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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2015. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21750.
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Public Engagement on
Genetically Modified Organisms

WHEN SCIENCE
                           AND CITIZENS
CONNECT

WORKSHOP SUMMARY

Holly Rhodes and Keegan Sawyer, Rapporteurs

Roundtable on Public Interfaces of the Life Sciences
Board on Life Sciences
Division on Earth and Life Studies
Board on Science Education
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
                            OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.

www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2015. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21750.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS    500 Fifth Street NW    Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

The Roundtable on Public Interfaces of the Life Sciences is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation through Grant GBMF3869, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund through Grant 10002067, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute through Grant 10001304, Monsanto through Grant 10001447, DuPont, and the National Academy of Sciences.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-37421-7
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-37421-9

Additional copies of this report are available for sale from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; Internet, http://www.nap.edu.

Copyright 2015 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2015. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21750.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2015. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21750.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2015. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21750.
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PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR THE WORKSHOP WHEN SCIENCE AND CITIZENS CONNECT: PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS1

DIETRAM A. SCHEUFELE (Chair)*, University of Wisconsin–Madison

JOSEPH ARVAI*, University of Calgary

SARAH DAVIDSON EVANEGA, Cornell University

FRED GOULD* (NAS), North Carolina State University

BROOKE SMITH*, COMPASS

*Members of the Roundtable on Public Interfaces of the Life Sciences.



________________________

1The workshop planning committee members were not involved in the writing of the workshop summary.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2015. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21750.
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ROUNDTABLE ON PUBLIC INTERFACES OF THE LIFE SCIENCES

Members

CYNTHIA BEALL (NAS; Cochair), Case Western Reserve University

DIETRAM A. SCHEUFELE (Cochair), University of Wisconsin–Madison

JOSEPH ARVAI, University of Calgary

RICK BORCHELT, US Department of Energy

DAVID E. DUNCAN, Freelance Journalist

DAVID GOLDSTON, Natural Resources Defense Council

FRED GOULD (NAS), North Carolina State University

DAVID INOUYE, University of Maryland

MOLLY JAHN, University of Wisconsin–Madison

BRUCE LEWENSTEIN, Cornell University

MICHAEL LOHUIS, Monsanto

TIFFANY LOHWATER, American Association for the Advancement of Science

GEORGE MATSUMOTO, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

MATTHEW NISBET, Northeastern University

JOHN OHAB, US Naval Research Laboratory

IVAN ORANSKY, MedPage Today

STEPHEN PALACIOS, Added Value Cheskin

WILLIAM PROVINE, DuPont

VINCENT RACANIELLO, Columbia University

KENNETH S. RAMOS, University of Louisville

BROOKE SMITH, COMPASS

MARY WOOLLEY (IOM), Research!America

NRC Staff

KEEGAN SAWYER, Project Director, Board on Life Sciences

MICHAEL FEDER, Senior Program Officer, Board on Science Education

ZANE MARTIN, Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellow

LAUREN SONI, Senior Program Assistant, Board on Life Sciences (until January 2015)

HOLLY RHODES, Board on Science Education, Rapporteur

NOMAN GROSSBLATT, Senior Editor

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2015. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21750.
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BOARD ON LIFE SCIENCES

Members

JAMES P. COLLINS (Chair), Arizona State University

ENRIQUETA C. BOND, Burroughs Wellcome Fund (retired)

ROGER D. CONE, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

JOSEPH R. ECKER, Salk Institute for Biological Studies

SEAN EDDY, HHMI Janelia Farm Research Campus

SARAH C. R. ELGIN, Washington University

DAVID R. FRANZ, Former Cdr USAMRIID; Consultant

STEPHEN FRIEND, Sage Bionetworks

ELIZABETH HEITMAN, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

JOHN G. HILDEBRAND (NAS), University of Arizona

RICHARD A. JOHNSON, Arnold & Porter, LLC

JUDITH KIMBLE, University of Wisconsin–Madison

MARY E. MAXON, Science Philanthropy Alliance

KAREN E. NELSON, J. Craig Venter Institute

ROBERT M. NEREM, Georgia Institute of Technology

MARY E. POWER, University of California, Berkeley

MARGARET RILEY, University of Massachusetts

LANA SKIRBOLL, Sanofi

JANIS C. WEEKS, University of Oregon

MARY WOOLLEY (IOM), Research!America

Staff

FRANCES E. SHARPLES, Director

JO L. HUSBANDS, Scholar/Senior Project Director

JAY B. LABOV, Senior Scientist/Program Director for Biology Education

KATHERINE W. BOWMAN, Senior Program Officer

MARILEE K. SHELTON-DAVENPORT, Senior Program Officer

KEEGAN SAWYER, Program Officer

AUDREY THEVENON, Associate Program Officer

BETHELHEM MEKASHA, Financial Associate

ANGELA KOLESNIKOVA, Administrative Assistant

JENNA OGILVIE, Senior Project Assistant

LAUREN SONI, Senior Project Assistant (until January 2015)

