Beginning a Dialogue on the Changing Environment for the Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Report of a Conference (1994)

2:00-2:45 pm

Introductory comments

Welcome

Bruce Alberts

President, National Academy of Sciences

Review of desired outcomes and the reasons why these outcomes are desired

Radford Byerly, Jr., Conference Co-chair

Vice President, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Richard N. Zare, Conference Co-chair

Professor, Stanford University

Review of proposed agenda and ground rules

Paul Shoemaker

Manager, Strategic Planning Office, Sandia National Laboratories

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SCIENCE AND SOCIETY: MOVING FROM TODAY TO TOMORROW

2:45-3:15

The Changing World and What It Means

William Ascher

Professor, Duke University

3:15-3:45

Facilitated large-group discussion

• What aspirations and expectations has the research community traditionally sought to meet?

• Whose aspirations were these?

• What changes in aspirations and expectations might the research community have to meet in the future?

4:00-5:30

Small-group discussions—The Changing Landscape

• How have the aspirations and expectations of society, government, and the research community interacted in the development of today 's institutional and operational infrastructure for research?

• How might tomorrow's aspirations and expectations affect that infrastructure? What changes in the infrastructure might we anticipate?

7:30-8:30

Reports from small groups (informal presentations by a spokesperson from each small group)

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SCIENCE AND GOVERNMENT: MOVING FROM TODAY TO TOMORROW

8:30-9:00 am

Perspectives on Science, Technology, and the Federal Government: National Goals for a New Era

Phillip A. Griffiths

Director, Institute for Advanced Study

Chair, COSEPUP

9:00-10:30

Facilitated large-group discussion

• What role(s) will the federal government be likely to play—in pursuit of its own interests and in its relationship to society as a whole—with respect to the research community?

• Will the research community be compelled to write one “contract” with the federal government and another with society at large?

• What are the terms of this contract (or these contracts) likely to be?

POSSIBLE GAINS AND LOSSES: DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES

10:45-noon

Should Science Serve Defined Social Goals or Seek Knowledge as a General Good?

In Defense of Basic Research

Daniel Kleppner

Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Pursuit of Science in the National Interest

Albert Narath

President, Sandia Corporation

1:30-3:00

Small-group discussions—Refocusing the Research Community

• Should the research community focus on producing demonstrations linking science to human welfare? Who will determine the effectiveness of such demonstrations?

• What may be gained and what may be lost by adopting such a focus?

  Societal perspectives

  Governmental perspectives

  Research community perspectives

3:15-4:15

Reports on the three perspectives (spokespersons from the small groups)

HOW CAN THE PHYSICAL AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES COMMUNITIES RESPOND TO THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT?

4:15-4:45

New Advisory Structures for New Times

Charles Kennel

Professor, University of California, Los Angeles

4:45-5:15

What Society Will Expect from the Future Research Community

Dale Jamieson

Professor, University of Colorado, Boulder

9:00-9:30 am

Preliminary Conference Synthesis: Threads in the Tapestry

Harold T. Shapiro

President, Princeton University

PROSPECTS FOR CHANGE

9:30-10:30

Small-group discussions—Prospects for Change

• Can the research community effect the changes being demanded by society and the government?

• By what means should change be effected?

• What steps should be taken to broaden the participation in this discussion outside the attendees at this conference?

10:45-11:45

Reports from small groups

11:45-12:15

Focus on next steps (facilitated large-group discussion)

12:15-12:30

Concluding comments

Richard N. Zare

Radford Byerly, Jr.