AAAS S&T Colloquium Opens in Washington; Focuses on Role of Science in ‘Vulnerable World’

The 27th Annual AAAS Colloquium on Science and Technology, held in Washington, DC, each spring, opened 11 April at the Omni Shoreham Hotel on 2500 Calvert Street NW, near Connecticut Avenue, NW.

This year’s theme, “Science and Technology in a Vulnerable World: Rethinking our Roles,” responds to the terrorist attacks of 11 September, and to subsequent concerns about biological warfare.

As always, the colloquium provides a forum for discussion and debate about the federal budget for FY2003 and other policy issues facing the S&T community. Since its beginning in 1976, the Colloquium has grown into an annual institution that draws nearly 500 of the nation's top science and technology experts. AAAS CEO Alan I. Leshner opened the meeting, and John H. Marburger, III, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, gave the keynote address.

Among the issues being discussed are the roles of science and technology in the war on terrorism and homeland defense, and whether to ban certain kinds of research, such as human reproductive cloning and genetically-engineered bioweapons.

AAAS staff provides an overview of federal budget proposals for R&D in FY 2003, and an analysis of their impact on funding. Speakers are addressing the priorities for R&D funding from the point of view of both the academic and industrial sectors, with one session focusing on how the system for R&D funding might be improved. Officials representing the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation will preside at roundtable discussions on policy.

Young professionals interested in the field of science, engineering, and technology (SE&T) policy, are encouraged to register for a two-day workshop, from 12-14 April at AAAS, following this year’s Colloquium. The purpose of workshop is to better acquaint current and prospective SE&T policy professionals with the practice and opportunities of this emerging profession. This will be accomplished through a blend of plenary and breakout sessions led by seasoned professionals, and sessions devoted to the presentation of scholarly papers on timely SE&T policy issues.

The proceedings of the 2002 Colloquium, including the text of most of the speeches, will be available on the Colloquium web site.

--Coimbra Sirica