary activities of the USGS Science Impact Program: 

• science synthesis; 

• science applications; and 

• science evaluations. 

Keywords used in the Internet search included “science-society,” “science impact,” and “science 

and decisionmaking.” The types of external organizations included in this search are academic 

departments, nonprofit organizations, State and local governments, federal agencies, other nations, 

and international organizations. The main body of this report describes common themes observed 

in the various efforts, in which each of the subsequent sections focuses on one of the three primary 

activities of the Science Impact Program. For additional information on a specific organization, see 

Appendix A, which lists organization web-sites for quick reference, and Appendix B, which 

provides detailed overviews of individual organizations. 

1
This report is not an exhaustive list of efforts, but a first step toward what the USGS 

Science Impact Program must continue to do every year as it matures. An annual review of external 

benchmarking conducted by the Science Impact Program Coordinator’s office will provide the 

program with new ideas and contacts for collaboration on projects. Increased communication, 

collaboration, and coordination with related agencies in the Federal community, State and local 

governments, and other nations on the issue of improving the science/society interface directly 

supports the Department of the Interior’s aim for results-oriented performance goals (DOI 2003). 

After identifying external efforts, the Science Impact Program needs to collaborate with 

some of the organizations listed in this report in order to examine and evaluate what makes for a 

successful use of science in societal decisionmaking. This evaluation of the societal impact of 

science would allow the program to begin to formulate a successful strategy for integrating science 

with societal decisionmaking. Note that Science Impact Partnership Universities (USGS 2005), 

established to provide specialized skills for the Science Impact Program, are not included in this 

external benchmarking because they are now part of the overall program. 

Science Synthesis 

Science-synthesis activities of the USGS Science Impact Program include the development, 

testing, evaluation, and application of methods and processes to facilitate an expanded and more 

effective use of USGS science to inform societal decisionmaking. Societal issues, disputes, and 

problems are linked with current and future science capabilities to determine the context within 

which science can most effectively support decisionmaking. Collaborative processes are used to 

define the research questions that need to be answered to provide effective solutions. 

Perceptions and needs assessments 

Various organizations have research programs to assess the needs and opportunities for 

science in support of decisionmaking. Because decisionmakers’ perceptions are a major influence 

on the context within which science is used, many organizations also conduct general landscape 

and risk perception studies. For example: 

• The Mineral Management Service’s Environmental Studies Program conducts issuesidentification studies related to oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf. These 

studies include the identification of the various stakeholders, their issues and concerns toward 

the environment, risk assessment, opportunities for public involvement, areas of potential 

conflict and resolution, and significant issues for further research. 

• The U.S. Forest Service Focused Science Delivery (FSD) Program holds formal discussions 

biennially with policymakers and managers to select upcoming topics for the FSD Program.

• The NOAA Coastal Services Center conducts a survey every 2 years that focuses on the issues 

and needs of its customers, including the types of needed training and geographic-informationsystem (GIS)-based applications that need to be developed.

• The U.K. Climate Impacts Program (UKCIP) of the University of Oxford’s Department for 

Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs conducts studies of climate-change impacts as 

commissioned by stakeholders, including the formulation of research agendas. 

In addition, the Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup, the National Park Service’s Nature and 

Science Program, the Scottish Universities Policy Research and Advice Network, the Center for 

Science and Technology Policy Research at the University of Colorado – Boulder, the 

2
Environmental and Societal Impacts Group of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the 

National Science and Technology Center of the Bureau of Land Management, the New Zealand 

Ministry of Research, Science, and Technology’s Science in Society program, the Centre for 

Research into Innovation, Culture, and Technology at Brunel University, the Consortium for 

Science, Policy & Outcomes at Arizona State University and the Policy Studies Institute – 

Environmental Group at the University of Westminster all conduct research on the decision-support 

role of science. Additional information on each of these organizations is provided in Appendix B.

Participatory research 

Another avenue for determining the context within which science can most effectively 

support decisionmaking is to integrate science into societal decisionmaking and planning processes. 

Many models for this collaboration exist throughout the world, some of which are based on 

participatory research, while others are training opportunities. For example: 

• Training science facilitators to bridge the gap between researchers and managers. The Gulf of 

Maine Council on the Marine Environment’s Science Translation Project focuses on training 

“science translators” to work with resource managers, planners, and policymakers. The Center 

for Science and Technology Policy Research of the Cooperative Institute for Research in 

Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado-Boulder is implementing the concept of 

"information brokers" to improve the relevance and use of science in decisionmaking, 

specifically with regard to operational hydroclimate products. 

• Workshops to integrate science and planning. The Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup has 

organized a year-long suite of workshops focusing on city and county all-hazard mitigation 

planning and including USGS researchers in these workshops. The NOAA Coastal Services 

Center has established a Coastal Learning Center that includes a training facility in Charleston, 

SC, as well as the capacity to send trainers and facilitators throughout the world. Topics include 

the use of geospatial data in decisionmaking and coastal-management planning.

• Centers for public/researcher interaction. To provide opportunities both for the public to better 

understand science and for the researcher to better understand societal issues and needs. Science 

Shops have been coordinated under the Science and Society theme of the European 

Commission’s European Research Area (EUROPA) and the National Park Service’s Research 

Learning Centers. 

• Construction of models for interdisciplinary collaboration. The New Directions in the Earth 

Sciences and the Humanities initiative, directed by the Center for Science and Technology 

Policy at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the Colorado School of Mines, is an effort to 

construct new collaborative models where physical scientists, social scientists, and humanists 

can work together with public science agencies, the private sector, and communities to deepen 

understanding of, and promote effective responses to, environmental problems. The U.S. Forest 

Service Focused Science Delivery Program is developing ways to increase collaboration among 

researchers, policymakers, managers and the public for addressing complex resource 

management issues. The Deliberative Mapping Project of the Policy Studies Institute – 

Environmental Group at the University of Westminster examines how scientific, expert-driven 

risk-assessment techniques can be reconciled with deliberative approaches to public 

consultation.

In addition, the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and its yearly 

conference for researchers and practitioners, the U.K. Climate Impacts Program, the Scottish 

3
Universities Policy Research and Advice Network, the New Zealand Ministry of Research, Science 

and Technology’s Science in Society Program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 

Office of Science Policy and Technology Transfer, the Federation of Earth Science Information 

Partners, the U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s Public Engagement 

Programme, and the Environmental and Societal Impacts Group of the National Center for 

Atmospheric Research all conduct participatory research. Additional information on each of these 

organizations is provided in Appendix B.

Guidelines on the use of science 

Various organizations have published guidelines on topics related to the improved use of 

science in society. The USGS Science Impact Program will benefit from learning about these 

efforts and developing similar guidelines. For example: 

• Under its The Science and Society theme, the European Commission’s European Research 

Area (EUROPA) has published guidelines on such topics as principles and guidelines for 

scientists, public participation, public trust in scientific information, and action plans for 

integrating science and society.

• The U.K. Department of Trade and Industry’s Office of Science and Technology has published 

guidelines on public participation in science and technology and the use of science in 

policymaking.

• The Environmental Protection Agency’s report “Science to Support Rulemaking” (OIG 2002) 

addresses the role of science, the genesis of this science, and the extent to which the science 

was peer reviewed. 

• The Council for Excellence in Government and the Committee for Economic Development 

have published guidelines on the integration of government research into societal 

decisionmaking.

Nonresearch mechanisms to facilitate integration 

Many organizations are implementing nonresearch mechanisms to improve accessibility to 

their information. Similar, nonresearch actions can be taken by the USGS to facilitate and expand 

the use of its science. For example: 

• A searchable database of identified experts that allows the public to directly link to researchers 

and their project websites. Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and the 

Scientific Information for Policy Support in Europe (SINAPSE) project coordinated under the 

Science and Society theme of the European Commission’s European Research Area 

(EUROPA) are particularly noteworthy. SINAPSE is a toolkit that facilitates scientific 

coordination and collaboration in Europe, including a scientific “yellow pages” and a library of 

scientific opinions.

• Contextual information on the Federal policy process as it pertains to scientific issues. The 

American Society of Limnology and Oceanography has a Web site 

(http://aslo.org/policy/aslo.html) for its members that provides researchers with a contextual 

overview of how their research efforts are incorporated into the science-policy arena.

• An explorer database that allows users to link to project Web sites, access progress reports, get 

researcher contact information, and learn about programs. The Web site of the Cooperative 

Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology 

(http://www.ciceet.unh.edu/index_flash.html) is one such resource.

4
• Colocation of researchers with management groups. The Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit 

(CESU) initiative is an employee-colocation program designed to supply resource managers 

with research data and to maintain partnerships among Federal agencies and universities to 

share scientific resources and expertise. The USGS is a participating member in the CESU 

initiative, and the USGS Science Impact Program could become more directly involved.

Coordination with external organizations 

Many organizations focus on improving the integration of other organizations’ science into 

societal decisionmaking. To complement its research agenda on improving and expanding the use 

its science, the USGS should continue to foster relationships and seek to build new ones. For 

example, the Natural Hazards Caucus Workgroup strives to promote a wider understanding within 

Congress that reducing the risks and costs of natural disasters is a public value. The workgroup 

supports the efforts of the Congressional Natural Hazards Caucus, a partnership established under 

the leadership of co-chairs Senator Ted Stevens (AK) and Senator John Edwards (NC), to provide 

members with an opportunity to demonstrate their concern and commitment to reducing hazard 

losses.

In addition, the National Council for Science and the Environment, the Center for Science, 

Technology, and Congress of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the 

American Geological Institute’s Government Affairs Program, the President’s Office of Science 

and Technology Policy, the American Geophysical Union’s Science and Policy Program and the 

National Park Service’s Nature and Science Program all promote the use of science in societal 

decisionmaking. Additional information on each of these organizations is provided in Appendix B. 

External funding 

To foster greater science-impact innovation, many agencies fund external agencies and 

organizations. The USGS Science Impact Program, which continues this trend by establishing 

Science Impact Partnership Universities, can learn from these efforts. For example: 

• The Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security has 

established Homeland Security Centers of Excellence and National Research Centers, such as 

the National Visual Analytics Center at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. 

• Under its Earth Science Applications theme, the NASA Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) funds 

Affiliated Research Centers, Regional Earth Science Applications Centers, a National 

Oceanographic Partnership Program, and Small Business Innovation Research, as well as 

individual researchers at academic institutions.

• The Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology is a partnership 

between the NOAA and the University of New Hampshire (UNH) to use the capabilities of 

UNH, the private sector and academic and public research institutions throughout the United 

States, as well as the 26 reserves in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), 

to develop new environmental technologies and applications.

• The NOAA Coastal Services Center supports public- and private-sector practitioners for 

application-development projects in an annual proposal-driven funding program. 

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Science Policy and Technology 

Transfer funds 12 research centers across the country, as well as a series of outreach programs 

based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research, including a Bioterrorism 

Preparedness and Response Program. 

5
Science Applications 

Science-application activities of the USGS Science Impact Program include the 

development, testing, evaluation, and application of multidisciplinary tools and products to 

integrate USGS science with other relevant factors, including socioeconomic information, to more 

effectively inform decisionmaking.

Decision-support tools and methods 

One of the primary elements of the USGS Science Impact Program is the creation of tools 

and methods that directly support societal decisionmaking. This element has long been a 

component of other organizations’ programs. For example: 

• The Enterprise Development Impact Assessment Information Service (EDIAIS) provides a 

toolbox for resource managers that includes information and guidelines for participatory 

learning, stakeholder and value analysis, quantitative and qualitative methods, indicator 

development, and translating information to influence change. The EDIASIS is a joint project 

of the Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM) at Manchester University and 

Women in Sustainable Enterprise (WISE) Development Ltd.

• The Environmental and Societal Impacts Group of the University Corporation for Atmospheric 

Research at its National Center for Atmospheric Research is creating tools for handling 

uncertainty in meteorologic-risk assessments as a part of its project on “Climate Variability and 

Uncertainty in Flood Hazard Planning in Colorado.”

• The U.K. Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) at the University of Oxford has created tools to 

help organizations assess the effect of potential climate change. The UKCIP Adaptation Wizard 

is a decision-support tool designed to help a person from simple understanding of climate 

change to integration of climate-change issues into decision-making. The Scenarios Gateway, 

another UKCIP tool, provides access to climate-change-scenario data, as well as information 

and guidance on the use of these data-sets. 

• The Pacific Disaster Center, a public/private partnership managed by the East-West Center in 

Maui, Hawaii, has created the Asia Pacific Natural Hazards and Vulnerabilities Atlas, an online 

mapping application that combines baseline geographic and infrastructure data layers with 

historical and near-real-time data on natural hazard events including earthquakes, tsunamis, 

volcanoes, and tropical storms. The center serves as an information clearinghouse for the entire 

Pacific Basin.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created a series of indicators and conducts 

monitoring programs to support decisionmaking related to human health, including the National 

Vital Statistics System, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and the Behavioral Risk 

Factor Surveillance System. 

