MOST makes it mark bridging science and policy gap
Written by MOST Policy Initiative Staff
Trustworthy scientific research and credibility is the dual fulcrum that the nonpartisan Missouri Science & Technology Policy Initiative (MOST) relies on to bridge the gap between science and policy. And since the start of the 2021 legislative session, MOST policy fellows have authored 79 science notes that respond to requests from Missouri policymakers.
Based on that metric, the state of science advising in Missouri is strong — and getting stronger.
Nationally, the Office of Science and Technology Policy works to provide scientific advice to Congress and the White House. In addition, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is independent of the federal government and has been an objective resource to federal agencies and offices for more than 50 years.
On the state level, science and technology advising is becoming a more vital aspect of policymaking. Water quality, healthcare, education, and similar areas are among the highlighted connections with science and technology. One of the primary challenges of science advising is access to the process of providing objective scientific information for evidence-based policy decision-making.
Nurturing relationships.
MOST is an example of engaging policymakers with science. Rachel Owen, MOST Director, says that nurturing and building those relationships is one of her organization’s core functions. She also looks at what other states are doing to connect science with policy to determine additional functions MOST can play. For instance, California has the California Council on Science and Technology — an external, independent organization (like MOST) that provides expert briefings and reports — and the State Academies of Science in Washington and Connecticut perform similar functions.
It’s also vital to define the nature and scope of advising as opposed to influencing or advocating for ideological positions and decisions, Owen explains, adding that MOST acts as a nonpartisan extension of a policymaker’s staff.
“We don’t tell them what to do with the information. But we will help them interpret the information,” Owen says. She also emphasizes that MOST policy fellow science notes are not influenced by the requestor’s political affiliation.
“The Science Note is going to be the same — whether for a Republican or a Democrat,” she says.
House and Senate office and research staff research policy issues, but those efforts are typically related to law, policy, and constitutional questions. Questions about the science of legislative issues may be asked of university contacts if they are accessible. MOST was established in response to lawmakers saying they could use more information and short reports — with quick turnaround times — on the relevant science.
Savvy lawmakers.
In Missouri, another important dynamic that needed little encouragement was the ready willingness of lawmakers to engage with MOST, Owen says.
“They just want to know the information,” she adds. “Lawmakers are savvy enough to know they need to understand the science.” She repeats that MOST provides information and testimony without expectation of how the information will be used, and that MOST is aware that legislators have “a lot of priorities” when making policy decisions.
As with the national trend where the topics of healthcare, education, and environmental issues are still at the forefront of science-and-policy connections, the related veins of policy questions run much deeper.
Science Notes for the 2021 regular session include the focus areas of taxes and finance; education and workforce development; energy and environment; technology; health and mental health; children, families, and seniors; agriculture and natural resources; transportation; and public safety. Specific topics have included:
Trailer and RV safety;
Raw milk products;
Establishing a minimum biodiesel fuel content mandate;
Accommodations for breastfeeding mothers in Missouri schools;
Landscape of obesity in Missouri;
Broadband and telemedicine;
Eminent domain for utility purposes;
Career and Technical Education in Missouri;
Tax credits for developing or renting housing for victims of domestic violence.
“We want lawmakers to trust the information we’re giving them,” Owen says, describing legislative science notes as “a unique document” with citations, peer-reviewed research, and a keen eye that avoids research that isn’t independently funded.
Public health in focus.
To suggest that COVID exemplified the need to include science in policy conversations is accurate, but it’s interesting to note that very few of the requests for science notes were specific to COVID.
“Lawmakers are oversaturated with COVID,” Owen says. While COVID wasn’t a specific science note topic, there was a plethora of public health-related requests, including:
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
School nurse seizure action plans
To date, the 79 science note requests represent a nearly even split between Republican and Democrat lawmakers.
“We’re trying to foster relationships between science and policy,” Owen adds. “There’s a lot of potential.”
Measuring success?
MOST’s analytics for measuring the effectiveness of its work are based on how often legislators request a science note, the frequency of MOST fellows testifying on bills and in committee hearings, and the quantity of other written testimony that is submitted. Those factors are the important metrics that gauge the effectiveness of MOST’s mission, not whether science notes become part of a bill or amendments language, or whether a legislator’s decision reflects the contents of a science note.
Bridging science and policy doesn’t take a break when the legislature adjourns in May. MOST is already preparing for post-session time and reviewing the best ways to help lawmakers. Offering training for legislative staff is one idea, as well as working on a guide for new lawmakers, which will be especially important for anticipated turnover in 2022.
Science notes are also designed to help to inform the bill drafting process — not to promote political ideology, but to lay out the science. MOST will start getting science note requests in October after caucuses meet and outline legislative priorities for the next legislative session.
In addition, science notes are available to the public — not just policymakers.
Finally, from MOST’s perspective and focus to be a strong, trusted partner in bridging the science and policymaking gap, the organization seeks to be as representative of the science community as possible when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion. (Learn more about the MOST DEI planning process here.)
