JSPG CEO speaks at White House OSTP listening session on Open Science Training and Capacity Building

MEDIA CONTACT

Journal of Science Policy & Governance
André Porter
communications@sciencepolicyjournal.org 
(202) 730-9502

Washington, DC (June 12, 2023) – JSPG CEO Dr. Adriana Bankston provided remarks during the 4th listening session of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on Open Science Possibilities for Training and Capacity Building: Perspectives from the Early Career Researcher-Supporting Community. This session was part of a series of events exploring perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for advancing open science in the U.S. and solutions that might be implemented by the government. View more details about the series from the OSTP Year of Open Science.

During this session, Dr. Bankston addressed the following points:

• Discussed the background and goals of JSPG to support the next generation in science policy for over a decade;
• Offered the journal as a resource for this community as an open access and peer reviewed publication managed by and for students, policy fellows and young scholars in science, technology and innovation policy;
• Emphasized how the journal can help overcome barriers for the next generation to engage in open science;
• Described JSPG's role in supporting professional development through trainings for research and writing credentials in science policy; and
  
• Highlighted how trainees have used their JSPG publications and other journal opportunities when applying for science policy fellowships and as a way to jumpstart their policy careers.
  

During her remarks, Dr. Bankston highlighted the special issue on open science policy with UNESCO published last year, as an example of how trainees are driving the future of open science. The special issue addressed multiple facets of this topic, including open science practices, incentives, data, infrastructure, international cooperation and citizen science. She urged the audience to read this special issue to learn what the next generation is saying about this topic.

To conclude, Dr. Bankston expressed her hopes that JSPG can be a mechanism by which to help overcome systemic barriers for trainees within universities by providing them with opportunities to publish and have training resources from outside the university. In the light of this session, Dr. Bankston's hope is that the federal government can support nonprofit journals and publications that develop capacity for the next generation, encourage academic systemic change and foster cross-sector collaborations to ensure their success but also train the next generation in this area. 

Dr. Fanuel Muindi interviews Dr. Adriana Bankston on her impressions from the OSTP Listening Session on Open Science Training and Capacity Building for SAi TV.

Dr. Bankston then spoke with Dr. Fanuel Muindi, Chief Resident at STEM Advocacy Institute, about her takeaways from this listening session, as well as how JSPG strategically engages in partnerships for special issues such as with UNESCO. She also mentioned the newly released call for papers for a special issue on Civic Science for Transformative Policy Solutions to Societal Challenges co-sponsored by Sigma Xi and the Rita Allen Foundation. This call for papers is relevant to the topic at hand given the importance of open access to scientific knowledge and data in order for the next generation to participate in effective public engagement and bridge the gap between science and society through their publications.

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About JSPG
The Journal of Science Policy & Governance (JSPG) is an international, open access peer-reviewed publication managed by and for students, policy fellows, and young scholars in science, technology, and innovation policy. JSPG publishes high-quality articles covering the widest range of topics in formats that are accessible to policymakers. Since 2011, JSPG has served as a vehicle for students and early career researchers to bolster their research and writing credentials in science policy. Visit sciencepolicyjournal.org and follow on Twitter @SciPolJournal to learn more.