Application-development centers 

In addition to creating specific tools and methods that directly support societal 

decisionmaking, some organizations have established centers of excellence that focus on 

application development. For example: 

• The NOAA Coastal Services Center in Charleston, SC, was established to support the 

environmental, social, and economic well being of the coast by linking people, information, and 

technology. The center conducts research and application-development programs in remote 

sensing, GIS, and landscape characterization.

6
• The Pacific Disaster Center provides support for applied information research and analysis to 

disaster-management and humanitarian-assistance communities in the Asia Pacific region and 

beyond, with funding from Department of Defense appropriations and from Asian and Pacific 

Governments, private agencies, individuals and corporations.

• Under its The Earth Science Applications theme, the NASA Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) 

benchmarks practical uses of NASA-sponsored observations from Earth observation systems 

and predictions from Earth-science models. ESE programs focus on applications of national 

priority to expand and accelerate the use of the science and technology resulting from ESE’s 

goal of improving predictions in the areas of weather, climate, and natural hazards. The NASA 

Applications Research Division supplies Earth-science products for the advancement of earthsystem science in application to societal concerns. Primary projects include homeland security, 

energy management, public health, ecologic forecasting, water management, and scientific 

visualization. NASA funds Affiliated Research Centers to develop remote-sensing applications 

and Regional Earth Science Application Centers to conduct research on applied issues.

• The Bureau of Land Management’s National Science and Technology Center provides science 

and technology applications to bureau offices. 

In addition, the National Visual Analytics Center at the Department of Homeland Security’s 

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine 

Environmental Technology, and the University of New Hampshire all fund such application 

development. Additional information on each of these organizations is provided in Appendix B. 

Integrated science assessments 

One approach to improving the use of science in societal decisionmaking is to conduct 

research that requires the integration of natural and socioeconomic information. For example: 

• The Environmental and Societal Impacts Group of the University Corporation for Atmospheric 

Research’s National Center for Atmospheric Research has an active research program with 

numerous projects that focus on the integration of natural and socioeconomic research for 

addressing societal issues. The Wildland Fire Research and Development Collaboratory studies 

wildland-fire science, societal impacts, and operational applications and the Societal and 

Economic Impact subprogram of THe Observing System Research and Predictability 

EXperiment (THORPEX) is a 10-year international research program to improve forecasts of 

high-impact weather. 

• The Center for Science and Technology Policy Research at the University of Colorado, 

Boulder, conducts numerous research projects that focus on providing alternatives for science 

and technology policymakers. One such project is “Carbon Cycle Science: Reconciling Supply 

and Demand,” which attempts to map and assess the compatibility of the supply and demand 

sides of the carbon cycle. 

In addition, the Stockholm Environmental Institute at the University of York, the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Science Policy and Technology Transfer, the RAND 

Corp. Science and Technology Policy Institute, the Center for Health Policy, Law, and 

Management at Duke University, the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes at Arizona State 

University, the Leeds Institute of Environmental Science and Management at the University of 

Leeds, the Macaulay Institute of the U.K. Scottish Office, the Tyndall Center for Climate Change 

7
Research at the University of East Anglia, and the Policy Studies Institute – Environmental Group 

at the University of Westminster all conduct multi-disciplinary science studies.

Policy analysis 

Another approach to improving the use of science in societal decisionmaking is to conduct 

research on current policy issues. Scientific information, mainly in the form of scenario generation, 

is then directly used in decision support. For example:

• The U.K. Office of Science and Technology’s Foresight program aims to increase U.K. 

exploitation of science and provide future alternatives for decisionmakers. The program 

identifies potential opportunities for the economy or society from new science and technology, 

and actions to help realize those opportunities. Current topics include flood and coastal defense, 

cybertrust, exploiting the electromagnetic spectrum, and brain science and drugs.

• The RAND Corp. Science and Technology Policy Institute, created by act of Congress in 1991, 

is managed by the Institute of Defense Analysis and reports to the President’s Office of Science 

and Technology Policy. It conducts policy analysis as well as studies on the science-andtechnology components of broader issues, such as homeland security and education.

• The National Institute of Health (NIH)’s Office of Science Policy and Planning (OSPP) 

conducts research on the economic impact of science policies. Research focuses on the 

contributions of NIH science to increased life expectancy, reduced costs of illness and injury, 

and economic growth.

• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)’s Division of Economics provides technical 

assistance in support of the FWS' mission. Inhouse capabilities and experience include 

economic-impact analysis, policy analysis and legislative package and review assistance.

• The Marine Policy Center at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) conducts 

research that integrates economics, policy analysis, and law with WHOI’s basic strengths in 

ocean science and engineering.

In addition, the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes at Arizona State University, the 

Center for Environment and Planning at the University of the West England, the Cooperative 

Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences’ Center for Science and Technology Policy 

Research at the University of Colorado, Boulder, the Center for Health Policy Law and 

Management at Duke University, the Policy Studies Institute – Environmental Group at the 

University of Westminster, and the Center for International Science and Technology Policy in the 

Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University all conduct programs in 

science-policy analysis. Additional information on each of these organizations is provided in 

Appendix B.

Science Evaluations 

The USGS Science Impact Program focuses on creating methods and conducting analyses 

to evaluate and measure the effectiveness of USGS science in informing societal decisionmaking. 

Role and value of science in decisionmaking 

An important element of understanding the social context of science is its role and value in 

decisionmaking. For example: 

8
• The Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes’ Public Value Mapping project at Arizona 

State University seeks to develop tools and measures enabling a better understanding of the 

multiple factors in societal decisionmaking and the role of science as part of the web of 

institutions, networks, and groups giving rise to social impacts.

• The Environmental and Societal Impacts Group of the National Center for Atmospheric 

Research has an active research program that focuses on the use and value of science in 

decisionmaking, specifically for weather and climate issues.

In addition, the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research at the University of 

Colorado, Boulder, and the Policy Studies Institute – Environmental Group at the University of 

Westminster both study the social impact of science. Additional information on each of these 

organizations is provided in Appendix B.

Implications of science and technology for society 

Several research programs focus on examining the implications of scientific and 

technological advances for society. For example, the Institute for Environment, Philosophy and 

Public Policy at Lancaster University brings together academics from philosophy and the social 

sciences to develop fresh crossdisciplinary thinking about the growing range of social and ethical 

issues thrown up by new scientific and technological developments. 

In addition, the Space Policy Institute of the Center for International Science and 

Technology Policy in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, 

the Centre for Research into Innovation, Culture and Technology of the Department of Human 

Sciences at Brunel University, the Center for Science, Policy, and Outcomes at Arizona State 

University, and the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research of the Cooperative Institute 

for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder have programs to 

study the implications of scientific and technological advances for society. Additional information 

on each of these organizations is provided in Appendix B.

Risk communication 

All scientific studies include some degree of uncertainty in their results. However, resource 

managers and the general public must still make decisions by weighing the benefits and 

consequences of various actions in spite of this uncertainty. In fact, individuals and societies all 

perceive uncertainty differently. Therefore, research on risk communication and decisionmakers’ 

ability to incorporate uncertainty are critical elements in creating methods to improve the impact 

and utility of USGS science. For example, the Annenberg School for Communication at the 

University of Pennsylvania and its Public Policy Center focus on the intersection of media, 

communication, and public policy with an active research program, lecture series, and roundtable 

discussions. Much of its research focuses on health risks, in collaboration with the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention. 

In addition, the Environmental and Societal Impacts Group of the National Center for 

Atmospheric Research, the U.K. Climate Impacts Programme in the University of Oxford’s 

Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Center for Environmental Research and 

Training at the University of Birmingham, and the Scottish Universities Policy Research and 

Advice Network all conduct research of risk communication and perception. Additional 

information on each of these organizations is provided in Appendix B.

9
Science advisory groups 

To improve the interface between scientists and decisionmakers, many organizations have 

established internal science advisory groups that serve to assemble and integrate relevant scientific 

information to address pressing societal issues. For example: 

• The Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Policy Council is headed by the Office of the 

Science Advisor, which provides leadership in establishing specific mechanisms for ensuring 

that scientific results and hypotheses, with technical evaluation and peer review, play a 

prominent role in all regulatory decisions.

• The Office of Science Policy and Planning serves as a science advisory board for the National 

Institutes of Health.

In addition, the Australian Bureau of Rural Services, the Science and Technology Directorate of 

the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Science Policy and Technology Transfer of the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Science and Technology Center of 

the Bureau of Land Management all perform a science advisory function. Additional information 

on each of these organizations is provided in Appendix B.

Summary 

This report summarizes efforts by various organizations external to the USGS to improve 

the use of science in support of societal decisionmaking. The information presented here should be 

used to provide the USGS with additional program ideas and potential avenues for collaboration as 

it develops its Science Impact Program. Again, this report is not an exhaustive list of efforts, but it 

offers an accurate snapshot of how other organizations are studying the impact of science on 

society. Archiving and evaluating the efforts of external organizations should be a continuous 

activity within the Science Impact Program, allowing the USGS to learn from others’ experiences. 

Using the contact information contained in the following appendices, the Science Impact Program 

could establish a working group with other organizations who are interested in improving the 

science/society interface. This working group could meet yearly to coordinate and collaborate on 

projects of mutual interest, as well as to provide a forum for sharing best practices. I hope that this 

report will help inform USGS scientists about possible ways of bringing their science to 

decisionmakers and stakeholders and thereby further the aims of the Science Impact Program. 

Acknowledgments 

I thank the USGS Science Impact Program for funding this effort, as well as Kyle Gomez 

for his assistance in setting up a Microsoft Access database to serve as an archive for all of the 

information I gathered. Susan Benjamin, Nina Burkardt and Caroline Hermans provided insightful 

reviews of the manuscript. 

References Cited 

Office of the Inspector General, 2002, Science to support rulemaking: Environmental Protection 

Agency, Report 2003-P-00003. 

U.S. Department of the Interior, 2003, Strategic plan, FY 2003 – 2008: Washington, D.C. [URL 

http://www.doi.gov/ppp/strat_plan_fy2003_2008.pdf]. 

U.S. Geological Survey, 2005, Science impact [URL http://www.usgs.gov/science_impact/]. 

10
Appendix A. Organizations Cited 

This section lists the Web sites of the organizations mentioned in the text. This information 

is also provided in Appendix B within each individual organization summary. 

American Society of Limnology and Oceanography 

http://aslo.org/policy/aslo.html 

Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania 

http://www.asc.upenn.edu/ 

Australian Bureau of Rural Services 

http://www.affa.gov.au/brs/ 

Board on Science, Technology and Economic Policy - National Academy of Sciences 

http://www7.nationalacademies.org/step/index.html 

Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, Smithsonian Institution 

http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/ceps/ 

Centre for Environment and Planning, University of the West of England 

http://www.built-environment.uwe.ac.uk/research/cep/ 

Centre for Environmental Research and Training, University of Birmingham 

http://www.cert.bham.ac.uk/ 

Center for Health Policy Law and Management, Duke University 

http://www.hpolicy.duke.edu/ 

Center for International Science and Technology Policy, Elliot School of International Affairs, 

George Washington University 

http://www.gwu.edu/~cistp/ 

Centre for Research into Innovation, Culture and Technology, Department of Human Sciences, 

Brunel University 

http://www.brunel.ac.uk/depts/crict/ 

Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, Cooperative Institute for Research in 

Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder 

http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/ 

• New Directions Project: http://newdirections.colorado.edu/ 

• Information Brokers: http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/wwa/intranet/oldthemes/info_brokers/ 

Center for Science, Technology, and Congress, American Association for the Advancement of 

Science 

http://www.aaas.org/spp/cstc/ 

11
Coastal Services Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

www.csc.noaa.gov 

• GIS Integration and Development Program: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/id/ 

• Coastal Resource Management Customer Survey: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/survey/ 

• Coastal Learning Services: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/cms/cls/ 

Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes - Arizona State University 

http://www.cspo.org/ 

Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit 

http://www.cesu.org/cesu/index.html 

Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration and the University of New Hampshire 

http://www.ciceet.unh.edu/index_flash.html 

Council for Excellence in Government 

http://excelgov.org/ 

• Report: Linking Resource to Results: 

http://excelgov.org/displayContent.asp?NewsItemID=3976&Keyword=ppStudies 

Council of Scientific Society Presidents 

http://www.cssp.us/ 

Department of Environmental Policy and Management Group, Imperial College London 

http://www.iccept.ic.ac.uk/public.html 

Division of Economics, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

http://economics.fws.gov/ 

Earth Science Enterprise, National Aeronautics and Space Agency 

http://www.nasa.gov/ 

• Earth Science Applications theme: http://www.earth.nasa.gov/eseapps/index.html 

Enterprise Development Impact Assessment Information Service 

http://www.enterprise-impact.org.uk/ 

• Tool Box: http://www.enterprise-impact.org.uk/informationresources/toolbox.shtml 

