FOSEP - A Model Student-led Group Linking Science and Society

In early 2004, a small group of biomedical graduate students at the University of Washington began holding weekly meetings to discuss how they could create thoughtful dialogue on the social and ethical effects of their research. They felt that they had too few opportunities to address the implications of their work and that they were not encouraged or trained to communicate about the broader context of science in society. Our society has an unmet need, they believed, for scientists to communicate effectively with colleagues, the public and the policymakers who support their research.

To meet this need, the students formed a new organization, the Forum on Science Ethics and Policy (FOSEP). In its first year, FOSEP has organized public forums, meetings with policymakers, and lectures. This unique organization has captured national interest and was highlighted in Nature magazine.²

FOSEP reached out to key university leaders for support. The university's Office of Research graciously offered to 'host' the organization by providing some funding, administrative support and mentorship, while leaving FOSEP's agenda solely in the hands of its student leaders. Dr. Malcolm Parks, Associate Vice Provost for Research, became the group's most active mentor. Besides his office, more than a dozen other departments and programs at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have made financial contributions to the group.

In April 2004, the directors began planning its first annual public forum: "Stem Cells: The Science, Policy, and Possibilities." The topic was chosen, in part, because the University of Washington is home to one of three federally-funded exploratory centers for human embryonic stem cells.³

Furthermore, in early 2004, the Washington House and Senate had introduced bills to allow and regulate human embryonic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning in Washington state. FOSEP members attended a public hearing for the House bill and were dismayed that no scientists testified at this hearing or had been consulted on the bill. When FOSEP selected this topic for the forum in early 2004, it did not anticipate that stem cell research policy would explode as a national issue in the presidential campaign.

On October 18, 2004 more than 750 Puget Sound area citizens packed the largest auditorium on the University of Washington campus to learn from an expert panel about stem cell science, ethics, and policy options and to share their views. In addition, earlier on the same day, FOSEP convened a stakeholders' meeting to connect scientists, physicians, elected state and national officials from both parties, ethicists, and business leaders to discuss state stem cell policy. This was the first time that many of the participating scientists had met with their state legislators; it sparked greater scientific participation in the state's development of stem cell research policy.

	A group of graduate students at the University ofWashington felt that they had too few opportunities to address the implications of their work and that they were not encouraged to communicate about science in society.

In 2005 scientists were involved in redrafting stem cell legislation (HB 1268) and in committee discussions and public testimony. The scientists discussed the potential impacts of this new bill on stem cell research in their laboratories and institutions and revised some of the scientific terms in. They corrected inaccurate statements made by non-scientists about stem cell science and got their expert opinions into the official record. HB 1268 passed 59-36 in the Washington House of Representatives March 15. The Senate voted for a companion bill the next day.

With the success of the first public forum and the wide interest in FOSEP's activities within the university, the four public forum organizers, who are senior graduate students, decided to expand the group and create a sustainable organization. Now a team of five directors lead a larger group of 30 members - graduate students and post-doctoral fellows - representing 15 departments, including biomedical sciences, atmospheric sciences, law, chemistry, and medical ethics.

Since its expansion, FOSEP has been organizing monthly academic seminars and small focus groups. The seminars feature national experts who give the academic community-particularly scientists-an overview of "hot topics," such as genetically modified foods, open access publishing, and the politicization of science.

The goal of the seminars is to encourage discussion of the topics among scientists and to teach scientists to communicate effectively with the public and policymakers. Thus far, the seminars have drawn 200-400 attendees each from more than 30 departments.

FOSEP also organizes small discussions with local experts to help its members and other students stay current on emerging issues and to practice communicating about them. Plans are underway for another public forum in the autumn of 2005. At present it is slated to focus on the development and regulation of pharmaceuticals.

Today FOSEP is creating this culture of awareness as the first step toward bridging the communication gap between scientists and local and national communities. The challenge faced by FOSEP and like-minded scientists elsewhere will be sustaining such efforts.

Funding is a particular challenge. First, FOSEP's broad-reaching, multidisciplinary scope does not map well with the specialized subject areas of academic departments. Furthermore, while there is foundation and other funding for training in responsible conduct of research issues such as authorship rules and informed consent, there is less support for examining scientific "macroethics" and science policy. FOSEP would like to see a comprehensive professional ethics training program for early-career scientists that integrates micro- and macroethics topics to shape young scientists into effective communicators and to get them in the habit of considering the broad implications of their work, in their laboratories and in society.

Malcolm Parks captured FOSEP's mission when he wrote in a letter of support: "By enlisting students and early career professionals, FOSEP involves fresh and often critical voices in discussions of ethics and policy in science. It will provide a model for civic involvement in the scientific community that will benefit us all for years to come."

More information is at www.fosep.org. Send correspondence and comments to fosep@u.washington.edu.

1. From the graduate programs in Microbiology (Benki), Epidemiology (Chubak), Molecular and Cellular Biology (Mitchell), Neurobiology and Behavior (Roberts), and Bioengineering (Robey).
2. Nature, September 23, 2004.
3. Two of FOSEP's directors work in laboratories that study the federally-approved stem cell lines.