Science and Technology Policy Commons^™

From Science: The Endless Frontier To Science: A New Golden Age : Why Scientific Capability Needs To Be Reinterpreted, Jun Zhao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The publication of Science: The Endless Frontier in 1945 established the institutional foundations of modern science by advocating sustained governmental support for basic research, scientific autonomy, and long-term investment in knowledge creation. Eighty-one years later, the White House report Science: A New Golden Age, together with recent reforms of the United Kingdom’s science governance system, reflects a broader transformation in how leading technological nations understand scientific capability. Drawing on a comparative analysis of recent policy adjustments in the United States and the United Kingdom, this study argues that the rapid advances in artificial intelligence, the growing complexity of scientific problems, …

International Experience And China’S Strategies For Enterprise Participation In Cultivating Young Innovative Talents, Guoqiang Wang, Mengdi Pei

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As enterprises strengthen their role of innovation drivers, their participation in cultivating young innovative talent has become a key means to enhance youth innovation, reinforce corporate innovation capacity, and align talent development with industry needs. This study examines the policy instruments and implementation pathways through which enterprises participate in the training of young innovative talent, and conducts a comparative analysis of relevant experiences in the United States, Germany, and Japan. The findings indicate that Germany has developed a collaborative model integrating environmental and supply-side instruments through institutional embedding; the United States has established a demand-led model centered on market-based incentives; …

Evolution And Optimization To Open Sharing Of Research Instruments In Central Research And Education Institutions Of China: Statistical Analysis Based On Their Evaluation Results, Huixiang Wu, Chengli Qu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As fundamental resources of scientific and technological innovation, large research infrastructures and instruments play vital roles in the social development. Strengthening the open sharing of such resources is of great importance to the promotion of social innovation capacities and the refinement of Chinese national innovation system. Based on the evaluation results of central research and education institutions from 2018 to 2025, this study reviewed their progress in the sharing of large research instruments from 2017 to 2024, accompanied with limited exploration of its evolution regularity. The statistical results show that: (1) at the macro-level, key indicators are steadily increasing and …

Nihilistic Violence Aesthetics In Public Online Communication, Heath Nicholas Landress

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Public online communication has increasingly included violence-related content that is meme-based, ironic, visually stylized, multimodal, and only partially ideological. This comprehensive literature review synthesized research on online extremism, extremist memes, toxic multimodal content, dehumanizing digital communication, nihilistic violent extremism, warning behaviors, platform affordances, and youth-facing online environments. The purpose was to clarify what the literature had established; identify where the scholarship remained fragmented; and map research domains relevant to social, behavioral, public safety, and human services scholarship. The review used a structured, comprehensive literature review strategy supported by integrative synthesis procedures. The final corpus contained 34 scholarly sources, including 32 …

Expanding The Cognitive Attentional Standards Platform Through Artificial Influence Assessment (Aia): Rationale, Development, And Measurement Design, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping how individuals access information, make decisions, and interact with digital environments. The Cognitive Attentional Standards Platform (C.A.S.) was developed to assess attention related harms, cognitive safety, digital autonomy, and platform influence across digital systems (Clark, 2026). However, the growth of generative AI, conversational agents, and algorithmic decision support technologies has introduced new forms of influence that may not be fully captured by existing assessment domains. This paper proposes the Artificial Influence Assessment (AIA) as an expansion of the C.A.S. framework designed to measure AI mediated influence on cognition, behavior, autonomy, and information processing. Drawing on …

Governing Algorithmic Attention: Attention Safeguard Models And The Cognitive Attentional Standard As System Level Interventions In Human Computer Interaction, Behavioral Economics, And Artificial Intelligence, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

Algorithmic recommendation systems and interface designs shape attention by combining visually salient cues with uncertain reward timing and low friction interaction. These conditions can sustain anticipatory checking, extend time on task, and reduce natural disengagement points through patterns such as infinite scrolling and autoplay. This paper synthesizes research across neuroscience, human computer interaction, behavioral economics, and artificial intelligence to argue that attention capture is a predictable outcome of incentive driven design rather than an individual failure of self regulation. It advances the Attention Safeguard Models and the Cognitive Attentional Standard as system level interventions that regulate exposure conditions, pacing, and …

Building Basic Research Ecosystem To Consolidate Foundation Of Strong Nation, Xin Fang, Ke Wen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Basic research is the source of the entire scientific system and the master switch for all technological problems. This study systematically reviews the evolution of the connotation and functions of basic research, and explores the new characteristics of basic research development triggered by the paradigm shift of AI for Science (AI4S): the shift of activity subjects from human‑dominated to human‑machine collaboration, the comprehensive restructuring of organizational models, the increasingly prominent strategic value of public intelligent research infrastructure, and the growing urgency to coordinate security and governance institution building. Addressing the demands of the new era, the study proposes principles and …

Optimizing Institution Of Demand-Oriented Basic Research, Promoting Deep Integration Of Technological Innovation And Industrial Innovation, Wei Lyu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

From both theoretical and domestic and international practical perspectives, this study analyzes the connotation and classification of demand-oriented basic research. It examines the expenditure structure, main pathways, and major existing problems of demand-oriented basic research in China. Based on three levels—strategically guided systematic basic research, frontier-guided exploratory basic research, and market-oriented applied basic research—it categorizes and studies the funding mechanisms and organizational models of demand-oriented basic research in combination with practice, and provides relevant suggestions for improving the quality enhancement mechanisms of demand-oriented basic research.