Environmental and Societal Impacts Group, National Center for Atmospheric Research 

http://www.esig.ucar.edu/ 

Environmental Protection Agency 

http://www.epa.gov/ 

• Science Policy Council: http://www.epa.gov/osa 

12
European Commission 

http://europa.eu.int/ 

• Science and Society theme: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/sciencesociety/documents_en.html 

• Scientific Information for Policy Support in Europe: http://europa.eu.int/sinapse

• Science Shops: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/science-society/scientificawareness/shops_en.html

Federation of Earth Science Information Partners 

http://www.esipfed.org/ 

U.S. Forest Service 

http://www.fs.fed.us 

• Focused Science Delivery Program: http://www.fs.fed.us/about/programs/fsd/ 

Government Affairs Program, American Geological Institute 

http://www.agiweb.org/gap/ 

Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment 

http://www.gulfofmaine.org/ 

• Science Translation Project: http://www.gulfofmaine.org/science_translation/ 

H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment 

http://www.heinzctr.org/ 

Institute for Environment, Philosophy and Public Policy at Lancaster University, 

http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/ieppp/ 

Macaulay Institute, U.K. Scottish Office 

http://www.mluri.sari.ac.uk/intro.htm 

Marine Policy Center, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 

http://www.whoi.edu/science/MPC/dept/index.html 

Mineral Management Service 

http://www.mms.gov 

• Environmental Studies Program: http://www.mms.gov/eppd/env/ 

National Council for Science and the Environment 

http://www.ncseonline.org/ 

National Park Service 

http://www.nps.gov 

• Nature and Science Program: http://www.nature.nps.gov/scienceresearch/ 

National Science and Technology Center, Bureau of Land Management 

13
http://www.blm.gov/nstc/ 

National Visual Analytics Center, Pacific Northwest National Lab 

http://nvac.pnl.gov/ 

Natural Hazards Caucus Workgroup 

http://www.agiweb.org/workgroup/ 

NATO Programme for Security Through Science 

http://www.nato.int/science/ 

Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, University of Colorado, Boulder 

http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/ 

New Zealand Ministry of Research, Science & Technology 

http://www.morst.govt.nz/ 

• Science in Society Program: 

http://www.morst.govt.nz/?CHANNEL=SCIENCE+IN+SOCIETY&PAGE=Science+in+Society 

Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University 

http://www.env.duke.edu/people/faculty/ 

Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President 

http://www.ostp.gov/ 

Office of Science Policy and Planning, National Institutes of Health 

http://ospp.od.nih.gov/ 

Office of Science Policy and Technology Transfer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

http://www.cdc.gov/od/ads/ 

Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup 

http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~onhw/ 

Pacific Disaster Center 

http://www.pdc.org/ 

• Asia Pacific Natural Hazards and Vulnerabilities Atlas: 

http://atlas.pdc.org/APNHVA/kickoff.html 

Policy Studies Institute – Environmental Group, University of Westminster 

http://www.psi.org.uk/ 

• Deliberative Mapping: http://www.psi.org.uk/research/project.asp?project_id=9 

RAND Corp. Science and Technology Policy Institute 

http://www.rand.org/scitech/stpi/ 

14
Science and Policy Program, American Geophysical Union 

http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/policy/ 

Science and Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security 

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=53 

Scottish Universities Policy Research and Advice Network, 

http://www.supra.ed.ac.uk/index.html 

Stockholm Environmental Institute, University of York 

http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/sei/welcome.html 

Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds 

http://www.env.leeds.ac.uk/research/sri/index.htm/ 

Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia 

http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/ 

U.K. Climate Impacts Program, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, University of 

Oxford 

http://www.ukcip.org.uk/ 

• Adaptation Wizard and Scenarios Gateway: http://www.ukcip.org.uk/resources/tools/ 

U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council 

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/WebSite/ 

• Public Engagement Programme: 

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/WebSite/default.aspx?ZoneID=5&MenuID=118 

U.K. Office of Science and Technology

http://www.ost.gov.uk/ 

• Guidelines: http://www.orst.gov/uk/society/index.htm/ 

• Public Engagement with Science and Technology: 

http://www.dti.gov/uk/ost/ostbusiness/puset/puset.htm/ 

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Smithsonian Institution 

http://wwics.si.edu 

15
Appendix B. Summaries of Individual Organizations 

On the following pages are summaries of the individual organizations. The information 

listed for each organization was derived and summarized from their Web sites, as they appeared in 

the summer of 2004. Efforts cited in Appendix B should be considered not as “best practices” but 

as a summary of interesting efforts to be investigated further as the USGS Science Impact Program 

develops. Information provided for each organization includes: 

• Name

• Parent organization (e.g., the university where a research group resides)

• Regulatory power (i.e., yes or no)

• Vision/mission statement: Text is taken directly from organization Web sites. I take no 

responsibility for the text provided here.

• Research theme

• Products

• Primary customers

• Additional notes

16
 Organization American Society of Limnology and Oceanography - Public Policy Activities 

Parent Organization American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission None listed 

Research Themes Aquatic sciences 

Products Information Web sites, updates on policy news in U.S. and Canada; links to policy Web sites 

Primary Customers ASLO scientists and members 

Additional Notes Web site provides public policy background for scientists (authorization vs. appropriations, 

how a bill becomes a law). It lists relevant laws for fisheries and limnology and information on 

how scientists can get involved in public policy. The Web site mentions the AAAS 

publication - "Working with Congress: A Practical Guide for Scientists and Engineers,” 2nd 

edition, by Williams Wells, Jr. 

URL: http://aslo.org/policy/aslo.html 

17
Organization Annenberg School for Communication 

Parent Organization University of Pennsylvania 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission Established in 1994, the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania 

conducts and disseminates research, hosts lectures and conferences, and convenes roundtable 

discussions that highlight important questions about the intersection of media, communication, 

and public policy. The Policy Center, which has offices in Philadelphia and Washington DC, 

conducts ongoing research in the areas of political communication, information and society, 

media and the developing child, health communication and adolescent risk. Its research helps 

to bring difficult problems into focus. 

Research Themes Risk communication 

Products Publications: The Communicator (quarterly), Conference, science communication courses 

Primary Customers public, scientists, journalists 

Additional Notes This research group collaborates with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on 

communicating risks and research related to human health 

 URL: http://www.asc.upenn.edu/ 

18
Organization Australian Bureau of Rural Sciences (BRS) 

Parent Organization Australia Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The BRS provides scientific advice to government in support of more profitable, competitive 

and sustainable Australian agricultural, food, fisheries and forestry industries and enhancing 

the natural resource base to achieve greater national wealth and stronger rural and regional 

communities. 

Research Themes Climate, Data, Fish, Forest, Landscape, Rural, Social Science,water, ag, forestry research 

Products Tools, publications, a FAQ for decision makers 

Primary Customers Decision makers and policy makers 

Additional Notes The Bureau of Rural Sciences is an independent scientific bureau within the Department of 

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Australia (AFFA). It is at the interface between science 

and policy and is considered an essential part of the Government's capacity for integrated 

evidence-based policy development 

 

URL: http://www.affa.gov.au/brs 

19
 Organization Board on Science, Technology and Economic Policy 

Parent Organization National Academy of Sciences 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission From the organization's Web site: "To integrate understanding of scientific, technological, and 

economic elements in the formulation of national policies affecting the economic well-being of 

the United States." 

Research Themes Macroeconomic and microeconomic variables and their relationship to U.S. science and 

technology 

Products Newsletter, monographs, white papers, conferences, workshops and seminars 

Primary Customers Policymakers responsible for trade, economic, science, and technology policy in the Executive 

Branch and Congress 

Additional Notes A newsletter is available at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/step/STEP_Newsletter.html . 

A current project relevant to the Science Impact Program is "Government-Industry 

Partnerships for the Development of New Technologies." 

 

URL: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/step/index.html 

20
 Organization Center for Earth and Planetary Studies 

Parent Organization Collections and Research Department of the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian 

Institution 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The Center for Earth and Planetary Studies (CEPS) conducts an active research program in 

planetary and terrestrial geology and geophysics using remote sensing data from Earth-orbiting 

satellites and manned and unmanned space missions. CEPS has curatorial responsibility for 

two museum exhibit galleries. 

Research Themes Astrogeology 

Products Publications; museum exhibits 

Primary Customers General public 

Additional Notes The Center for Earth and Planetary Studies (CEPS) is the scientific research unit within the 

Collections and Research Department of the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian 

Institution. The CEPS performs research and outreach activities on topics covering planetary 

science, terrestrial geophysics, and the remote sensing of environmental change. The group is 

an example of a research group fused with a museum so outreach on research results has a 

natural conduit to the public. 

 URL: http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/ceps/ 

21
 Organization Center for Environment and Planning 

Parent Organization University of the West England 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The Centre for Environment and Planning promotes research on spatial planning, 

environmental management, land use, property, architecture and urban design. Our aim is to 

understand how policy and action can achieve high quality sustainable and equitable patterns 

of urban growth from the global to local scales. 

Research Themes Interdisciplinary education on comparative and transnational planning, and Sustainable 

neighborhoods 

Products publications, seminars, courses 

Primary Customers Academia, professional planners 

Additional Notes Project themes are sustainable urban and environmental management. 

 URL: http://www.built-environment.uwe.ac.uk/research/cep/ 

22
Organization Center for Environmental Research and Training 

Parent Organization University of Birmingham 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The center offers a broad spectrum of multi-disciplinary research expertise, provides a focus 

for the University of Birmingham's extensive environmental activities and acts as a gateway 

for external organizations [sic] enabling this expertise to be made more widely accessible. 

Research Themes Research, Industry, Information Resource, Training 

Products Information resource, courses (undergraduate, graduate, and professional), industry advisory, 

research 

Primary Customers Students, Researchers, decision-makers 

Additional Notes Research focuses on risk communication and Rural Economy and Land Use Program (RELU). 

RELU focus is to enhance the impact of research on rural policy and practice by involving 

stakeholders in all stages of RELU, including program development, research activities and 

communication of outcomes. The RELU Strategic Advisory Committee has identified four 

interdisciplinary themes as the core areas of research for the Program to address: 

1. Integrated solutions for land and water resource use and management 

2. The environmental basis of rural economies and regeneration 

3. Successful and sustainable food products and food chains 

4. Economic and social interactions with the rural environment 

URL: http://www.cert.bham.ac.uk/ 

23
Organization Center for Health Policy Law and Management 

Parent Organization Duke University 

Regulatory Power No 

Vision/Mission The Center's mission is to 1) stimulate and facilitate collaborative, interdisciplinary research 

by faculty and students at Duke University in health policy, drawing in particular on expertise 

in the social sciences, law, and management, 2) disseminate research findings on health policy 

to persons who make health policy decisions, and 3) provide a rich array of educational 

opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students seeking careers in health policy making, 

research and analysis 

 

Research Themes Health Policy, Law and Management, Health inequalities 

Products Research and education 

Primary Customers Academia 

Additional Notes This center emphasizes social science, law and management. The center focuses on research 

and education surrounding public health policy and management. 

 URL: http://www.hpolicy.duke.edu/ 

24
Organization Center for International Science and Technology Policy 

Parent Organization Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The Center for International Science and Technology Policy (CISTP), which is part of George 

Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, is one of the University's focal 

point for these activities. The Center manages GW's Master of Arts program in International 

Science and Technology Policy, formerly called the Master of Arts program in Science, 

Technology, and Public Policy, as well as provides a field of study for doctoral and master's 

degree candidates from other parts of the University. The Center also carries out research 

projects for a variety of government and non-government sponsors, organizes seminars and 

symposia on significant science and technology issues, and hosts visitors from other parts of 

the United States and overseas. 

Research Themes Space policy, innovation policy 

Products Articles 

Primary Customers Federal Government 

 Additional Notes CISTP has three major areas of research. The Space Policy Institute concentrates its research 

and teaching efforts on issues related to the world's space programs. Substantial research is 

also underway on innovation policy, specifically the policy implications of technological 

innovation as it is carried out by firms and other organizations. New theories, such as the 

sciences of complexity and national innovation systems are examined for their relevance to 

innovation policy-making. Faculty are also involved in research on technology and industry 

dynamics where particular emphasis of recent work has been on scientific and technological 

cooperation and competition. This research includes a focus on the economic analysis of 

technological change triggered by cooperation among firms and other actors (e.g., universities, 

government agencies). 

 URL: http://www.gwu.edu/~cistp 

25
Organization Centre for Research into Innovation, Culture, and Technology 

Parent Organization Brunel University, West London 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission CRICT carries out research into the social and cultural dimensions of science and technology, 

with a particular focus on the dynamic relations between new technologies, new knowledge 

and social, cultural and organizational change. We aim to enrich understanding of these issues 

by drawing on a wide range of perspectives and styles from across the social sciences and 

humanities, and to use the insights gained from this research to contribute to topical debates in 

both academic and policy arenas. 

