In the United States, most scientists are trained at universities with strong financial support from the government[1]. Academic institutions hire professors who run research laboratories predominantly funded by grants from federal agencies (Fig. 1). These grants provide the supplies used in the labs, pay the salaries and tuition of the graduate students seeking doctoral degrees, and pay the salaries of postdoctoral fellows seeking additional scientific training. Most of these scientific research grants come from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Energy (DOE)[1]. At MIT, a research laboratory in science or engineering often pays nearly $500,000 to train a single PhD-level graduate student. A majority of those funds usually comes from federal grants.
This money is not free. It comes with an obligation for scientists to inform and engage with the public on matters related to their expertise that affect the well-being of our communities. At the MIT Science Policy Review, we believe this obligation goes beyond publishing a research paper filled with jargon directed towards other scientists in a particular field. The “broader impacts” should include communication that is jargon-free, on-the-record, and accessible. This communication should also draw attention to the potential benefits and risks of new technologies, and their impact on society. The Review is written by scientists for a non-scientist audience and will always be free to read. In founding the Review, we sought to create a platform that expands the ability for scientists to engage with non-scientist stakeholders in the science policy process, including the general public and lawmakers. This is one step toward an important cultural change that needs to occur in science to build a more engaging and accessible scientific process, and a more informed public.