Science & Community

It has never been clearer that we share an urgent responsibility to ensure that scientific and technological advances serve the many, and not just the few. How should the public and private sectors work together to ensure that historical exclusion does not continue into the present? We convened two diverse groups of experts to discuss how they might advise building and distributing artificial intelligence for equitable outcomes. This report represents a summary of the discussions.

A growing movement connects scientists with policymakers and the public to shape a better society.

This workshop built a vibrant, collaborative, international network of partners who are committed to the idea of civic science through communities: conducting scientific research that is deeply embedded in local communities and that respects local expertise.

In late 2022, the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program convened a group of esteemed individuals for a moderated virtual discussion on how to increase diversity in clinical trial research. This report, publicly available to members of the scientific and medical communities, contains a summary of key points made by the participants, along with supporting literature.

In convening a roundtable discussion with international, cross-sector, LGBTQ+ STEM colleagues, we set out to explore some of the barriers facing LGBTQ+ inclusion in STEM around the world. We hope that this report inspires action within the STEM community, including corporate, research, academic, and nonprofit sectors, and pushes for intersectional policy change to build more inclusive spaces that ultimately benefit us all.

Associate Director Jylana Sheats and colleagues investigate which principles of co-production design are perceived to advance more equitable processes and outcomes based on the experiences of participants in U.S. federally-funded climate science research projects and others engaged in co-production efforts.

In this report, Civic Science Fellow Jylana Sheats and colleagues from See Change Institute and the Climate Mental Health Network (1) synthesize a decade of research on climate and mental health with a focus on youth and BIPOC, (2) share a framework of the key components of climate resilience / anxiety interventions, and (3) highlight promising approaches in schools, families, communities, and clinical settings for climate anxiety support.

In this research article, Civic Science Fellow Jylana Sheats and colleagues identify eight major themes that influence food access and health behaviors in New Orleans: safety, walkability, aesthetics, amenities, food, health services, neighborhood changes, and infrastructure/city planning.