Research Themes Technology and sociality, Knowledge and expertise, (Understanding of) Risk, controversy and 

ethics, Medicine, Technology and the Body 

Products Professional papers, courses, degrees 

Primary Customers Academia 

Additional Notes CRICT research focuses on qualitative sociological and historical research, employing 

approaches such as ethnography, discourse analysis and conversation analysis. Projects 

involve direct observation, interviews, and the collection of original documents, and would 

very rarely involve surveys or other large-scale data collection. An area of research is the 

application of conversation analysis to computer-mediated communication and in the 

development of ethnographic approaches to understanding the Internet. 

 URL: http://www.brunel.ac.uk/depts/crict/ 

26
Organization Center for Science and Technology Policy Research 

Parent Organization Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, UC Boulder 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The Center conducts research, education, and outreach to improve the relationship between 

societal needs and science and technology policy 

 Research Themes Research, Outreach and Education surrounding 3 main themes...see notes below. 

Products Hydro-Climate research and decision making, Outdoor Classroom, Science and Technology, 

Western Water Assessment 

Primary Customers Academia, decisionmakers 

Additional Notes Main Themes are 1) Evaluating the relationship between societal needs and science and 

technology policies, 2) Providing new policy alternatives for science and technology policy 

decision makers, and 3) Developing tools for science and technology policy decision making. 

Example projects include the evaluation of the effectiveness of drought-related watering 

restrictions in Colorado’s Front Range during the 2002 drought, efforts to identify and 

characterize regional vulnerabilities to climate variability and change and efforts to create 

“Information Brokers.” Center staff are developing tools for improving linkages between 

carbon cycle science and management decisions that may involve considerations of carbon 

cycle science, based on the relations between evolving scientific and technological 

opportunity, political reality, and demand-side capability. Center staff are working with the 

Colorado Basin River Forecast Center to compare our experimental stream-flow forecasting 

procedures with the current operational procedures during the 2003 snow melt season, and are 

also working with the NWS Office of Hydrologic Development to infuse our experimental 

forecasting techniques in the NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction System. 

 Publications of note: 

Anderson-Berry, L., T. Keenan, J. Bally, R. A. Pielke, Jr., R. Leigh, and D. King, 2004. The 

Societal, Social, and Economic Impacts of the World Weather Research Programme Sydney 

2000 Forecast Demonstration Project (WWRP S2000 FDP), Weather and Forecasting, Volume 

19, pp. 168-178. 

 

Pielke, Jr., R. A. 2004 (in press). Abortion, Tornadoes and Forests: Thinking about Science, 

Politics and Policy, Chapter in J. Bowersox and K. Arabas (eds.) Forest Futures: Science, 

Policy and Politics for the Next Century (Rowman and Littlefield). 

 

Stewart, T. S., R. A. Pielke, Jr., and R. Nath, 2004: Understanding User Decision Making and 

the Value of Improved Precipitation Forecasts: Lessons from a Case Study, Bulletin of the 

American Meteorological Society, Vol. 85, No. 2, pp. 223-235. 

 URL: http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/ 

27
 Organization Center for Science, Technology, and Congress 

Parent Organization American Association for the Advancement of Science 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission To provide timely, objective information to Congress on current science and technology issues 

and assists the science and engineering community in understanding and working with 

Congress. 

Research Themes Human cloning, stem cell research, energy policy, human research subject protections, public 

access to research data 

Products Policy briefs, newsletter, online archive, research funding 

Primary Customers Congress 

Additional Notes Funded by a grant from the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund, the group was established in 1994 and 

publishes the monthly newsletter “Science and Technology in Congress.” 

URL: http://www.aaas.org/spp/cstc/ 

28
 Organization Coastal Services Center 

Parent Organization National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The mission of the NOAA Coastal Services Center is to support the environmental, social, and 

economic well being of the coast by linking people, information, and technology. 

Research Themes Technology Applications for smart growth, habitat, hazards, National Spatial Data 

Infrastructure (NSDI), Organization and culture 

 Products Training, Solutions, Fellowships, Funding, On-line Mapping, Data & Standards, Tools & 

Extensions, publications, library 

Primary Customers Local and state coastal resource and hazard mitigation managers 

Additional Notes Strategic plan is available. Main office in Charleston, South Carolina serves CONUS; Pacific 

Services Center serves Hawaii and Pacific Islands. The NOAA CSC has the following 

programs: 

1. Coastal Learning Center: Professional technical and managerial training for land-use, 

hazard, and resource managers of the coast. 

2. Coastal Remote Sensing: Remote sensing data products, tools and training. 

3. GIS Integration and Development: data access and distribution, Internet mapping, and 

spatial data analysis and visualization as a means of addressing coastal hazards, smart growth, 

marine protected areas, or coastal permitting issues. 

4. Landscape Characterization and Restoration: explores the interrelationships of a region's 

ecology, land use, socioeconomics, and management, and publishes this information in 

electronic format for use by the coastal management community. The program works via 

grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts with coastal programs to accomplish its goals. 

5. Outreach: Facilitates communication among local, state, and federal coastal resource 

management programs. 

6. Pacific Services Center: develops and delivers coastal management information and 

services to the State of Hawai`i, Territories of American Samoa and Guam, and the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Staff includes director, coastal hazards 

specialist, training and outreach coordinator, spatial technology coordinator, geospatial 

technician, management and program analyst, and coastal program coordinator. 

 URL: www.csc.noaa.gov 

29
 Organization Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes 

Parent Organization Arizona State University 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes is an intellectual network aimed at 

enhancing the contribution of science and technology to society's pursuit of equality, justice, 

freedom, and overall quality of life. The Consortium creates knowledge and methods, 

cultivates public discourse, and fosters policies to help decision makers and institutions 

grapple with the immense power and importance of science and technology as society charts a 

course for the future. 

Research Themes Choosing between different types of research; match knowledge creation with knowledge 

needs; enhancing the benefits of new knowledge and innovation 

Products research articles, books, mention of outreach and education (academia related) 

Primary Customers Academia 

Additional Notes A 20-yr plan is available. Project sub-themes include New Science Policy, Living with the 

Genie*, Societal Outcomes Map for Health Research, Understanding the Uneven 

Advance of Knowledge, Extracting Societal Benefit from Earth Systems Research, Prediction 

in Public Policy, An Outcome-Based Extreme Events Research Agenda, Nanotechnology and 

Society, Basic Research in Service of Public Objectives, Science and Public Value, and 

Distributional Impacts of Science and Technology Policies. Information of Public Value 

Mapping and Public Failure research is available. 

 

Article example: Agrawala, Shardul, Kenneth Broad, and David H. Guston. In press. 

"Challenges to an Emergent Boundary Organization: Integrating Climate Forecasts and 

Societal Decision Making." Science, Technology & Human Values 26(3). 

 

 URL: http://www.cspo.org/ 

30
 Organization Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit 

Parent Organization none 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The objectives of this network are to: 

 - provide resource managers with high-quality scientific research, technical assistance, and 

education; 

- deliver research and technical assistance that is timely, relevant to resource managers, and 

needed to develop and implement sound adaptive management approaches; 

- ensure the independence and objectivity of research; 

- create and maintain effective partnerships among federal agencies and universities to share 

resources and expertise; 

- take full advantage of university resources while benefiting faculty and students; 

- encourage professional development of federal scientists; and 

- manage federal science resources efficiently. 

Research Themes Biological, physical, social, and cultural studies 

Products Research, technical assistance, education 

Primary Customers Academia, federal agencies 

Additional Notes Key elements of each CESU include: 1) multiple federal agencies, 2) a host university, 3) 

partner institutions, 4) a role and mission statement, 5) a managers committee, and 6) strategic 

and annual work plans. CESUs are based at universities and focused on a biogeographic 

region of the country. Universities provide space, basic administrative support (secretarial, 

accounting, equipment), and access to university faculty, students, staff, and resources. Federal 

agencies contribute research scientists and/or other professionals. In many cases, these federal 

personnel are located and working at CESUs under formal agreements between their 

respective bureaus and universities. Federal personnel are supervised and supported by their 

respective agencies, through existing administrative systems. Participating agencies provide 

scientific staff, administrative support funds (for assistance beyond the basic support provided 

by the universities), and project funds for specific research projects and technical assistance. 

Federal agency participation in a CESU does not alter previous arrangements or cooperative 

agreements. CESUs will create additional opportunities for interdisciplinary and multi-agency 

research, technical assistance, and education. 

 

URL: http://www.cesu.org/cesu/index.html 

31
 Organization Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology 

Parent Organization NOAA and UNH 

Regulatory Power None 

 Vision/Mission CICEET was established as a partnership between the National Oceanic Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA) and the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 1997 and is located 

on the UNH campus in Durham, NH. CICEET uses the capabilities of UNH, the private sector, 

academic and public research institutions throughout the U.S., as well as the 26 reserves in the 

National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), to develop and apply new 

environmental technologies and techniques. 

Research Themes Toxic contaminants, microbial contaminants, nutrient over-enrichment, habitat 

loss/restoration, data synthesis/integration 

Products Reports, tools 

Primary Customers Coastal resource managers 

Additional Notes This organization has a good project explorer tool. The group funds researchers to develop 

applications and tools for coastal resource managers. There are many projects to look at as 

examples of applied research and technology development 

 URL: http://www.ciceet.unh.edu/index_flash.html 

32
Organization Council for Excellence in Government 

Parent Organization nonpartisan, nonprofit organization 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission --To attract and develop talented people for public service; 

 --To encourage innovation and results-oriented performance in government; 

--To promote e-government as a revolutionary tool for improving performance and better 

connecting people to government; and 

--To improve the connection between citizens and government and encourage their 

participation in governance. 

Research Themes Greater interaction with government and the public; e-government; homeland security 

Products White papers, books, newsletters 

Primary Customers General public 

Additional Notes The Council is designed to generate better impact of federal activities in general. From 

organization's Web site: Pursuing its mission to improve the performance of government and 

the connections between government and citizens, it focuses its strategic priorities in four 

areas--to attract and develop the best and brightest for public service; encourage innovation 

and results-oriented government performance; engage citizens in government; and promote 

electronic government as a resource to achieve all of these goals. The Council’s 700 members, 

or Principals, are business, education and nonprofit leaders who have served in government. 

A volunteer chair and board of trustees lead the organization, working with the president and 

CEO and Council staff. Former Presidents Ford, Carter, Bush, and Clinton serve as honorary 

co-chairs. 

 

 Relevant publications: 

• "Linking resources to results": 

http://excelgov.org/displayContent.asp?NewsItemID=3976&Keyword=ppStudies 

• "Ethical Principles for Public Servants": 

http://excelgov.org/displayMainSection1.asp?keyword=ppStudies

 URL: http://excelgov.org/ 

33
Organization Council of Scientific Society Presidents 

Parent Organization none 

Regulatory Power No 

Vision/Mission The Council of Scientific Society Presidents is an organization of presidents, presidents-elect, 

and recent past presidents of about sixty scientific federations and societies whose combined 

membership numbers well over 1.4 million scientists and science educators. Since 1973 CSSP 

has served as a strong national voice in fostering wise science policy, in support of science and 

science education, as the premier national science leadership development center, and as a 

forum for open, substantive exchanges on emerging scientific issues 

Research Themes Population and Environment; Science and Math Education; Government and Public Affairs, 

Ethics in Science, Public Understanding of Science, International Activity 

Products annual forums, policy statements 

Primary Customers Government, academia, and industry 

Additional Notes URL: http://www.cssp.us/ 

34
Organization Department of Environmental Policy and Management Group 

Parent Organization Imperial College London 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission From organization's Web site: To contribute to the analysis and development of effective 

environmental policies and management in situations where scientific understanding and 

technological innovation play a major role. Imperial College embodies and delivers world 

class scholarship, education and research in science, engineering and medicine, with particular 

regard to their application in industry, commerce and healthcare. We foster interdisciplinary 

working internally and collaborate widely externally. 

Research Themes Energy Policy and Tech, Environmental Assessment and Mgmt, Environmental Economics, 

Society and Policy, Environmental Law 

Products Research articles and education 

Primary Customers Academia 

Additional Notes The Web site is a gateway to a number of papers on science, technology and policy (many of 

which have to do with economics). EPMG focuses on researching policy effect on society, 

economic, and the landscape. The focus uses environmental science to compare alternative 

policies to future economic, political and environmental settings. 

URL: http://www.iccept.ic.ac.uk/public.html 

35
Organization Division of Economics 

Parent Organization U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Regulatory Power Yes 

Vision/Mission To provide technical assistance in support of the Service's mission. Both short term/quickturnaround staff support and longer term assistance for economic and policy analyses will be 

provided to the Washington, Regional and field station offices. 

Research Themes Economic impact of resource management 

Products Reports 

Primary Customers US Fish and Wildlife offices 

Additional Notes In-house capabilities and experience include: 

 Economic impact analyses for critical habitat designation, 

 Economic analysis of natural resource damages, 

 Economic methodology development, 

 Policy analyses, Record of Compliance statements, 

 Assistance with legislative packages and reviews, 

 General economic analysis assistance. 