Logic And Path Of Transformation Reform Between Old And New Research Evaluation Models, Fang Xu, Xiaoxuan Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The national 15th Five-Year Plan once again emphasizes breaking the four-only criteria. Why is it so difficult to dismantle the four-only criteria? This study argues that an in-depth analysis of the underlying logical relationship between the old label-based evaluation model and the new connotation-oriented quality evaluation model is required to address this question. The study finds that the label-based evaluation model is a rational choice under specific historical circumstances and it has delivered positive effects. During the transition toward connotation-oriented quality evaluation, problems concerning indicators such as academic papers have been well resolved. Nevertheless, national science and technology awards and …

Viewpoints On Elevating Capability And Appreciation Of Basic Research, Guojie Li, Wei Zhao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The overall capability and appreciation of a country’s basic research are not solely determined by the efforts of individual researchers, but also hinge on the country’s scientific and technological institutional mechanisms and policies. This article presents several viewpoints and suggestions from the perspectives of comprehensively and deeply understanding the connotation of basic research, increasing the proportion of investment in basic research, enhancing the stable support for basic research, and the paradigm shift of AI-driven basic research. These suggestions include: by 2030, adjusting the ratio of pure basic research to oriented basic research from 3.5∶6.5 to 4.5∶5.5, maintaining a balance between …

Problem Formation In Basic Research: Historical Evolution And Contemporary Transformation, Jialing Lyu, Ying Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

“Topic selection” in basic research has long been a central issue in S&T and innovation policy. Traditionally, it has often been understood as the processes of designating promising projects from an existing topic list through peer review and procedural evaluation. Nevertheless, major scientific problems do not always preexist within disciplinary systems, nor are landmark scientific discoveries artificially pre-planned in advance. Rather, they gradually emerge through the continuous interaction among national strategic demands, technological evolution, industrial transformation, and major real-world challenges. This study argues that important directions in basic research are often shaped by the sustained pull of real-world problems on …

Deep Learning Processor: Road To Fundamental Research On Ai Chip, Yunji Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Deep learning processor chips serve as an important computation foundation for the artificial intelligence industry, thus has attracted widespread attention from the international communities. The Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences took the lead in initiating fundamental research on deep learning processor chips in 2008. At that time, this research direction had not yet entered the mainstream vision of the international communities, with its academic value and development laws yet to gain widespread recognition, and it was confronted with the challenges of three fundamental scientific issues concerning its significance, principle, and architecture.To address the above issues, the research …

Leading Big Science Initiative And Boosting Basic Research, Nianzhi Jiao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As a core model for conducting cutting-edge research through global collaboration, major international science initiative (ISI) has comprehensively reshaped the development scope, resource landscape, research paradigms, talent systems, and governance ecosystems of basic research (BR). ISI and BR are deeply integrated and iteratively coordinated, forming a vital strategy for humanity to tackle major global scientific challenges. Against the backdrop of deep intertwining between scientific and technological competition and global governance, China taking the lead in ISI has become a strategic imperative for the new era, with the UN Ocean Decade Program ocean negative carbon emissions (ONCE) serving as a successful …

On Crucial Role Of The Spirit Of Chinese Scientists In Basic Research, Xin Wang, Chuanxi Wang, Changpu Sun

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Basic research is the source of original innovation and the foundation for building a strong nation in science and technology. Compared with applied development research and engineering research, basic research is primarily concerned with exploring the frontiers, proposing new concepts, discovering new laws, and establishing new theories. Its outcomes are often difficult to predict in advance and are rarely subject to sufficient experimental and practical verification within a short time frame. These characteristics expose basic research to three inherent challenges in the philosophy of science. First, the experimental verification of fundamental theories often requires a long period of time. Second, …

Shaping Egypt’S Transition To Sustainable Electric Transport: Current Policies And Future Directions, Noha A. Ragab

Theses and Dissertations

Egypt has enacted policies to promote the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in order to reduce their overall carbon footprint. However, the pace of transition remains limited, so the research aims to answer the following question: “How do current policies shape Egypt’s transition towards sustainable electric transport, and what additional measures can support this transition?" The study employs a qualitative analysis methodology, based on diffusion of innovation theory and conceptual framework, to analyze current policies in Egypt and identify challenges and gaps in their implementation. It also analyzes responses from 23 interviews with experts in the field, manufacturers, dealers, EV …

Justice On Autopilot: Comparing Predictive Litigation And Data Justice In Bay Area Municipal Governments, Darris M. Thomas

