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by Alison Gilchrist, CSTPR Science Writing Intern<\/em><\/p>\n This year, the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research (CSTPR) celebrates its fifteenth anniversary since being recognized as an official University center in 2002. In its fifteen years, CSTPR has weathered major political, social and economic changes\u2014not to mention some severe cold snaps. Through it all, the center has been an important bridge between science and policy for all of the faculty and students who have been involved, as well as the many CSTPR collaborators.<\/p>\n To celebrate the anniversary, CSTPR hosted a keynote address by Brian Deese<\/a>, Former Climate and Energy Advisor to US President Obama. At the event, Max Boykoff, current director of CSTPR, gave a short introduction in which he talked about the center\u2019s beginnings.<\/p>\n He quoted Susan Avery, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) Director from 1994 to 2004 and Assistant Director of CSTPR at the time it was founded: \u201cDeveloping the center provided a means of establishing research and education programs that focused on the growing need for a connection between science and society.\u201d<\/p>\n Avery called the period in which CSTPR was developed an \u201cinteresting and exciting time\u201d\u2014sentiments expressed by many of the people who were instrumental in founding the center and defining its goals. Boykoff, who arrived in 2009, says that CSTPR was already an exciting and unique place by the time he became director in January 2016.<\/p>\n \u201cThere aren\u2019t that many places where there can be these kinds of cross-disciplinary collaborations undertaken in consistent, sustained and systematic ways,\u201d said Boykoff. \u201cSo an institute like CIRES\u2014well, that was one of the reasons I came to Boulder to take this job. CSTPR really occupies a unique and important space.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2016, Boykoff took the opportunity to clearly define the goals and priorities of CSTPR.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I stepped in as Director, we had an opportunity to take a fresh look,\u201d said Boykoff. \u201cthere\u2019s a really broad expanse of science and technology policy research, so we went through a process of identifying some of our priority areas and themes.\u201d<\/p>\n Four themes solidify the vision and mission of CSTPR in 2017 and going forward. The first, \u2018Science and Technology Policy\u2019, involves studying decisions made at the science-policy interface. This theme describes studies of research processes intended to co-produce science between scientists and stakeholders\u2014a critically important goal for those who want to make science immediately useful for policy makers and the public.<\/p>\n \u2018Innovations in Governance and Sustainability\u2019, a key theme for many CSTPR researchers, involves studying how sustainability challenges can be addressed by policy. As climate change becomes increasingly addressed in policy, projects related to this theme continue to be incredibly important contributions that CSTPR makes. Similarly, pursuing research along the \u2018Drivers of Risk Management Decisions\u2019 theme, for example by studying how individuals and institutions make decisions to respond and adapt to perceived risks, can help us understand the ways in which governments can respond to crises related to climate change.<\/p>\n Finally, projects in the theme of \u2018Communication and Societal Change\u2019 helps analyze how representations of science and technology can increase or hamper their reach and impact in various target sectors and in the greater public. Boykoff discussed how all four of the themes are clearly visible in the research projects being carried out by CSTPR scientists today.<\/p>\n Students and faculty who have passed through CSTPR know well the importance that the center serves in the scientific and policy communities. Elizabeth \u201cBets\u201d McNie, one of the first graduate students at CSTPR, spoke about the role that CSTPR played in her own career path.<\/p>\n \u201cCSTPR has created a community that has really supported me and my research over the years and has given me resources to help me do my research better,\u201d said McNie. \u201cMost of those resources have been the people here and communicating with them and getting ideas from them and knowing that there are like-minded folks who \u201cget it\u201d\u2014get the science-policy nexus and the challenges of working at the nexus.\u201d<\/p>\n Over fifteen years, CSTPR has been in a unique position to house graduate students, visitors, postdocs, faculty, and staff who feel similarly, and has formed a strong network of scientists and researchers who feel passionately about combining science and policy research.<\/p>\n \u201cI like having a foot in the sciences, and then bridging into social sciences and humanities questions from there,\u201d said Boykoff. \u201cIt\u2019s important to recognize the challenges and threats to science and environment and some of the critical issues around policy decision making.\u201d<\/p>\n Boykoff is optimistic about the future of CSTPR.<\/p>\n “The state of our center\u2014we\u2019re in a really strong position. We have a great group of core faculty, we\u2019re strengthening with affiliates, the four areas we\u2019ve identified and now are pursuing ones that I feel really good about,\u201d said Boykoff. \u201cWhile I feel like the scale of challenge is as big as it has been, there\u2019s also a skilled response that we\u2019ve put together that I feel proud of. We\u2019re stepping up in CSTPR in this critical time. “<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Alison Gilchrist, CSTPR Science Writing Intern This year, the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research (CSTPR) celebrates its fifteenth anniversary since being recognized as an official University center in 2002. In its fifteen years, CSTPR has weathered major … Continue reading