URL: http://economics.fws.gov/ 

 

36
Organization Earth Science Applications 

Parent Organization National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Science Enterprise 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission To optimize benefits from NASA's Earth Science investments through systems engineering to 

advance decision support tools that serve the nation. To provide societal benefits through 

application of ESE research and technology. 

Research Themes Agricultural Efficiency, Air Quality, Aviation, Invasive Species, Carbon Management, Coastal 

Management, Disaster Management 

Products Interactive maps, downloadable data, regional studies, decision support tools 

Primary Customers Public and private sector 

Additional Notes The Earth Science Applications theme of the NASA, conducted within the Earth Science 

Enterprise (ESE), benchmarks practical uses of NASA-sponsored observations from Earth 

observation systems and predictions from Earth science models. NASA implements projects 

that carry forth this mission through partnerships with public, private, and academic 

organizations. These partnerships focus on innovative approaches for using Earth science 

information to provide decision support that can be adapted in applications worldwide. The 

ESE program focuses on applications of national priority to expand and accelerate the use of 

knowledge, science, and technologies resulting from the ESE goal of improving predictions in 

the areas of weather, climate, and natural hazards. The approach is to enable the assimilation 

of Earth Science model and remote sensing mission outputs to serve as inputs to decision 

support tools in integrated system solutions. The Earth Science Applications Directorate 

includes: 

1. The Applications Research Division develops and enhances Earth Science products for the 

advancement of earth system science and its application to societal concerns. 

2. The Engineering Division develops advanced tools to enhance the performance and the 

results of Earth observation missions. 

3. The Integrations Division works with the Research and Engineering Divisions to represent 

the program to outside interests while also performing functions that ensure smooth 

coordination and integration within NASA and Stennis Space Center. 

 

Documents: 1) Science for Society-Benchmarking the use of Earth System Science Results for 

Decision Support.doc, 2) Online Journal: 

http://satjournal.tcom.ohiou.edu/Issue03/science_society.html 

 

News articles related to ESAD: http://www.esad.ssc.nasa.gov/news.aspx 

 

Affiliated Research Centers with four universities to do remote sensing applications: 

http://www.esad.ssc.nasa.gov/arc/default.aspx?s=6 

 

Small Business Innovation Research - (SBIR): 

http://www.esad.ssc.nasa.gov/program.aspx?p=SBIR 

 

Regional Earth Science Application Centers (RESAC): seven universities given money to 

conduct research on applied issues, check: 

http://www.esad.ssc.nasa.gov/program.aspx?p=RESAC&s=1

 URL: http://www.earth.nasa.gov/eseapps/index.html 

37
Organization Enterprise Development Impact Assessment Information Service 

Parent Organization Department for International Development, University of Manchester 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission Enterprise Development Department has identified the need for a central resource which can 

advise regional and country-based Enterprise Development Advisers (EDAs) on 'good 

practice,' design and methods of impact assessment (IA). In this context EDIAIS will aim to 

provide information and expertise in enterprise development impact assessment to DFID and 

the wider development community. 

Research Themes poverty impact assessments, participatory strategies, methodology information dissemination 

Products Applied Impact Assessments, Dissemination on Impact Assessment Methodologies and 

results, tools, resources 

Primary Customers Countries and regions of poverty 

Additional Notes Many of EDIAIS products involve the dissemination of "how-to" guides for conducting impact 

assessments. 

 URL: www.enterprise-impact.org.uk 

38
Organization Environmental and Societal Impacts Group 

Parent Organization The National Center For Atmospheric Research, University Corporation for Atmospheric 

Research 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission To integrate societal needs with knowledge of the environment to better understand and 

communicate impacts of weather, climate, and global change. ESIG fosters cross-disciplinary 

research by bridging social and natural sciences, the humanities, and technology to inform 

decision-making. 

Research Themes Research, Publications, Workshops, and Outreach 

Products Publications, GIS, Workshops, Outreach programs, online newsletter 

Primary Customers Public, academia, federal regulatory commissions 

Additional Notes Research Themes include 1) The Science of Weather and Climate Impact Assessment; 2) Use 

and Value of Weather and Climate Information for Decision Making; 3) Education, 

Informatics, and Communications. Outreach Themes inclue 1) International Outreach, 2) 

Collaborations within the Science Community, 3) Educational Outreach, 4) Community 

Service, 5) Online Newsletters. Research projects of note for USGS researchers include: 

 - NCAR Geographic Information System (GIS) Strategic Initiative (www.gis.ucar.edu) 

- Wildland Fire Research and Development Collaboratory 

(www.wildlandfirecollaboratory.org) 

- Economic Value of Weather and Climate Forecasts (www.esig.ucar.edu/HP_rick/esig.html) 

- International Fisheries and Climate Variability (www.esig.ucar.edu/fisheries/) 

- Weather Information Needs (no Web site available) 

- Assessing the Needs of Users of Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (no Web site available) 

- Climate Variability and Uncertainty in Flood Hazard Planning in Colorado 

(www.assessment.ucar.edu/flood/) 

- Ethics of Development and Use of Weather and Climate Forecasts (no Web site available) 

- Societal and Economic Impact Subprogram of THORPEX: A Global Atmospheric Research 

Programme (www.mmm.ucar.edu/uswrp/programs/thorpex.html) 

- The Economics of Climate Variability and Global Change (CLIM-ECON) 

(www.atd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/clim-econ/) 

- Supply and Demand of Carbon Cycle Information (no Web site available) 

- Use of Information during the Pacific Land-Falling Jets Experiment: The Pacific Landfalling 

Jets Experiment 2001 (PACJET-2001) 

 URL: http://www.esig.ucar.edu/ 

39
Organization EPA Science Policy Council 

Parent Organization U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Regulatory Power Yes 

Vision/Mission The Office of the Science Advisor (OSA) provides leadership in establishing specific 

mechanisms for ensuring that scientific results and hypotheses, with technical evaluation and 

peer-review, play a prominent role in all regulatory decisions. These efforts will help ensure 

regulations are interpreted and enforced in a manner consistent with the science supporting 

them and will strengthen EPA's overall scientific performance. 

Research Themes Resource management; environmental quality

Products Policies 

Primary Customers State and local resource managers; private industry

Additional Notes There is Information on their Web site about: 

1. The Science Policy Council (SPC) is chaired by the Science Advisor. The SPC is an 

important cross agency group of senior managers that focuses on major science policy issues 

and approves positions for the Agency, such as peer review, risk assessment and risk 

characterization, genomics, and regulatory environmental modeling. 

2. The Office of the Science Advisor 

3. Role and Use of Science at EPA 

4. The Science Advisor’s role in the World Trade Center Review Panel 

 

Information about the Science Policy Council 

The Science Policy Council (SPC) was established in 1993 under Administrator Carol 

Browner with a broader mission and a new Framework as a replacement to the RAC. With a 

goal of integrating policies that guide Agency decision-makers in their use of scientific and 

technical information, the SPC works to implement and ensure the success of selected 

initiatives recommended by external advisory bodies such as the National Research Council 

and the Science Advisory Board, as well as others such as the Congress, industry and 

environmental groups, and Agency staff. In this way, the SPC provides guidance for selected 

EPA regulatory enforcement policies and decisions. 

 

As part of EPA Administrator’s initiative to improve the Agency's policy-making process to 

better integrate the highest quality science, she created the position of Science Advisor to the 

Agency. One of the duties of the Science Advisor is to assume the chair of the Science Policy 

Council. The SPC continues to be supported by standing groups such as the Risk Assessment 

Forum, a Steering Committee, and by interim working groups. A small staff positioned in the 

Office of Science Advisor supports the SPC and its Steering Committee. 

 URL: http://www.epa.gov/osa 

40
Organization European Commission’s Science and Society theme 

Parent Organization European Commission 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission Advances in science drive European growth, but sometimes give rise to fears and scepticism 

among citizens. The European Commission is determined to bridge the gap between the 

scientific community and society at large. The “Science and Society” theme within the 

European Research Area supports activities that bring together policy-makers, researchers, and 

citizens. In this section, you will learn about the Commission's efforts to take science out of 

the lab and into the public arena 

Research Themes General science 

Products Guideline documents, Science Shops, 

Primary Customers EU citizens, scientists 

Additional Notes Organizational model available. Relevant points for Science Impact include: 

1. Guidelines on 1) involving citizens in science 2) guidelines for scientists, and 3) reports on 

public participation 

2. SINAPSE - Scientific INformAtion for Policy Support in Europe - tool kit for the practical 

implementation of new forms of governance, facilitating the involvement of actors who are 

currently hard to consult, and enabling them to share their knowledge and viewpoints. 

SINAPSE will be freely accessible at http://europa.eu.int/sinapse. The pilot phase should start 

in summer 2004 and the membership will then be extended progressively. Tools include Who's 

Who and Yellow Pages for scientific and policy expertise, library of scientific opinions and 

advice, EC consultation, early warning system, provides communication between members. 

URL: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/science-society/documents_en.html 

41
Organization Federation of Earth Science Information Partners 

Parent Organization None 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The goal of the ESIP Federation is to establish and continuously improve science-based endto-end processes that increase the quality and value of Earth science products and services 

throughout their life-cycle for the benefit of the ESIP Federation’s stakeholder communities 

Research Themes Data-Research, Data-Applications, Education Resources, Technology and Tools 

Products Links to data sources and science information 

Primary Customers Education, Science Users 

Additional Notes The main purpose is to make science data more accessible through partnerships with public 

and private sectors. It is more of a clearinghouse for education materials (k-12) and data 

products. Partners are organized as: 

1. Type I: primarily distributors of satellite and ground-based data sets, as well as standardized 

products derived from those data; includes Alaska Satellite Facility, EROS Data Center, 

Global Hydrology Resource Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 

Langley research Center, Natinoal Climate Data Center, national Oceanographic Data Center, 

National Snow and Ice Data Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Socioeconomic Data and 

Applications Center. 

2. Type II: provide data and information products, technology, or services aimed primarily at 

the Earth science and research communities. 

3. Type III: primarily commercial companies engaged in developing tools for Earth Science. 

 URL: http://www.esipfed.org/ 

42
Organization Focused Science Delivery Program 

Parent Organization U.S. Forest Service 

Regulatory Power Yes 

Vision/Mission The mission of the Focused Science Delivery (FSD) Program is to strengthen natural resource 

policy and decisionmaking processes by developing and communicating science products that 

synthesize and integrate existing information within or across disciplinary areas at appropriate 

spatial and temporal scales. 

Research Themes Data-Research, Data-Applications, Education Resources, Technology and Tools 

Products Research, development, and application program 

Primary Customers Science Users, policymakers 

Additional Notes The Focused Science Delivery Program is a research, development, and application program 

that works across all four of the PNW Station strategic goals by conducting analyses of 

existing scientific data and compilations of existing information to create new knowledge. The 

FSD program also works more broadly on west-wide (Forest Service Regions 1-6 and 10) and 

national issues when they are consistent with the PNW Research Station's mission, or when 

they rise to the level that they become important in the PNW region. 

The Program's work supports high priority policy and management analyses and identifies 

knowledge gaps that require collection of new data to support more complete analyses. The 

FSD program is unique among the PNW Station's research programs because it does not 

maintain a large permanent staff, yet its mandate covers the range of topics about which the 

Forest Service conducts original research. In many cases the program secures the analytical 

capability necessary to accomplish work by developing partnerships among the PNW Station's 

other research programs, with Forest Service Research Projects or Programs from other 

Research Stations, or with government and non-government organizations where individuals 

with the necessary skills are located. Program staff members hold regular discussions with 

policy makers and managers at all organizational levels to identify topics for investigation and 

to tailor outputs to clients' or users' needs. This process is both informal and formal, with 

formal discussions held biennially in odd numbered years to select upcoming topics for the 

FSD Program. 

The topics addressed rotate in and out of the program, each with a lifespan of generally 2-3 

years in duration. The FSD program promotes integration with an emphasis on the Forest 

Service's strategic needs and identifies ways to increase synergy among researchers, political 

leaders, management experts, and the public as they search for solutions to complex resource 

management problems. We conduct analyses of existing scientific information and package 

results to support formulation of policy, selection of the management actions that implement 

those policies, and to provide scientifically sound information to the public as they help to 

shape policy or influence management decisions. As a result, most of the program's work 

responds to Goal 4 of the PNW Station's Strategic Plan (Communicate science findings and 

enhance their application). The changing nature of the program's portfolio of work does, 

however, make it likely that the various analyses conducted by the FSD program will touch on 

all of the PNW Station's strategic goals and priorities. 

