When Science Meets Politics

While you whitethorn presume subject and authorities are independent, they often intersect.

Governments and lobby groups often find which technological investigation and organisations are funded and platformed.

In turn, subject and investigation tin impact authorities and policy, pinch governments utilizing technological information to assistance determination making. Theoretically, astatine least. 

The truth of nan matter is that governmental engagement successful subject and investigation is inevitable.

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR RESEARCH IS

The Australian Government invests billions into technological investigation and development.

Governments tin money investigation straight by providing grants and costs towards technological priorities. 

It besides costs industries and universities, which money circumstantial investigation areas aliases projects.

Caption: Parliament House, wherever argumentation is made.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons

OFFLINE INFLUENCERS

But location is ever a bottommost line. Research priorities germinate based connected a society’s needs. 

Professor John Phillimore is Executive Director of nan John Curtin Institute of Public Policy astatine Curtin University.

“The domiciled of authorities is to return connected nationalist interest,” says John.

“So what issues are astir important and wherever we request to champion walk our money to make a affirmative quality successful nan future.”

Governments will besides prioritise investigation areas owed to economical and geographic factors. 

One of nan biggest examples of this successful Western Australia is nan mining industry.

“We money investigation successful mineral and power resources because we person a batch of mineral and power resources,” says John. 

“It’s an economical area of spot successful Western Australia, truthful it makes consciousness for america to do rather a batch of investigation connected it.”

Caption: Mines, for illustration this 1 successful Laverton, are an important portion of WA’s economy, and truthful investigation priorities.
Credit: Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Similarly, John attributes WA’s spot successful marine subject and investigation to our extended coastline.

“We wouldn’t do a batch of alpine investigation successful Western Australia,” he laughs.

State and national governments are expected to beryllium transparent astir what they deem to beryllium subject and investigation priorities.

For example, nan Federal Minister for Industry and Science announces National Science and Research Priorities for nan adjacent 10 years.

AN UNEVEN PLAYING FIELD

Unfortunately for science, this intends immoderate investigation areas miss retired because they’re not a authorities privilege aliases don’t do wonders for nan economy. 

John says nan playing section of which technological fields person authorities backing will ne'er beryllium level because subject and investigation play to a definite government’s priorities, geography, economical ground and history.

Lobbying – attempting to power legislative aliases argumentation decisions – by organisations and manufacture sectors is communal to unafraid backing and elevate nan value of peculiar projects. For example, Greenpeace has successfully lobbied nan Australian Government connected various protections for nan earthy world.

Caption: Greenpeace lobby for ambiance justness astir nan world.
Credit: via Greenpeace

The private sector, philanthropy and corporations besides play an important domiciled successful providing financial support for immoderate of nan projects not funded by nan government.

FROM RESEARCH TO ACTION

While subject tin connection options and imaginable solutions for issues, governments make nan last telephone connected really to enactment based connected a operation of societal values and technological evidence.

“Scientists tin talk astir nan large issues and what immoderate of your options are, but it’s politics, economics, government, policy, democracy. Those are nan things that find which measurement you past operate,” says John.

“Science tin often place nan problem, but it doesn’t ever place nan solution.”

Take nan polyphagous shot-hole borer ravaging trees successful Perth arsenic an example.

Although subject tin supply nan authorities government pinch a clear image of what is happening, a clear solution for argumentation implementation does not exist. It’s up to nan authorities to determine really to negociate it.

Caption: The borer has been causing carnage amongst Perth’s trees for almost 4 years.
Credit: via DPIRD

SCIENTISTS AT THE TABLE

Australians trust subject and scientists, and much than two-thirds of Aussies judge scientists should beryllium progressive successful argumentation making. And they are!

The authorities and nationalist Chief Scientist’s occupation is to style argumentation based connected timely technological investigation findings and supporting a government’s priorities successful investigation and development.

Scientific agencies besides beryllium wrong government, astir notably, nan Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). CSIRO straight contributes to nan National Science and Research Priorities and to use Australian manufacture and nan public.

“Scientists are hugely important,” says John. “They lend vitally to nationalist discussions by talking astir what’s imaginable [and] what’s not possible.”