Future directions for scientific advice in Europe

Across Europe, scientific evidence and advice is in great demand, to inform policies and decision making on issues such as climate change, new technologies and environmental regulation. But the diversity of political cultures and attitudes to expertise in different European countries can make the task of designing EU-wide advisory institutions and processes both sensitive and complex. In January 2015, President Juncker asked Commissioner Moedas to report on options for improving scientific advice within the European Commission. At a time when these issues are higher than usual on the political agenda, it is important that the case for scientific advice and evidence-informed policy is articulated and analysed afresh. To support these efforts, this collection brings together agenda-setting essays by policymakers, practitioners, scientists and scholars from across Europe. Authors include Anne Glover, Ulrike Felt, Robert Madelin, Andy Stirling, Vladimír Šucha and Jos van der Meer. Their contributions outline various challenges but also constructive ways forward for scientific advice in Europe

Inside the Digital Revolution

Technology and transparency combined to create the digital revolution, which in turn has ushered in a new form of monitory democracy. Communicative abun-dance and global interconnection mean the democratic franchise can expand and deepen, but the author argues that it matters who is made transparent and for what purpose. Content and context matter. Technology and transparency can be used to strengthen democracy by opening up government to citizens, but the same tools can also be used by the state to surveil and disempower citizens, there-by damaging democracy. The author uses three case studies to discuss the impact of digitizing information on power relations between citizens and states. First, her observations as the journalist and litigant in the legal case that forced the digitization of UK parliamentary expense records, which when leaked created one of the biggest political scandals in that country for decades. Second, she ob-tained the entire set of U.S. diplomatic cables and reported on their contents for the Guardian. Lastly, she served as a member of the Independent Surveillance Review Panel, set up by the UK government to investigate allegations made by Edward Snowden that the UK and U.S. governments were conducting mass sur-veillance programs that were potentially illegal and lacked adequate oversight. The case studies show how journalism is integral not only to identifying useful civic information but also maximizing the public good from leaked information while minimizing har

Let’s Do Better: Public Representations of COVID-19 Science

COVID science is being both done and circulated at a furious pace. While it is inspiring to see the research community responding so vigorously to the pandemic crisis, all this activity has also created a churning sea of bad data, conflicting results, and exaggerated headlines. With representations of science becoming increasingly polarized, twisted and hyped, there is growing concern that the relevant science is being represented to the public in a manner that may cause confusion, inappropriate expectations, and the erosion of public trust. Here we explore some of the key issues associated with the representations of science in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these issues are not new. But the COVID-19 pandemic has placed a spotlight on the biomedical research process and amplified the adverse ramifications of poor public communication. We need to do better. As such, we conclude with ten recommendations aimed at key actors involved in the communication of COVID-19 science, including government, funders, universities, publishers, media and the research communities

Open-Source, Open-Architecture SoftwarePlatform for Plug-InElectric Vehicle SmartCharging in California

This interdisciplinary eXtensible Building Operating System–Vehicles project focuses on controlling plug-in electric vehicle charging at residential and small commercial settings using a novel and flexible open-source, open-architecture charge communication and control platform. The platform provides smart charging functionalities and benefits to the utility, homes, and businesses.This project investigates four important areas of vehicle-grid integration research, integrating technical as well as social and behavioral dimensions: smart charging user needs assessment, advanced load control platform development and testing, smart charging impacts, benefits to the power grid, and smart charging ratepayer benefits

Our Space: Being a Responsible Citizen of the Digital World

Our Space is a set of curricular materials designed to encourage high school students to reflect on the ethical dimensions of their participation in new media environments. Through role-playing activities and reflective exercises, students are asked to consider the ethical responsibilities of other people, and whether and how they behave ethically themselves online. These issues are raised in relation to five core themes that are highly relevant online: identity, privacy, authorship and ownership, credibility, and participation.Our Space was co-developed by The Good Play Project and Project New Media Literacies (established at MIT and now housed at University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism). The Our Space collaboration grew out of a shared interest in fostering ethical thinking and conduct among young people when exercising new media skills

Proactive Transparency and Government Communication in the USA and the Netherlands

Proactive government transparency has recently entered the spotlight. Examples of information made public at the initiative of the public body, without the need for filing a request, are: www.data.gov and www.recovery.gov. Transparency is an intrinsic value of democratic societies. In much of the literature an automatic link is assumed between transparency and increased accountability or trust. However, this link may not be as straightforward. Whether and how information is used to further public objectives also depends on the way information is incorporated into the complex communication chain of comprehension, action and response. Therefore, in this dissertation a communication approach was taken. The role of federal government communicators within the government transparency realm was studied in the USA and the Netherlands. More specifically, it was examined how the institutional (macro) and organizational (meso) embedding influences the way communicators value and implement proactive transparency (micro). A mixed method comparative case study consisting of process tracing, a web-based survey and semi-structured in-depth interviews showed that the institutional embedding in the USA can be characterized as a more rules-based approach while a principles-based approach prevails in the Netherlands. This study also showed that communicators working in an organization that supports proactive transparency provide more substantial information, use less spin and are more inclined to solicit feedback and participation from stakeholders. Finally, in both countries the majority of communicators valued proactive transparency highly and most communicators were actively involved in implementing proactive transparency. Communicators contributed to making information more findable, relevant and understandable for its users. At the same time some communicators indicated to sometimes leave out important details, give only part of the story or specifically highlight the positive elements in the information. Hence, communicators can play a role in both enhancing and constraining transparency. This study enhanced our understanding of proactive transparency and the value of communication. The project resulted in a conceptual framework for explaining similarities and differences in proactive transparency policy regimes from the perspective of the government communicator

Disinformation and Fact-Checking in Contemporary Society

Funded by the European Media and Information Fund and research project PID2022-142755OB-I00

Going with the flow? What CSR can learn from innovation

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