URL: http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/about/programs/fsd/ 

43
Organization Government Affairs Program 

Parent Organization American Geological Institute 

Regulatory Power No 

Vision/Mission The AGI Government Affairs Program (GAP), established in 1992, serves as an important link 

between the federal government and the geosciences community. Through Congressional 

workshops, testimony, letters, and meetings, GAP ensures that the voices of the AGI Member 

Societies are heard on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch. At the same time, GAP is 

working to improve the flow of geosciences information to policy-makers. Equally important 

is the program's mission of providing federal science-policy information back to the Member 

Societies and the geosciences community at large. 

Research Themes Geosciences 

Products GeoRef (bibliographic database); Geotimes (monthly magazine); scholarships, information 

services 

Primary Customers Federal government and geosciences community 

Additional Notes URL: http://www.agiweb.org/gap/ 

44
Organization Science Translation Project 

Parent Organization Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission Initiated in 2002, the Gulf of Maine Council's Science Translation Project accelerates the 

transfer of scientific findings and techniques to resource managers, planners, policy makers, 

and other coastal decision-makers in the region. 

Research Themes Science translation

Products Project coordination and facilitation

Primary Customers Local decision-makers

Additional Notes The vision for the Science Translation Project is that government officials at the state, 

provincial, and federal levels will have an accurate, up-to-date scientific understanding of key 

environmental issues to make informed decisions on management of the Gulf of Maine and its 

watershed. The goal of the Gulf of Maine Council’s Science Translation Project is to advance 

science-based management of the Gulf of Maine and its watershed by equipping state, 

provincial, and federal decision-makers with scientific information. The context for this 

initiative is the Council’s priorities as described in its Action Plan 2001-2006. Objectives 

include: 

• Identify specific needs among state, provincial, and federal decision-makers for 

scientific information pertaining to coastal/marine habitats and contaminants. 

• Produce innovative, targeted information materials and deliver them in formats 

(e.g., publications, workshops, Web-based resources) that are responsive to 

decision-makers’ needs. 

• Translate technical and scientific data into identifiable, meaningful management 

actions. 

• Develop partnerships with other organizations that can fund and help multiply the 

impact of science translation efforts 

• Continually evaluate the outcomes of science translation activities and adapt future 

activities to maximize success. 

URL: http://www.gulfofmaine.org/science_translation/ 

45
Organization H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment 

Parent Organization Non-profit organization 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission Dedicated to improving the scientific and economic foundation for environmental policy 

through multi-sectoral collaboration. Focusing on issues that are likely to confront policy 

makers within two to five years, the Center creates and fosters collaboration among industry, 

environmental organizations, academia, and government in each of its program areas and 

projects. 

Research Themes Environmental Reporting, Global Change, Sustainable Ocean, Coasts, and Waterways 

Products Publications, policy recommendations 

Primary Customers Policy makers, managers 

Additional Notes The group focuses on issues that are likely to confront policymakers. Within two to five years, 

the Center creates and fosters collaboration among industry, environmental organizations, 

academia, and government in each of its program areas and projects. 

 

 URL: http://www.heinzctr.org/ 

46
Organization Institute for Environment, Philosophy, and Public Policy (IEPPP) 

 

Parent Organization Lancaster University 

Regulatory Power None 

 

Vision/ The Institute for Environment, Philosophy and Public Policy brings together academics from 

philosophy and the social sciences. IEPPP's overall research objective is to develop fresh 

cross-disciplinary thinking about the growing range of social and ethical issues thrown up by 

new technological developments. 

Research Themes Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology, Human Genome Ethics, Science and Society 

Products M.A and PhD in Environment and Society, degrees, basic research, publications, 

Primary Customers Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission, Animal Procedures Committee, the 

Food Ethics Council 

Additional Notes The Center for the Study of Environmental Change's central concern is to explore and clarify 

the ways in which an adequate understanding of environmental issues is now being 

compromised by restrictive assumptions in both policy and academic cultures, with the result 

that implications of the far-reaching cultural tensions embedded in environmental critiques of 

modern society are being neglected. Journals published by the institute include: Bioethics, 

Environmental Values, and Worldviews: Environment, Culture, Religion. Example Report is 

“Grove-White, R, and B Wynne (1995), Science, Culture and the Environment (Research 

Report), Lancaster: IEPPP, Lancaster University. ” 

 URL: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/ieppp/ 

47
Organization Macaulay Institute 

Parent Organization Scottish Office of the UK Government 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission They undertake research that provides scope for: 

 1) Rural economic development and a viable rural community structure 

2) The protection and enhancement of natural resources 

Research Themes Commercial Services, Research, 

Products Workshops/Conferences, GIS services, maps, datasets, Training, science info to advisory 

councils, Decision Support Tools, 

Primary Customers UK government 

Additional Notes Research carried out is an integrated study of the physical, environmental, and social 

consequences of land use, which is undertaken at various levels of physical, chemical, and 

biological organization and its outcome is invariably expressed with reference to location, 

spatial pattern and distribution. Research is aimed at meeting the needs of land managers and 

those formulating and implementing land use policy in the UK and Europe. A considerable 

part of their research program is concerned with the development of decision-support tools. 

 URL: http://www.mluri.sari.ac.uk/intro.htm 

48
Organization Marine Policy Center 

Parent Organization Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 

Regulatory Power No 

Vision/Mission The Marine Policy Center (MPC) conducts social scientific research to advance the 

conservation and management of marine and coastal resources. The work of MPC researchers 

integrates economics, policy analysis, and law with WHOI’s basic strengths in the ocean 

sciences and engineering 

Research Themes Marine resources; marine conservation; marine pollution 

Products Journal articles, conferences, fellowship program 

Primary Customers Public and private sector 

Additional Notes Most studies are on economic impact of various marine policy issues 

 URL: http://www.whoi.edu/science/MPC/dept/index.html 

 

49
Organization MMS Environmental Sciences Program 

Parent Organization Minerals Management Service (MMS) 

Regulatory Power Yes 

Vision/Mission Information archive 

Research Themes Environmental and socioeconomic research 

Products Policy analysis, economic analysis, stakeholder needs assessments 

P

 

rimary Customers Mineral Management Service 

Additional Notes The Environmental Studies Program of the Mineral Management Services conducts issues 

identification studies related to oil and gas development in the Outer Continental Shelf. These 

studies include the identification of the various stakeholders, their issues and concerns towards 

the environment, risk analysis, opportunities for public involvement, areas of potential conflict 

and resolution, and significant issues for further research. The Environmental Sciences Branch 

(ESB) provides policy guidance and program direction and oversight for the MMS 

Environmental Studies Program and the MMS Oil Spill Modeling Program. The ESB provides 

national level coordination with research managers within the Department of the Interior, other 

Federal agencies and coordinating committees, and non-federal research organizations. The 

ESB staff provides: 1) Management of the Environmental Studies Program and 2) 

Management of the Oil Spill Modeling Program, as well as technical information and analyses 

for NEPA and OCSLA reports, and proposed legislation and regulations that may affect OCS 

activities. For information pertaining to operational safety, pollution prevention, oil spill 

response, and cleanup capabilities, visit our Technology Assessment and Research (TA&R) 

Program. The TA&R Program is a research element encompassed by the MMS Regulatory 

Program. It was established in the 1970's to ensure that industry operations on the Outer 

Continental Shelf incorporated the use of the Best Available and Safest Technologies (BAST) 

subsequently required through the 1978 OSCLA amendments. 

 URL: http://www.mms.gov/eppd/env/ 

50
Organization National Council for Science and the Environment 

Parent Organization None

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The Council mobilizes key communities, including Congress, government agencies, academia, 

civil society, business, media, and the public to support policies and programs that increase the 

role of science in achieving environmental goals. The Council informs these communities 

about the value of science as a basis for decisions that affect the environment. 

Research Themes Increasing funding for research, assessment, and education 

Products Conferences, newsletters, testimony, advocacy 

Primary Customers Congress, D.C. policy makers 

Additional Notes Slogan is "Developing a scientific base for environmental decision making" 

 URL: http://www.ncseonline.org/ 

51
Organization Nature and Science Program 

Parent Organization National Park Service 

Regulatory Power Yes 

Vision/Mission Manage and protect U.S. National Parks 

Research Themes Outreach, opportunities for researchers 

Products Quarterly bulletin, research learning centers (13), Geoscientists-in-the-Parks, interpretative 

services, CESUs 

Primary Customers General public 

Additional Notes Products and programs include: 

Park Science Newsletter: http://www2.nature.nps.gov/parksci/ 

Research Learning Centers: http://www.nature.nps.gov/learningcenters/main_centers3.html 

Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units: 

http://www.cesu.org/cesu/introduction/introduction.html 

 The Social Science Program of the NPS can be found at 

http://www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/products.htm 

 

 URL: http://www.nature.nps.gov/scienceresearch/

52
Organization National Science and Technology Center 

Parent Organization Bureau of Land Management 

Regulatory Power Yes 

Vision/Mission BLM: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency within the U.S. Department of the 

Interior, administers 261 million surface acres of America's public lands, located primarily in 

12 Western States. The BLM sustains the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands 

for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The NSTC's focus is to provide 

science and technology related services to other Bureau offices. These services include: 

• Providing synthesized information, including literature searches, pertaining to the 

most current science associated with a specific management or resource issue 

• Assessing the synthesized information and providing insights into available data, 

data formats, and technologies 

• Identifying current technologies or developing applications of technologies to meet 

management or resource needs 

• Preparing short synopses of relevant scientific information in an easily 

understandable format 

• Identifying and developing partnerships with organizations and institutions that can 

provide scientific services and expertise 

Research Themes Conservation of BLM land 

Products GIS data, publications, annual reports 

Primary Customers General public 

Additional Notes A list of science products and the organizational framework is available at the Web site. An 

interesting study is the “ Conversation with America” 

(http://www.blm.gov/nhp/NPR/conversations/) which includes electronic conversations, 

customer surveys, public meetings, Resource Advisory Councils, and comment cards 

 URL: http://www.blm.gov/nstc/ 

53
Organization National Visual Analytics Center (NVAC) 

Parent Organization Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The Center, led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), is a national resource that 

provides strategic direction and coordination of activities to discover, develop and implement 

innovative visual information analysis methods. 

Research Themes Research and Development, Education, Evaluation and implementation, Integration 

Products Visualization software to georeference paper trails and intelligence 

Primary Customers Department of Homeland Security 

Additional Notes Funding comes from Department of Homeland Security - Science and Technology Directorate. 

Research and Development activities include areas of information analysis and visualization 

with an emphasis on proactive, predictive analysis to provide early warning of potential 

terrorist activities. Evaluation and implementation evaluates technologies by providing test 

beds where new methods can be evaluated and by supporting the adoption of new tools and 

methods by end users. This speeds the transfer of new technologies into the hands of the 

analyst. The NVAC’s programs help prepare scientists and engineers to accomplish the 

National R&D Agenda for Visual Analytics. 

 URL: http://nvac.pnl.gov/ 

 

54
Organization Natural Hazards Caucus Work Group 

Parent Organization Congressional Natural Hazards Caucus 

Regulatory Power No 

Vision/Mission To develop a wider understanding within Congress that reducing the risks and costs of natural 

disasters is a public value. That requires educating Members and staff about the costs of 

natural disasters to their districts and states, and the benefits their constituents will realize 

through greater efforts to understand, prevent, and mitigate natural disasters. 

Research Themes Natural hazards 

Products Fact sheets, briefings 

Primary Customers Congress, Congressional Natural Hazards Caucus 

Additional Notes URL: http://www.agiweb.org/workgroup/ 

55
Organization NATO Programme for Security Through Science 

Parent Organization NATO 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The NATO Programme for Security Through Science offers support for international 

collaboration between scientists of the countries of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council or 

the Mediterranean Dialogue. Awards are made following consideration of applications 

received from individual scientists in these countries. The aim of the Security Through 

Science programme is to contribute to security, stability and solidarity among nations by 

applying cutting-edge science to problem solving. 

