Senior GFSS member on new unit at Science and Technology Policy Institute

Wide-angle view of a conference setting with a speaker at a podium addressing a large audience. The speaker stands under focused stage lighting with blue accents, while the audience sits at round tables, attentively listening. A seated panelist is visible on stage, and the atmosphere is formal and professional.

Senior Global Futures Scholar Mahmud Farooque, a clinical associate professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and associate director of the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes, recently co-authored the insightful article Supporting Federal Decision Making through Participatory Technology Assessment, published by the Federation of American Scientists. 

In this article, Farooque and his colleagues advocate for the establishment of a dedicated unit within the Science and Technology Policy Institute to provide participatory technology assessment (pTA) services to federal agencies. They emphasize that integrating public perspectives into science and technology decision-making processes ensures that policies are more democratic, transparent, and aligned with societal values. As the authors state, "By integrating public and expert value assessments, the next administration can ensure that federal science and technology decisions provide the greatest benefit to society." His efforts in promoting participatory approaches to technology assessment highlight the importance of including diverse public voices in shaping policies that impact our collective future.

Melanie Osborne