Outreach & Initiatives > Science Policy
The director of science policy will:
- Execute strategic and short-range plans designed to increase the participation and visibility of the statistical profession and the ASA in science policy discussions at the national and international levels
- Promote the use and appreciation of sound statistical methods in the collection and analysis of the data on which decisions are based
- Work with decisionmakers to help the statistical sciences receive an appropriate share of public funds devoted to scientific research and education
- Work closely with ASA committees, sections, special-interest groups, and chapters to foster and encourage their science policy activities
- Provide timely information about science policy developments to members and staff
Following the recommendation of the ASA Science Policy Task Force, the ASA created the position of Director of Science Policy to promote the inclusion of statistics in policymaking and the funding of statistics research. Steve Pierson began in this position on March 17, 2008.
Steve's Amstat News Columns
- Challenges Facing Federal Statistics in the United States
- Congressional Visits: A Boost to ASA Science Policy, October 2009
- Data-Driven Decisionmaking and the Department of Education, August 2009
- The Obama Administration: A Call for Data on What Works, What Doesn't, July 2009
- Thinking Outside the Urn, June 2009
- The Federal Statistical System: R&D to Bolster a National Treasure, May 2009
- State of ASA's Science Policy, April 2009
- In Dire Straits: The Urgent Need to Improve Economic Statistics, March 2009
- The Science of Science Policy: Opportunities and Responsibilities for Statisticians, February 2009
- Science in the Presidential Campaign and the Obama Administration, January 2009
- ASA Members Experience Capitol Hill from the Inside, December 2008
- Congressman Bill Foster on Policy Making, November 2008
- On Being Important, October 2008
- Competitiveness Through Basic Research Investments, August 2008
- Speaking Out and Reaching Out on Global Health Policy - The Case of HIV/AIDS, July 2008
- Getting Congress' Attention: From the Washington Noise Barrier to the Main Street Barrier, June 2008
- Connecting ASA Members to Policymakers, May 2008