Six ways to put the public at the heart of science and policy

Many pressing issues facing society relate to science and technology: from artificial intelligence and pandemic preparedness to the transition to clean energy . Governments, advised by scientists, will decide how countries respond. Yet, the public is rarely consulted on decisions that shape many people’s lives. Mechanisms for public input into science policy exist in some nations, but remain the exception rather than the rule 1 . Communication runs mainly between policymakers and academics 2 , 3 . Have people stopped trusting science? The data tell a surprising story Inside academia, the picture is similar. Ways to involve citizens in policy-relevant research are well studied, but under-resourced and under-practised 4 . And the methods that turn research into forms of evidence that are useful for policymaking — including systematic reviews and analyses — rarely involve the public 5 . At a time when trust in governments is falling across many democracies 6 and populists are casting scientists and academic institutions as untrustworthy ‘elites’ 7 , it’s crucial to make the general public a part of research and policy. This would foster trust and make academic research and government policies seem more legitimate. People are more likely to support — and champion — science advice that they helped to generate 8 . Democratizing research and science-policy processes will mean rethinking how scientists, citizens and policymakers interact. …