Congress established the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) through the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization & Priorities Act of 1976. The act states that "the primary function of the OSTP Director is to provide, within the Executive Office of the President (EOP), advice on the scientific, engineering and technological aspects of issues that require attention at the highest level of Government. Scientific and technical knowledge and guidance influences not just policy related to science and technology, but also many of today's public policies as policymakers seek knowledge to enhance the quality of their decisions. This book examines the several organisations which, when requested by the federal government or Congress, provide formal science and technology policy advice. In addition, this book provides a basic understanding of science and technology policy including the nature of S&T policy, how scientific and technical knowledge is useful for public policy decision-making, and an overview of the key stakeholders in science and technology policy. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

This report is the second edition of the 1992 COSEPUP report "Science and Technology Leadership in American Government: Ensuring the Best Presidential Appointments." As was the case with the original report, this report analyzes the federal government's capacity to recruit highly qualified individuals for the top science and technology (S&T)-related leadership positions in the executive branch and makes appropriate recommendations.

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First published in 1990. The contributors discuss the organizations for provision of science and technology advice to the highest levels of governments of some 35 countries, including major countries of the world and a selection of important smaller countries. Inclusion of some communist and developing countries adds piquancy. The papers comment on functioning of those organizations as well as describe their formal structure. Each author was asked to describe the science and technology advising organizations for the highest level of his or her country's government and comment on its effectiveness and how it influences policy formulation and action.

A study of two bridges between science and society: governmental science policy and scientists' voluntary public-interest associations. According to a widespread stereotype, scientists occupy an ivory tower, isolated from other parts of society. To some extent this is true, and the resulting freedom to pursue curiosity-driven research has made possible extraordinary scientific advances. The spinoffs of "pure" science, however, have also had powerful impacts on society, and the potential for future impacts is even greater. The public and many policymakers, as well as many researchers, have paid insufficient attention to the mechanisms for interchange between science and society that have developed since World War II. Ivory Bridges examines two such mechanisms: governmental science policy (often involving the participation of "scientist administrators") and scientists' voluntary public-interest associations. The examination of science policy is guided by the notion of "Jeffersonian science"—-defined as basic research on topics identified as being in the national interest. The book illustrates the concept with a historical case study of the Press-Carter Initiative of the late 1970s and proposes that a Jeffersonian approach would make a valuable addition to future science policy. The book also looks at the activities of citizen-scientists who have organized themselves to promote the welfare of society. It shows that their numerous and diverse organizations have made major contributions to the commonweal and that they have helped to prevent science from becoming either too subservient to government or too autonomous. An extensive appendix profiles a wide variety of these organizations.

Education has continued to grow in stature and significance as an academic discipline. In addition to world renowned research studies the growth of education has been seen in the methodology and methods underpinning its research. The BERA/SAGE Handbook of Educational Research provides a cutting edge account of the research and methodology that is creating new understandings for education research, policy and practice. Over two volumes, the handbook addresses educational research in six essential components: Section 1: Understanding Research Section 2: Planning Research Section 3: Approaches to Research Section 4: Acquiring Data Section 5: Analysing Data Section 6: Reporting, Disseminating and Evaluating Research Featuring contributions from more than 50 of the biggest names in the international field, The BERA/SAGE Handbook of Educational Research represents a very significant contribution to the development of education.