Research Themes National security; anti-terrorism 

Products Grants, expert visits, workshops, R&D projects 

Primary Customers International space research and policy community

Additional Notes NATO Science publications at http://www.nato.int/science/publications.htm#1 

Relevant book titled "Science Evaluation and Its Management" from NATO Science Series, 

vol. 28 

 URL: http://www.nato.int/science/ 

56
Organization Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center 

Parent Organization University of Colorado 

Regulatory Power No 

Vision/Mission To strengthen communication among researchers and the individuals, organizations, and 

agencies concerned with reducing damages caused by disasters 

Research Themes Natural hazards, terrorism 

Products Newsletters (Disaster Research and Natural Hazards Observer), Web site, archive, report 

grants, workshop, journal, list-serve 

Primary Customers Academic community and practitioners 

Additional Notes Products include: 

 Natural Hazards Observer: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/o/ 

 Disaster Research newsletter: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/dr/ 

 HazLit database and search engine 

 Quick Response grants 

 Lists all research programs in natural hazards research 

 URL: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/ 

57
Organization Science in Society Program 

Parent Organization New Zealand Ministry of Research, Science, and Technology 

Regulatory Power None

Vision/Mission Development of different communication processes. The work program has an emphasis on 3 

different communication processes to meet the different needs of New Zealanders: dialogue 

between science and community awareness of science and technology promotion of science 

and technology 

Research Themes Needs assessments; stakeholder research

Products Reports 

Primary Customers Public 

 

 Additional Notes This group performs needs assessments, perception studies, and research with stakeholders; 

http://www.morst.govt.nz/?CHANNEL=SCIENCE+IN+SOCIETY&PAGE=Science+in+Societ

y 

58
Organization Nicholas School for the Environment - Faculty/Experts Database 

Parent Organization Duke University 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission None 

Research Themes Environmental science 

Products On-line database 

Primary Customers Media 

Additional Notes Web site is a good example of how the USGS can be promoting its scientists 

 URL: http://www.env.duke.edu/people/faculty/ 

59
Organization Office of Science and Technology Policy 

Parent Organization Executive Office of the President 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The OSTP’s continuing mission is set out in the National Science and Technology Policy, 

Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-282). It calls for OSTP to serve as a 

source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to 

major policies, plans, and programs of the Federal Government. 

The Act authorizes OSTP to: 

 • Advise the President and others within the Executive Office of the President on the impacts 

of science and technology on domestic and international affairs; 

• Lead an interagency effort to develop and implement sound science and technology policies 

and budgets; 

• Work with the private sector to ensure Federal investments in science and technology 

contribute to economic prosperity, environmental quality, and national security; 

• Build strong partnerships among Federal, State, and local governments, other countries, and 

the scientific community; 

 • Evaluate the scale, quality, and effectiveness of the Federal effort in science and technology. 

Research Themes All issues related to science and technology; recent reports: agroterrorism, energy efficiency, 

homeland security, nanotechnology, animal genomics, climate change, 

Products speeches, testimonies, press releases, federal register notices, reports 

Primary Customers The President of the United States 

Additional Notes Organizational chart at http://www.ostp.gov/images/orgchart2.jpg; 

 URL: http://www.ostp.gov/ 

60
Organization Office of Science Policy and Planning 

Parent Organization National Institute of Health 

Regulatory Power Yes 

Vision/Mission Serves as the principal resource for science policy, analysis, and development at NIH on issues 

of significance to the agency and the medical research community; 

 Addresses cross-cutting science policy issues and drafts the agency approach and position; 

 Provides leadership in developing major analyses of broad planning issues affecting the 

programs and policies of the major program components of NIH; 

 Participates in the development of new policy and program initiatives in emerging research 

areas; 

 Organizes periodic reviews of aspects of Institute and Center programs for the OD/NIH and 

assessment of NIH's research program under the Government Performance and Result Act; 

 Plans and organizes major conferences involving the interface between science and public 

policy; 

 Prepares special studies and reports required by the OD/NIH; 

 Serves as principal staff resource in the OD/NIH for identifying and reporting on agency 

research opportunities and accomplishments; 

 Conducts directly and through contractors, economic analyses of key programs and policy 

issues anticipated to be relevant to emerging planning needs of NIH; and 

 Provides ad hoc and continuing staff assistance on a wide range of substantive topics to the 

OD/NIH. 

Research Themes Human health 

Products Conferences, policy reports, 

Primary Customers Government, health researchers 

Additional Notes The Economic Studies Program (ESP) within OSP includes analysis and support of studies in 

four general areas: 1) influence of disease burden and research opportunities on the allocation 

of funds within the NIH budget; 2) contributions of NIH research to increasing life 

expectancy, maintaining or enhancing health-related quality of life, and reducing the costs of 

illness and injury; 3) contributions of NIH to other national goals, such as economic growth 

and international competitiveness; and 4) cost and efficiency of conducting NIH-sponsored 

research and providing an adequate long-term supply of high-quality scientific investigators, 

equipment, and facilities.

 

 URL: http://ospp.od.nih.gov/ 

61
Organization Office of Science Policy and Technology Transfer 

Parent Organization Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission CDC Goal: To promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, 

and disability. OSPTT Goal: 

 Maintaining the integrity and productivity of CDC's scientists by resolving controversial 

scientific issues, developing scientific policies and procedures, supporting training and 

information exchange, and presenting awards for outstanding scientific efforts 

 Assuring the protection of human subjects in public health research 

 Integrating behavioral and social sciences research into public health research 

 Promoting and facilitating the timely transfer of technology, knowledge, products, and 

processes that improve public health 

 Coordinating governmental and nongovernmental vaccine activities, including vaccine 

research, development, and safety and efficacy testing through the National Vaccine 

Program Office; manages the National Vaccine Advisory Committee 

 Advising the Secretary of HHS and the Director of CDC about the most appropriate use of 

vaccines and immunization practices for effective disease control in the population; 

regularly reviews immunization practices and recommends improvements to national 

immunization efforts; manages the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 

 Managing the CDC and ATSDR Specimen and Data Bank, an archive of biological materials, 

including blood components, tissue, bacterial isolates, DNA, and other biological and 

environmental specimens 

 Coordinating efforts to integrate health information and surveillance systems in public health 

Research Themes CDC: diseases, environmental health; OSPTT: Advisory comm., Animal Policy, Excellence in 

Science Comm, Human Subjects; Science Integrity, Tech Transfe 

Products FAQs, weekly reports, journal, trainings, databases, training partnerships, research centers 

Primary Customers general public 

Additional Notes FAQs: http://www.cdc.gov/doc.do?id=0900f3ec80093d70 

 Providing Information: 

- Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 

- Emerging Infectious Disease Journal. 

- National Vital Statistics System - key indicators of health from birth and death certificates 

- National Health Interview Survey 

- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. 

- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 

- Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) 

- Public Health Training Network 

- 7 Centers of Excellence for Birth Defects Prevention Research across the country 

 

 Partnership programs: 

- Prevention Health and Health Services Block Grant 

- HIV prevention programs 

- Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program 

- REACH 2010 program - provides funding to support community-based coalitions 

- Stop TB Initiative 

- Global HIV/AIDS initiative, Leadership and Investment in Fighting an Epidemic (LIFE). 

- National Syphilis Elimination Plan 

- A Public Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance 

 URL: http://www.cdc.gov/od/ads/ 

62
Organization Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup (ONHW) 

Parent Organization Community Services Center, University of Oregon 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The Partners for Disaster Resistances: Oregon Showcase State program provides a 

comprehensive framework for government and the private sector to prepare for and minimize 

the risk and impact of natural hazards. Specifically, the mission of the Showcase State 

Initiative is to: Prevent injuries and deaths, protect public and private property and create a 

disaster-ready statewide economy through public and private partnerships 

Research Themes Natural hazards, mitigation, response, preparedness planning 

Products Web archive, training workshops 

Primary Customers Public sector planning, emergency management practitioners 

Additional Notes The ONHW sets up and facilitates training workshops on development of hazard mitigation 

plans; provides web-based archive of mitigation activities in Oregon; has performed user needs 

assessments of practitioners in Oregon (ex. Goal 7 Planning implementation) 

 URL: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~onhw/ 

63
Organization Pacific Disaster Center 

Parent Organization East-West Center 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission To provide applied information research and analysis support for the development of more 

effective policies, institutions, programs, and information products for the disaster 

management and humanitarian assistance communities of the Asia Pacific region and beyond. 

Research Themes Decision and Policy Support; Institutional Capacity Development; Risk and Vulnerability; 

Humanitarian Assistance; Security and Sustainability 

Products PDC Automated Tsunami Alert System, Hawaii, Integrated Decision Support Systems, 

mitigation plans 

Primary Customers Disaster managers and local and regional level 

Additional Notes Funding from U.S. government appropriations (DOD), Asian and Pacific Governments, 

private agencies, individuals and corporations. Connected to East-West Center 

See overview publication: PDC_Overview.pdf 

 

 Articles: 

1. C. Chiesa, C. Laben, and R. Cicone, 2003, An Asia Pacific Natural Hazards and 

Vulnerabilities Atlas, Proceedings, International Symposium on Remote Sensing of 

Environment, Honolulu, November. 

2. Richard Cicone, Chris Chiesa, Tom Parris, and Douglas Way, 2003, Geospatial Modeling to 

Identify Populations Vulnerable to Natural Hazards, Proceedings, International Symposium on 

Remote Sensing of Environment, Honolulu, November. 

3. C. Chellis, C. Chiesa, R. Shirkhodai, Pacific Disaster Center, 2003, Integrated Decision 

Support System Architecture Study, Prepared for the U.S. Southern Command Humanitarian 

Assistance Program, May. 

4. Ray Shirkhodai, 2003, Hazard Clearinghouse and a Decision Support Capability white 

paper, prepared for Hawaii State Earthquake Advisory Committee. 

5. “Integration of Remote Sensing Data and Geographic Information System Technology for 

Emergency Managers and their Applications at the Pacific Disaster Center, Craig Laben, 

Optical Engineering, Journal for the International Society for Optical Engineering, Vol. 41, 

No. 9, September 2002. 

6. Pacific Disaster Center: Information Resources and technology Supporting Disaster 

Management in the Asia-Pacific Region Peter Colvin, Contingency Planners of the Pacific 

Quarterly Meeting, Bank of Hawaii, Honolulu, November. 

7. A Distributed Information Network Supporting Natural Hazards Applications in the AsiaPacific Region, Chris Chiesa, United Nations Regional Workshop on the Use of Space 

Technology for Disaster Management for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, November 11-15, 

2002. 

 URL: www.pdc.org 

64
Organization Policy Studies Institute-Environmental Group 

Parent Organization Independent subsidiary to the University of Westminster 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The PSI Environment Group is dedicated to the analysis of the socio-economic causes of 

environmental impacts and the policies that may ameliorate them. It seeks to undertake policyrelevant research of the highest quality with a view to contributing to the maintenance and 

enhancement of the environment’s contribution to human welfare, now and in the future. 

Research Themes Environment, Policy, Employment 

Products Publications and tools, events and conferences 

Primary Customers Academia, policy makers 

Additional Notes Their research project focuses on the role of science in environmental policy making. Much of 

there research can be considered basic research. A minority of their research may be 

considered Science Impact. Sample research projects include the Sustainable Development 

Research Network and the Deliberative Mapping project. Income is derived from funds for 

individual research projects received from a variety of sources, including government 

departments 

 URL: http://www.psi.org.uk/

65
Organization RAND Science and Technology Policy Institute 

Parent Organization RAND Corporation, Managed by the Institute of Defense Analysis 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The Science and Technology Policy Institute (S&T PI) is a federally funded research and 

development center (FFRDC) that provides analytic support to the White House Office of 

Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). It was chartered by an act of Congress in 1991 and 

began operation in 1992. 

Research Themes U.S. R&D Portfolio and International Cooperation, Space and Transportation, Critical 

Infrastructure and Information 

Technology, cont. below 

Products research, policy advise, databases, publications 

Primary Customers White House Office of Science and Technology Policy 

Additional Notes Objectives: 

1) assembly of timely and authoritative information regarding significant developments and 

trends in science and technology research and development in the United States and abroad 

 2) analysis and interpretation of such with particular attention to the scope and content of the 

federal science and technology research and development portfolio as it affects interagency 

and national issues 

 3) initiation of studies and analyses of alternatives available for ensuring the long-term 

strength of the United States in the development and application of science and technology, 

including appropriate roles for the federal government, state governments, private industry, 

and institutions of higher education in the development and application of science and 

technology. 

 

RAND Science and Technology (S&T) conducts multi-disciplinary research and analysis on 

policy issues that have scientific or technological dimensions. RAND S&T work helps clients: 

1) Assess the likely consequences of policy decisions in science and technology areas 

2) Understand the science and technology components of broader issues, such as homeland 

security and education 

3) Use scientific knowledge and technological tools to accomplish goals and improve the costeffectiveness of operations in areas such as space, energy, environment, and information 

technology. 

 URL: http://www.rand.org/scitech/stpi/ 

66
 Organization Science and Policy Program 

Parent Organization American Geophysical Union 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission None listed 

Research Themes Climate, education, earth history, space science, natural hazards 

Products Position papers, links to research projects, congressional fellowship program 

Primary Customers General public, media, educators, Congress 

Additional Notes This is a summary of AGU actitivites on Capital Hil with links to research and education 

material; basic outreach Web site 

 URL: http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/policy/ 

67
Organization Science and Technology Directorate 

Parent Organization Department of Homeland Security 

Regulatory Power Yes 

Vision/Mission We will lead the unified national effort to secure America. We will prevent and deter terrorist 

attacks and protect against and respond to threats and hazards to the nation. We will ensure 

safe and secure borders, welcome lawful immigrants and visitors, and promote the free-flow of 

commerce. Strategic Goals include: 

 Awareness -- Identify and understand threats, assess vulnerabilities, determine 

potential impacts and disseminate timely information to our homeland security 

partners and the American public. 

