CSPC 2020: The social contract

摘要

The foundation of public funding for science was significantly influenced by a 1945 US Government report titled “Science, The Endless Frontier”, which described how fundamental scientific research had made miraculous improvements to day-to-day life. Such improvements included the creation of new industries and materials, greater economic opportunities, and substantial progress in health and treatment of diseases. The report foresaw a “social contract”, largely implemented since, that governments would provide funding and autonomy to scientists with the expectation that the benefits to society would naturally follow. Consequently, this social contract between science and the public was the topic of a panel discussion at the recent 2020 Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC 2020) and a recurring theme throughout the conference.