Ethics Education and Scientific and Engineering Research Workshop

August 25, 2008 8:30 AM—August 26, 2008 2:00 PM
Washington , DC


The National Academies Keck Building
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC

 CEES is also organizing a symposium about the workshop for the annual meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics in March 2009.

Click on the speaker's name to access more information about his or her presentation.

AUGUST 25
 
8:00am Continental Breakfast
 
8:30am Welcome
Dr. John Ahearne, Chair, NAE CEES Advisory Group
Dr. Francisco Ayala, Member, OBAS Committee, COSEPUP
 
8:45am Statement of Meeting Goals
Dr. Richard Bissell, Executive Director, Policy and Global Affairs, National Research Council (NRC)
Dr. Rachelle Hollander, Director, CEES, NAE
 
9:00am Meeting Logistics
 
9:10am Introductions of Meeting Attendees
 
10:00am Session I: Needs and Issues for Ethics Education in Scientific & Engineering Research
Investigators and students exist in complex research and learning environments that include academic and other organizations such as professional societies, commercial research laboratories, government funding agencies, and peer-reviewed journals. What do these individuals and groups identify as the main impediments to developing effective responsible research programs? Are there conflicting ideas about what these impediments are and what to do about them?

Moderator: Francisco Ayala
Speakers: Joseph Helble, Deborah Johnson, Michael Mumford, Wendy Williams
Respondents: Paul Citron, Hugh Gusterson, Susan Silbey

Short Break

General Discussion
 
12:00pm Lunch and Role-Play Exercise “Getting Results”
Facilitator: Stephanie Bird
 
1:30pm Session II: Pedagogical Methods and Materials
There is quite a variety of both methods and materials in effect. More than a few consortia provide on-line tutorials; conferences are common. What kinds of contents and range of techniques are in use? What are their strengths and their limitations? Whom do they reach, and with what results? What information do we have that enables us to judge their merits? What’s missing?

Moderator: John Ahearne
Speakers: Julia Frugoli, Kelly Laas, Caroline Whitbeck, Sara Wilson
Respondents: Jason Borenstein, J. Britt Holbrook, Simil Raghavan

General Discussion
 
3:30pm Break
 
3:45pm Session III: Outreach and Assessment
Are relevant and important materials and techniques reaching the appropriate audiences? Who are the appropriate audiences, and are there useful feedback loops from them to the developers of materials, techniques, and guidance? Are the audiences able to adapt or adopt these resources? What efforts might improve access, use, and feedback and improvement? What kinds of assessment have been developed, make sense, or should be encouraged for the future? What have we learned and what do we need to learn?

Moderator: Felice Levine
Speakers: Melissa Anderson, Daniel Denecke, Brian Schrag, Joseph Whittaker
Respondents: Carl Lineberger,Charles Huff

Short Break

General Discussion
 
5:15pm Review of Sessions I, II and III
What can we conclude about how to develop and implement programs, how to export them, and how to assess their effectiveness? What can we conclude about development and use of effective methods and materials? What kinds of research, resource development and dissemination and assessment activities do we need in order to respond more effectively in the future?

Moderator: Mark Frankel
 
6:15pm Break for dinner
 
7pm Working Dinner at the Marian Koshland Science Museum

Speaker: Richard Bissell, On Being a Scientist

Informal conversation and continuation of discussion as needed or desired. The workshop planning group will meet at dinner to discuss meeting’s progress and assign follow-up duties.
 

AUGUST 26

 
8:00am Continental Breakfast
 
8:30 Next Steps
This session will draft an initial version of the meeting summary, based on the previous day’s discussion and attendees’ reflections about it. The workshop summary will identify currently promising materials and practices and provide examples of successful approaches and outcomes, including those that have created bridges between research investigators and scholars and researchers with expertise in relevant domains of science and engineering ethics. It will identify gaps in accessible and useful resources and in the knowledge base, and suggest future research, educational innovations, and outreach and dissemination activities.

Moderator: Rachelle Hollander
 
12:00pm Lunch and Follow-On Assignments
 
2:00pm Meeting Adjourns
 

 

Staff contact: Dr. Rachelle Hollander; 202-334-3068