 Prevention -- Detect, deter and mitigate threats to our homeland. 

 Protection -- Safeguard our people and their freedoms, critical infrastructure, property 

and the economy of our Nation from acts of terrorism, natural disasters, or other 

emergencies. 

 Response -- Lead, manage and coordinate the national response to acts of terrorism, 

natural disasters, or other emergencies. 

 Recovery -- Lead national, state, local and private sector efforts to restore services 

and rebuild communities after acts of terrorism, natural disasters, or other 

emergencies. 

 Service -- Serve the public effectively by facilitating lawful trade, travel and 

immigration. 

 Organizational Excellence -- Value our most important resource, our people. Create a 

culture that promotes a common identity, innovation, mutual respect, accountability 

and teamwork to achieve efficiencies, effectiveness, and operational synergies. 

Research Themes Homeland security, emergency preparedness 

Products Advisory committee, national research centers, fact sheets, think tanks 

Primary Customers General public; government 

Additional Notes DHS primarily contracts out funds for research and has no in-house researchers. 

DHS has developed Homeland Security Centers of Excellence - 

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=53&content=3561 , think tanks: 

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=53&content=3506 and university partnerships 

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=53&content=3516 

 URL: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=53 

68
Organization Scottish Universities Research and Advice 

Parent Organization funded by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The SUPRA interdisciplinary network provided policy-related research and advisory services 

for Scotland, the UK and internationally. It became an internationally recognised authority on 

the conduct and management of interdisciplinary research and advised a wide range of 

organisations on the integration of natural and social science disciplines in research and policy 

contexts. 

Research Themes Science, technology, health, environment, policy 

Products Training, advice, publications and reports, 

Primary Customers Scottish Executive, OST, Economic and Social Research, Royal Commission on Environment, 

EU, Forestry Comm., OECD 

Additional Notes SUPRA engages with policy issues relating to: agriculture & land use, biotechnology, , 

chemicals, pesticides, energy, food, health technology, ICT & Multimedia, sustainable energy 

and water 

 

Interesting articles available on Web site: 

 SUPRA_Foresight to Multilevel Governance Structure.pdf 

 SUPRA_Abstract_Gearing Technology and Science into Knowledge.pdf 

 SUPR_Abstract_Assessing End Use Relevance of Public Sector Research Organisations.pdf 

 URL: http://www.supra.ed.ac.uk/index.html 

69
Organization Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI) 

Parent Organization University of York 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission SEI's mission is to support decision-making and induce change towards sustainable 

development around the world by providing integrative knowledge that bridges science and 

policy in the field of environment and development. 

Research Themes Atmospheric Pollution Strategies, Global Change Ecology, Implementing Sustainability, 

Water and Development 

Products Papers, reports, books, factsheets, brochures, 

Primary Customers Academia, decision makers 

Additional Notes The SEI Is a multi-disciplinary group including biologists, ecologists, geographers, social 

scientists and spatial analysts. Staff expertise includes: air pollution in developing countries, 

air pollution impact modeling, GIS, integrated environmental and strategic assessments, 

citizen participation, urban environment, trace gas emission inventories, carb sequestration 

studies, dev and application of ecological footprints, policy process analysis, natural resource 

relationships, water resources and aquatic ecosystems. Example papers include: 

• Forrester, J. and S. Cinderby (2002 "Computer Modelling and Local Governance: 

• Challenges for 'Citizen Science'" at the Science and citizenship in a global context: 

challenges from new technologies conference at the Institute of Development 

Studies, Brighton, December 2002. 

• Forrester, J., Potts, L. and Rosen, P. (2002) "Creating Science's 'New Social 

Contract'" at the European Association for the Study of Science & Technology 

(EASST) conference Responsibility Under Uncertainty, in conference proceedings. 

 URL: http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/sei/welcome.html 

70
Organization Sustainability Research Institute 

Parent Organization University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The Institute is dedicated to the development and application of environmental analysis in 

realization of the principles of sustainable development: 

 1. Entailing innovative and integrative approaches: at and between local, regional, national 

and international levels; 

 2. Developing policy contributions: connecting environmental knowledge to public and 

private sector decision making; and 

 3. Enabling socio-economic benefits: from improved community-based management and 

sustainable livelihood provision to enterprise initiatives and business solutions. 

Research Themes Environmental risk, Environment and Development 

Products Education, publications, 

Primary Customers Academia 

Additional Notes Research focuses on 1) Environmental Risk (ex. certitude and scientific uncertainty; trust and 

social risk acceptance; management implications; decision making tools; knowledge 

management initiatives; risk and sustainability) and 2) Environment and Development (ex. 

Land degradation assessment approaches, integrating soil, ecological and community-based 

participatory methodologies, assessing the potential for participatory environmental 

monitoring and evaluation to contribute to improved community-based natural resource 

management projects). Article of interest: LIFE_Social Vulnerability and Ecological 

Fragility.doc - Building bridges between social and natural sciences 

 URL: http://www.env.leeds.ac.uk/research/life/ 

71
Organization Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research 

Parent Organization University of East Anglia 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The Tyndall Centre aims to deliver tangible outputs and to develop partnerships between 

researchers on the one hand, and governments, businesses, civil society and households on the 

other. It is active in both the UK and in emerging parallel initiatives around the world, such as 

the European Climate Forum. 

Research Themes integrated climate change research, engagement with national/international stakeholders, 

education 

Products publications, events, media, research 

Primary Customers Researchers, academia, policy makers 

Additional Notes Research addresses both climate change mitigation and adaptation policy objectives with a 

particular emphasis on integrated assessment. Most importantly, its research applies across a 

range of scales in space and time - from the domestic to the global, and from the present 

through the coming centuries. It is funded by the UK Dept. of Trade and Industry, Natural 

Environment Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Engineering and 

Physical Science Research Council. 

 URL: http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/ 

72
Organization U.K. Climate Impacts Programme 

Parent Organization Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Oxford University 

Regulatory Power No 

Vision/Mission to co-ordinate and integrate an assessment of the impacts of climate change at a regional and 

national level that is led by stakeholders. This means that our stakeholders or partners 

commission the research and determine the research agenda, ensuring that it meets their needs. 

UKCIP provides support and guidance throughout the process for both stakeholders and the 

researchers, so providing a bridge between the researchers and the decision-makers in 

government organisations and business. 

Research Themes Climate change impacts, socio-economic and physical modeling 

Products Tools, workshops, presentations, publications, advisory panel, map products 

Primary Customers Stakeholders, government 

Additional Notes Tools include: Climate Scenarios, Socio-economic scenarios, handling risk and uncertainty, 

costing the impacts of climate change. ECI undertakes issue-driven policy relevant research to 

inform the management of environmental change and has a strong focus of energy research 

undertaken by their Low Carbon Futures team. The work includes projects on policy 

formulation, energy efficiency, cleaner energy, consumer behaviour, sustainability and equity, 

fuel switching, solar technologies, renewable energy and carbon waste management. The 

Environmental Change Institute also coordinates the UK Climate Impacts Programme 

(UKCIP) funded by Defra. UKCIP aims to co-ordinate and integrate an assessment of the 

impacts of climate change at a regional and national level that is led by stakeholders. Its 

stakeholders, or partners, commission the research and determine the research agenda, 

ensuring that it meets their needs. UKCIP provides support and guidance throughout the 

process for both stakeholders and the researchers, so providing a bridge between the 

researchers and the decision-makers in government organisations and business. 

 URL: http://www.ukcip.org.uk/ 

73
Organization U.K. Public Engagement Programme 

Parent Organization Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 

Regulatory Power No 

Vision/Mission Generating engagement between the research community and the general public is a key part 

of our mission. Such engagement stimulates the public's interest in research, inspires future 

generations of researchers and fosters mutual understanding, helping the research base evolve 

in tune with the changing needs of a more informed society. 

Research Themes Research Funding on getting science to general public, activities for youth and teachers 

Products Grants 

Primary Customers General public 

Additional Notes The Public Engagement Programme's objectives are: 

• To support and encourage the EPSRC research community to engage with the 

general public. 

• To convey to young people the creativity and excitement of research and the 

rewards of relevant educational opportunities so as to encourage them into related 

careers. 

• To stimulate public interest in advances and issues in engineering and physical 

sciences research to contribute to a more informed society. 

• To build partnerships with other stakeholders, in particular other Research 

Councils, and look for opportunities for greater integration of activities. 

 

Research funding is for: (1) Partnerships for Public Awareness (PPA) Awards are intended to 

support high quality public awareness projects by EPSRC researchers. 

(2) Senior Media Fellowships (SMFs) offer high value fellowships to free up time for leading 

researchers to pursue opportunities within the mass media. 

(3) Public Communications Training Funds (PCTFs) provide an optional £500 addition to 

research grants to support public communications training. 

 

PPA guide at: (see PPAGuide.pdf) 

 :http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/ContentLiveArea/Downloads/Adobe%20Portable%20Document%20

Format/PPAGuide1.pdf 

 URL: http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/Web site/default.aspx?ZoneID=5&MenuID=118 

74
Organization Science and Society, Office of Science and Technology 

Parent Organization U.K. Office of Science and Technology 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The concept of Science and Society recognizes the increasing impact of science on our 

everyday lives and reflects a move away from a traditional paternalistic one-way provision of 

information to the public and towards engagement and dialogue with civil society on science 

and the issues it raises for individuals and society. The aim is to achieve greater public 

involvement in the debate about the place of science in society. 

Research Themes Policy 

Products PUSET: grants, publications, research on public perception of science, conferences 

Primary Customers HM government 

Additional Notes This is the main science organization for the United Kingdom. It focuses on science funding, 

science policy, and science and society. Science and Society is one of four divisions. OST is 

headed by the Chief Scientific Adviser who provides advice to the Government on science, 

engineering and technology (SET) matters. Headed by the Chief Scientific Adviser who 

provides advice to the Government on science, engineering and technology (SET) matters 

 

Interesting documents available on the Web site: 

For Guidelines: OST_Guidlines2000.doc 

For Science Advisory Committee codes: OST_CodeOfPractice.pdf 

 Foresight Program: http://www.foresight.gov.uk/ 

URL: http://www.ost.gov.uk 

75
Organization Public Engagement with Science and Technology 

Parent Organization U.K. Office of Science and Technology 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission The objectives of the Public Engagement Team are to: 

 increase public awareness of the role of science in society and everyday life; 

 promote public engagement with and dialogue about science in society; 

 inform policy-making and public engagement strategies by identifying public attitudes to 

science; and, 

 increase the impact of public engagement and science communication activities in the UK by 

promoting and enabling collaboration, co-operation, networking and dissemination of best 

practice within the science communication community 

Research Themes Interaction with stakeholders

Products Publications 

Primary Customers Policymakers, general public 

Additional Notes Group does needs assessments; reports on science and society; interaction of stakeholders in 

science 

 

Guidelines on dialogue with the Public: http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/guidelines/dialogue/ 

 

 Publications 

1. Dialogue with the Public: Practical Guidelines (publ August 2002): A guide for two-way 

communication between science and the public, published by OST and Research Councils UK. 

2. Going Public (publ Sept 1996): an introduction to communicating science, engineering and 

technology 

3. Science and the Public (publ October 2000): a review of science communication and public 

attitudes to science in Britain. 

4. Science Connections (publ Aug 2003 in electronic form only): a guide to the science 

communication activities of a variety of key organisations. 

5. Science in Society report (107Kb)(publ Nov 2002): this report, commissioned by OST, 

recommends how an overview of the range and effectiveness of science communication 

activities in the UK can be obtained. 

6. Science in Society report - OST response (publ April 2003) : OST response along with 

details of the public consultation. 

7. Science in Society report - public consultation outcome (448 Kb)(publ September 2003) 

:outcome of the consultation along with OST’s implementation plans. 

8. The Public Consultation on Developments in the Biosciences (publ May 1999): a report 

investigating public attitudes to developments in the biological sciences and their oversight. 

9. Wolfendale Report (publ Oct 1995): report of the committee to review the contribution of 

scientists and engineers to the public understanding of science, engineering and technology. 

 URL: http://www.dti.gov.uk/ost/ostbusiness/puset/puset.htm 

76
Organization Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars 

Parent Organization Smithsonian Institution 

Regulatory Power None 

Vision/Mission To unite the world of ideas to the world of policy by supporting pre-eminent scholarship and 

linking that scholarship to issues of concern to officials in Washington. 

Research Themes international development 

Products radio program, reports, has own publishing press, newsletters, working papers, Web site 

Primary Customers government officials 

Additional Notes The Center is a public-private partnership. Approximately one third of the Center's operating 

funds come annually from an appropriation from the U.S. government, and the Center's 

building, a wing of the Ronald Reagan Building, was provided by the U.S. government. The 

remainder of the Center's funding comes from foundations, grants and contracts, corporations, 

individuals, endowment income, and subscriptions. 

 URL: http://wwics.si.edu

77