MENLO PARK, Calif. – February 14, 2008 – SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development organization, today announced that SRI Senior Policy Analyst Caroline Wagner, Ph.D., will deliver a talk titled Science, Ethics, and Institutional Traditions Around the World at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston from February 14 to 18. Wagner’s talk is based on research for her new book, The New Invisible College: Science for Development, which is being published in Spring 2008 by The Brookings Institution Press.
Wagner asserts, “Like many parts of the knowledge system, the organization of scientific research is changing in fundamental ways. Self-organizing networks that span the globe are the most notable feature of science today. These networks constitute an invisible college of researchers: scientists who collaborate not because they are told to but because they want to, not because they work in the same laboratory or even in the same field but because they have complementary insight, data, or skills. Networks can take on the role of institutions in some parts of the world that do not have a long history of building scientific infrastructure.”
At SRI’s Center for Science, Technology, and Economic Development, Wagner works on projects related to measurement and evaluation of science and technology. Before joining SRI, she worked at RAND Corporation, held positions for the U.S. Congress Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and for the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment. Wagner also served as an analyst for the federal government, specializing in comparative analysis of global developments in science and technology.
Wagner currently serves on the Advisory Board of Research on Knowledge Systems, a program of the International Development Research Centre of Canada, and on the editorial board of the International Journal of Technology and Globalization. She was a Member of the United Nations Millennium Task Force on Science, Technology, and Innovation (2002-2004). She is a founding member of the Washington Science Policy Alliance. Dr. Wagner holds a B.A. from Trinity University, an M.A. from GWU in Science, Technology and Public Policy; and a doctorate from the University of Amsterdam in Science & Technology Dynamics.
Information on Wagner’s new book can be found at: http://www.brookings.edu/press/Books/2007/newinvisiblecollege.aspx
About SRI’s Center for Science, Technology, and Economic Development (CSTED)
CSTED helps regions, organizations, and businesses become more successful in today's economy through more effective science and technology, economic, and educational programs and policies.
Based in Washington D.C., the Center is staffed with seasoned professionals who conduct research, analysis, program evaluation, and strategic planning for private and public sector clients. A multidisciplinary approach provides a unique perspective and allows for the integration of skills from different disciplines for each client assignment.
About SRI International
Silicon Valley-based SRI International (www.sri.com) is one of the world’s leading independent research and technology development organizations. Founded as Stanford Research Institute in 1946, SRI has been meeting the strategic needs of clients for more than 60 years. The nonprofit research institute performs client-sponsored research and development for government agencies, commercial businesses, and private foundations. In addition to conducting contract R&D, SRI licenses its technologies, forms strategic partnerships, and creates spin-off companies.