blog - Where Canada Might Lead The World – The Fourth Canadian Science Policy Conference

Where Canada Might Lead The World – The Fourth Canadian Science Policy Conference:

Later this year the fourth Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) will take place in Alberta, Calgary. I attended the first conference in 2009, when it was held in Toronto. I found it quite valuable, and not being Canadian, I think that says something. In the three years since the first conference, the number of presenters and panels has grown consistently, and I think the conference provides an important convening function for the nation’s researchers and practitioners interested in science policy. I wish we had something like it in the United States. The closest think I can think of is the Forum on Science and Technology Policy put on by the organization formerly called the American Association for the Advancement of Science. For too long it has struck me as too focused on budget and what goes on in Washington to engage with science and technology policy issues in the way that the CSPC is trying to do. I think some of this can be credited to the independent nature of the Canadian effort.....