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2015. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21750.
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BOARD ON SCIENCE EDUCATION

Members

ADAM GAMORAN (Chair), WT Grant Foundation

GEORGE BOGGS, Palomar College (emeritus)

MELANIE COOPER, Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University

RODOLFO DIRZO, Department of Biology, Stanford University

JACQUELYNNE ECCLES, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan

JOSEPH FRANCISCO, Department of Chemistry, Purdue University

MARGARET A. HONEY, New York Hall of Science

SUSAN KIEFFER, Department of Geology, University of Illinois, Urbana

MATTHEW KREHBIEL, Kansas State Department of Education

MICHAEL LACH, Urban Education Institute, University of Chicago

LYNN S. LIBEN, Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University

BRIAN REISER¸ School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University

MARSHALL (MIKE) SMITH, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

ROBERTA TANNER, Retired Physics Teacher, Thompson School District, Loveland, Colorado

SUZANNE WILSON, Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut

YU XIE, Department of Sociology, University of Michigan

Staff

HEIDI SCHWEINGRUBER, Director, Board on Science Education

MICHAEL FEDER, Senior Program Officer

MARGARET HILTON, Senior Program Officer

MATT LAMMERS, Program Coordinator

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2015. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21750.
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Acknowledgment of Reviewers

This workshop summary has been reviewed in draft form by persons chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purposes of this review are to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published summary as sound as possible and to ensure that the summary meets institutional standards of objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We thank the following for their participation in the review of this summary:

Richard Amasino, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Kevin M. Folta, University of Florida

Geoffrey Hunt, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Margaret Mellon, independent science policy consultant

Louie Rivers III, North Carolina State University

Allison A. Snow, Ohio State University

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse, nor did they see, the final draft of the workshop summary before its release. The review of the report was overseen by Diane Griffin of Johns Hopkins University. Appointed by the National Academy of Sciences, she was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of the report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of the summary rests entirely with the authors and the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2015. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21750.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2015. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21750.
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Contents

1 Introduction and Overview

Workshop Overview

About this Summary

2 How People Think (about Genetically Modified Organisms)

Debunking Myths about Public Perceptions of Science

Myth 1: Knowledge deficits are responsible for a lack of public support for science

Myth 2: Meaningful public debate requires citizens that think like scientists

Myth 3: The public does not trust scientists

The Roles of Thinking and Feeling in Decision-Making

Decisions about What?

Reality Filters

Decision-Making about Genetically Modified Organisms

3 The Science Information Climate

Framing Science Information

Media Effects on the Information Climate

Consumer Opinions

Engaging Publics in the Information Climate on Genetically Modified Organisms

4 Cultural and Political Contexts

Cultural Contexts

The Pathway to Political Polarization

Modes of Science Engagement with Publics and Policy-makers

How Science Intersects with Policy

The Role of Science and Scientists in Societal Conversations about Labeling Of Genetically Modified Foods

Is labeling of Genetically Modified Organisms really a science question?

Intended and Unintended Consequences of Labeling

How Much Regulation Is Enough and What Is the Role of the Scientist in Determining That?

5 How Should Scientists Engage in Dialogues about GMOs?

Conceptual Take-Homes

Practical Take-Homes: What Can Scientists Do?

Understand the Nature of the Controversy

Manage the Communication Process

Draw from Social-Science Evidence to Inform Public Engagement Practice

Get Communication Training

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2015. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21750.
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The National Research Council's Roundtable on Public Interfaces of the Life Sciences held a 2-day workshop on January 15-16, 2015, in Washington, DC to explore the public interfaces between scientists and citizens in the context of genetically engineered (GE) organisms. The workshop presentations and discussions dealt with perspectives on scientific engagement in a world where science is interpreted through a variety of lenses, including cultural values and political dispositions, and with strategies based on evidence in social science to improve public conversation about controversial topics in science. The workshop focused on public perceptions and debates about genetically engineered plants and animals, commonly known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), because the development and application of GMOs are heavily debated among some stakeholders, including scientists. For some applications of GMOs, the societal debate is so contentious that it can be difficult for members of the public, including policy-makers, to make decisions. Thus, although the workshop focused on issues related to public interfaces with the life science that apply to many science policy debates, the discussions are particularly relevant for anyone involved with the GMO debate. Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms: When Science and Citizens Connect summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

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