{"682832":{"#nid":"682832","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A New Vision for Science Diplomacy: Q\u0026A With Cassidy Sugimoto","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/sugimoto-cassidy\u0022\u003ECassidy Sugimoto\u003C\/a\u003E describes herself as a \u201cmetascientist.\u201d She analyzes how the scientific ecosystem operates, and how its parts \u2014 the people, patents, publications, policies, funding, data, and more \u2014 comprise and influence the whole.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor her latest project, Sugimoto is going global. A grant from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.transatlanticplatform.com\/\u0022\u003ETrans-Atlantic Platform for Social Sciences and Humanities\u003C\/a\u003E is taking her across national borders and into science diplomacy. Here, we talk to her about her work and how a more open and equitable scientific ecosystem can change the world for the better.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESugimoto is the School chair, Tom and Marie Patton Chair, and professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPlease tell us a bit about your work and research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn my research, I use a variety of tools \u2014 big data, surveys, interviews, and social science research methods \u2014 to understand how the system of science is operating. I want to know if it\u2019s functioning efficiently, responsibly, and equitably. I look at how we make science, how it is funded and rewarded, and the policies supporting science. I also look at inequalities within the scientific system, such as the intersection of race and gender, and how that plays out in scientific production.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m also an administrator, which I love. I get to take all my research and put it into practice by considering how we support science and mentor scientists, and how we build organizations that are more equitable, sustainable, and innovative.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou have a new research project that\u2019s taking you into science diplomacy. What is science diplomacy?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt its core, science diplomacy is about the interaction of science and nations. We split it into categories of science for diplomacy, diplomacy for science, science in diplomacy, and diplomacy in science. For example, we might use science to achieve a diplomatic objective, like fostering exchanges of scientists between countries to build goodwill. We might use science to inform diplomacy \u2014 for example, to understand which countries are competitive in certain emerging technologies and where we should focus our attention. We might also need diplomacy to achieve scientific goals, such as gaining access to a critical observatory or resource. Science diplomacy is all these things. For our project, we focus on creating an evidence base that is most useful for diplomatic purposes, with a particular emphasis on metascience observatories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is a metascience observatory?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn an astronomical observatory, you observe the cosmos. You\u2019re observing and counting stars and planetary bodies and analyzing how the system works. But imagine that instead of looking at the sky, you\u0027re looking at the system of science.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMetascience observatories study scientific data and the scientific ecosystem. This includes the actors of science \u2014 scientists and administrators. It also includes institutions that support science, like\u0026nbsp;funding agencies and academic universities. Finally, there\u2019s the output of science. This includes scientific publications, scientific patents, and anything produced by scientists. So those are all the objects of the scientific system: people, institutions, and products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe then take those people, institutions, and products and aggregate and analyze them, and \u2014 this is the \u201cobservatory\u201d part \u2014 observe trends over time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBy observing all the parts and data that make up the scientific ecosystem, what questions are metascience observatories trying to answer?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe metascience observatory is about providing real-time data on the state of the scientific system to inform policy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt could be anything related to the working of science. For example, are we producing more scientists or fewer? Is the system functioning openly and equitably? Are we studying certain topics more than others? Are we becoming more productive or less productive? Are we meeting society\u0027s needs? Are we addressing disease burdens that affect our countries?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese analytical questions inform policymakers, who can then make informed recommendations about how science can perform more optimally to address a nation\u2019s needs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAre there any current examples of metascience observatories? What do they do?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur work has identified about 40 metascience observatories around the world. These meet our strict definition of being formal organizations dedicated to the study of science and technology that collect, analyze, and maintain data about the science and technology ecosystem, and that share their work openly with the public.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the United States, the most prominent observatory is the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ncses.nsf.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Center for Science and Engineering Statistics\u003C\/a\u003E, which operates out of the National Science Foundation. This is a critical organization that provides data to the government on the status of science and engineering. It also publishes data and reports to inform researchers and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003Epolicymakers on the state of science in the U.S.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are you trying to achieve with this project? How will you know if you\u2019ve accomplished your goal?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe began our grant with the job of defining and identifying scientific observatories. We are now conducting surveys and interviews to gain more information on how these organizations function, particularly in relation to diplomacy. In parallel, we are conducting several case studies \u2014 such as artificial intelligence and nuclear power \u2014 to examine how diplomats use science in these domains. Bringing these together, we will examine how evidence-based science diplomacy can be used to improve democracy, governance, and trust both within and across nations. We will also look at how we can build a more open, inclusive infrastructure for doing this type of work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYou mentioned \u201copenness\u201d of science. What does that mean, and why is it important?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPart of this story is about open science communication. When we don\u2019t share scientific information quickly and accurately, it hinders the goals of science. The pandemic was an excellent example of science diplomacy\u2019s importance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring the pandemic, researchers were trying to publish Covid-related findings in some of the most elite journals, which caused delays in sharing critical information about Covid-19. Scientific publishers saw this concern and responded by making data and publications on Covid-19 freely available.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, post-pandemic, they reverted to their closed approach. A recent study showed that publications associated with the United Nations\u2019 Sustainable Development Goals are even less available than the average paper. This hinders science and, by extension, science diplomacy. To be able to provide evidence, that evidence should be open and robust.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow do you hope the global scientific ecosystem will evolve over the next decade or so?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur scientific system is plagued with inequalities. On the individual level, scholars face barriers based on their gender, race, nationality, and language. Resources are concentrated within institutions, restricting the diversity of ideas. Nations have vastly unequal access to resources, which has adverse effects on meeting global needs. Even our data is skewed toward certain disciplines, languages, and countries, making our knowledge of the ecosystem incomplete and highly flawed. The most robust scientific ecosystem, and the data that supports it, requires an inclusive, open global infrastructure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFunding: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.transatlanticplatform.com\/imso4diplo\/\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.transatlanticplatform.com\/imso4diplo\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESugimoto reveals how an open and more equitable science ecosystem can benefit us all.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Sugimoto reveals how an open and more equitable science ecosystem can benefit us all. "}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2025-06-23 15:32:51","changed_gmt":"2025-06-23 16:16:07","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677257":{"id":"677257","type":"image","title":"cassidy sugimoto outside.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECassidy Sugimoto, School chair, Tom and Marie Patton Chair, and professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1750693323","gmt_created":"2025-06-23 15:42:03","changed":"1750693323","gmt_changed":"2025-06-23 15:42:03","alt":"A woman in a black blazer in front of a blurred outdoor background smiles at the camera.","file":{"fid":"261139","name":"sm-CassidySugimoto0371RTP.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/23\/sm-CassidySugimoto0371RTP.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/23\/sm-CassidySugimoto0371RTP.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":474942,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/23\/sm-CassidySugimoto0371RTP.jpg?itok=6RZjGFHl"}}},"media_ids":["677257"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["catherine.barzler@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}