Changing the model of science and society: The need to design science to address societal needs

In the years following World War II, as the US began a gradual and unprecedented ramping up of its commitment to publicly funded science, the responsibility of the scientist was widely portrayed simply as a responsibility to science itself, just to do honest science. The trick here was that the fruits of science in society were supposed to be unpredictable, yet automatic. Through the unfettered exploration of nature, and the serendipitous translation of insight into innovation, science made the world better. This linear model of creation and use of scientific knowledge falsely assumes that scientists are asking the “right” questions and that their results are then translated and transmitted to appropriate decision makers who then successfully integrate technical knowledge with other considerations to make the “right” decision. Research priorities that flow from previous scientific research without integrating societal needs for knowledge, however, may fail to provide the wisdom for addressing challenges facing our society. Knowledge about the potential users of information and engagement with stakeholders can help determine what types of research would be most broadly beneficial. Empowering stakeholders to participate in knowledge creation can help bridge the gap between research and decision-making. Both by shaping the questions asked and the format in which the information appears, engagement with knowledge users can affect the uptake and integration of scientific results into policy processes to address societal and management concerns.