5 minute read

Drs. Isler and Kimmerling discuss The Time is Now: Advancing Equity in Science and Technology Initiative on behalf of OSTP Director Eric Lander and Deputy Director for Science and Society, Alondra Nelson.

Dr. Jedidah Isler, Assistant Director for STEM Opportunity and Engagement in the Science and Society Division. In my role, I work to support the Biden-Harris Administration’s and OSTP’s commitments to make sure that science & technology include and benefit all of America. This includes developing strategies, programming, and initiatives that center equity and strengthen the STEM ecosystem.

Dr. Erica Palma Kimmerling, Senior Policy Advisor for Public Engagement in Science, and as part of the Director’s Office at OSTP I work across the teams to develop strategies and approaches for increasing public participation in the work of OSTP and science more broadly.

What is the problem the Time is Now: Advancing Equity in Science and Technology Ideation Challenge is trying to solve?

In a January 2021 letter, President Biden tasked OSTP Director Lander with answering five big questions, one of which was: “How can we guarantee that the fruits of science and technology are fully shared across America and among all Americans?” Director Lander has in turn committed to bringing the full measure of OSTP’s resources to bear, including convening and coordinating with Federal agencies, to address this formidable task.

By almost every measure, the U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ecosystem is inequitable and the benefits of science and technology remain unevenly distributed across racial, gender, economic, and geographic lines. This ideation challenge is part of a comprehensive initiative to identify, develop, support, and amplify evidence-based policy interventions that can advance equity in science and technology across government and beyond, by learning from as many people as possible. This critical input, from both the roundtables and the ideation challenge, will help us gather ideas that can galvanize action and spur new efforts that benefit the entire Nation.

Earlier this year, OSTP held a roundtable series on this topic. Why did OSTP decide to run a crowdsourcing campaign after talking with researchers, thought leaders, and advocates?

Starting in July 2021, Director Lander and Deputy Director Nelson hosted a five-part roundtable series to learn about barriers to equity in the science and technology ecosystem. In these candid discussions, researchers, thought leaders, professional organizations, and community advocates, and others diagnosed endemic issues -- and suggested informed solutions -- to ensure that all people can equitably participate in and thrive in science and technology. But while those roundtables were intersectional in their perspective, they were not exhaustive.

The ideation challenge is designed to broaden the scope of our engagement strategy. It is an opportunity to learn from, and engage with, all people, from students and skilled technical workers, scientists, and industry innovators, to equity advocates, creatives, education leaders, and the people who value and use science and technology in their everyday lives. By giving all people the opportunity to help answer this question we can learn about programs and initiatives that are already succeeding in advancing equity and encourage the sharing of brand-new ideas for how to evaluate and potentially reshape the way science is done.

Is there insight you can share regarding OSTP’s general interest in engaging the public via open innovation approaches?

We know that for science and technology to benefit all people we need to engage with the broader public. To develop equitable policy solutions, we need to use equitable processes and build relationships that encourage collaborative policy- and decision-making. We hope that these strategies will help restore trust in science and technology.

In addition to this ideation challenge, OSTP has engaged with thousands of people through ARPA-H listening sessions, our scientific integrity gatherings, and the Equitable Data Working Group “office hours.” OSTP recently began regular engagement sessions about a bill of rights for automated society and there will be future opportunities for open innovation around climate and more. In short, engaging with the public is quickly becoming a hallmark of the Biden-Harris Administration OSTP.

How will engaging the public make a difference to address the problem the Time is Now Challenge is trying to solve?

In addition to the benefits we have already discussed, the benefit of an open process is that we receive critical insight, expertise and ideas, as well as an opportunity to build relationships with the broader community of people who are interested in advancing equity in science and technology. We cannot advance equity, increase accessibility and broaden participation in the science and technology ecosystem solely on our own, we must work with our partners in government, private industry, and the American public to accomplish these goals. Equitable science and technology policy creates the conditions for cutting edge research, development and innovation; and with input from every part of American society, we can ensure national eminence, competitiveness, and prosperity.

In 2022, OSTP will release an action plan detailing priorities and actions that the Office will take to advance equity in science and technology. This action plan will be in addition to OSTP’s ongoing commitment to lead and further the development of science and technology policy to advance equity in health, education, cybersecurity, and environmental quality, for all of America.

How will the Challenge.Gov platform allow you to meet the goals of your campaign?

The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act in 2010, gave Federal agencies broad legal authority to conduct prizes, crowdsourcing, and citizen science competitions to engage the public. OSTP, the Office of Management and Budget, and the General Services Administration (GSA) have developed the framework that would allow the government to capitalize on these capabilities.

The new Challenge.Gov platform is user-friendly, easy to share, free-to-use by all Federal agencies, and comes with an existing community of solvers. OSTP is happy to again be partnering with the GSA on creating opportunities for public solvers to participate in opportunities to increase access, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the work of the Federal government and applaud their efforts to mature the use of crowdsourcing across government. In addition to a highly functional platform, GSA has a knowledgeable team which provides expertise, advice, and insight at every point in the process. We wish to thank Jarah Meador, Jennifer Stein, Laura Barlow, Star Vanamali, Katherine Kempe, and the entire GSA and tech transfer teams for their support.

Any advice for other federal agencies looking to leverage crowdsourcing to meet their agency goals?

First, you should absolutely do it! Crowdsourcing is a fantastic way to engage with the public. There are Federal communities of practice that are ready and waiting to support you as you assess how, and when, to use these strategies to meet your agency goals.

Below we have provided a few of our tips:

• Design with the end user in mind; your language and word choice will impact who participates. Try to avoid sensory-dependent descriptions to increase the accessibility and inclusiveness of your materials. (For example, “Have you heard/seen…” might discourage non-hearing and/or visually impaired people from participating.)
• Start with a clear sense of why you want to engage the public and what you want your desired outcomes to be.
• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but act quickly to correct them and be transparent about what you’re doing.
• To broaden participation, build an engagement strategy that encourages participation from non-traditional outlets. Include multiple opportunities to participate and build relationships widely.
• Relatedly, work closely with your communications team to make sure your messaging is getting the broadest possible distribution.
• Don’t forget to follow up! Part of the benefit of crowdsourcing is the community you build along the way. Keep them engaged, even when you don’t have an active challenge.

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