Master's Projects and Capstones

This Capstone project examines how Bay Area municipal governments, specifically the City and County of San Francisco, Alameda County, San Mateo County, and Santa Clara County, are adopting and governing predictive litigation technologies, and what these practices reveal about the possibilities and limitations of data justice in advancing racial equity, transparency, and public accountability. Drawing on a qualitative, comparative case study methodology analyzing procurement contracts, AI governance policies, California Public Records Act (CPRA) disclosures, and semi-structured interviews gathered across fifteen municipal legal institutions, the research applies an interdisciplinary theoretical framework synthesizing John Rawls’s distributive fairness, Nancy Fraser’s recognition justice, Tom …

China’S S&T Think Tank Transformation For Building A World-Class Science And Technology Power: Trends And Prospects, Dongmei Liu, Ning Huang, Yangxu Lu, Zhe Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

To address the strategic demands of establishing China as a world-class science and technology power, the transformation of its S&T think tanks has become an urgent priority. The unique knowledge products generated by these think tanks in supporting decision-making for national S&T advancement constitute a vital component of China’s independent knowledge system. Consequently, the transformation of S&T think tanks and the development of this domain’s independent knowledge system form a mutually reinforcing and coupling process. This study analyzes the imperatives and positioning of think tank transformation and independent knowledge system development through the renewal of intellectual foundations, the articulation of …

Construction Of New-Type Think Tanks With Chinese Characteristics Calls For Innovation In Think Tank Theories And Methodologies—Review, Summary, And Prospect Based On 10th Anniversary Of National High-End Think Tank Pilot Program At Institutes Of Science And Development, Chinese Academy Of Sciences, Jiaofeng Pan, Yijun Liu, Wuyun Qiqige, Mingxi Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since China launched the pilot program for the construction of high-end think tanks in 2015, the Institutes of Science and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as CASISD), as the core carrier of the CAS National High-End Think Tank Pilot Program, has forged an exploratory path from specialization and scientization to disciplinization.Over the past decade, committing to the fundamental purpose of serving the scientific decision-making of the Party and the country and taking theoretical and methodological innovation as its core engine, CASISD has originally proposed the DIIS Process IntegrationMethod　and the Think Tank Double Helix Methodology, taken the …

From Institution Building To Decision Intelligence Enhancement: Achievements And Prospects Of New Think Tanks With Chinese Characteristics, Yongnian Zheng, Jincheng Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since the issuance of the “Opinions on Strengthening the Building of New-type Think Tanks with Chinese Characteristics” in 2015, the development of new think tanks with Chinese characteristics has gone through a full decade. This period marks not only a critical transition from simply establishing think tanks to improving their quality, but also an important starting point for China’s transformation from a major producer of knowledge into a strong producer of ideas. Over the past decade, China’s think tank development has achieved staged progress: from initial institution building to systematic formation, from ex post commentary to whole-process policy engagement, from …

Research Progress And Think Tank Contributions To Regional Coordinate Development, Major Function Zoning Strategy, And Modern Spatial Governance—Based On Review And Analysis Of Contributions By Fan Jie’S Team In Bulletin Of Chinese Academy Of Sciences, Jie Fan, Jian Gao, Kan Zhou, Gan Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Based on the think tank research published by Fan Jie’s team in Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences, this study reviews the progress of human geography in the fields of regional coordinate development, major function zoning strategy, and the spatial governance system. Furthermore, it focuses on reviewing the think tank contributions that serve the need of major national strategic decision-making. Think tank contributions include the followings. (1) Through continuous engagement in major preliminary research for national Five-Year Plans, the team has established a prominent think tank brand for the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This brand focuses on regional coordinate development …

From National Science Think Tank To National Science And Technology Think Tank: Evolution And Future Prospects Of Chinese Academy Of Sciences As Think Tank, Xia Feng, Chunliang Fan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since its establishment, the Chinese Academy of Sciences has continuously fulfilled the functions of a national science think tank. In the new stage of development, it has been entrusted with the higher mission of serving as a “national science and technology think tank”. On the basis of clarifying related concepts such as science think tanks and science and technology think tanks, this study reviews the historical development of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as a science think tank, analyzes the needs and challenges for its role as a national science and technology think tank in the new era, and puts …

Decade Review And Prospect Of New-Type Think Tanks With Chinese Characteristics—Based On Practice And Enlightenment Of High-End Think Tanks In Social Sciences, Ping Li, Wanyue Hou, Hongwei Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Reviewing the decade-long journey of building new-type think tanks with Chinese characteristics, under the guidance of national strategies, China’s think tank system has undergone a sequential evolution from top-level design and concept establishment, to system construction and comprehensive advancement, and finally to functional deepening and quality enhancement. It has achieved a phased leap from scale expansion to connotative improvement, fostering a healthy ecosystem where various comprehensive think tanks, professional think tanks, enterprise think tanks, and social think tanks develop with differentiated yet complementary and collaborative manner. This has realized a fundamental shift in the decision-making support function from “peripheral advice” …

Social Think Tanks In China: Ten-Year Review And Development Prospects, Jinlian Zheng, Zhiguang Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Over the past decade, in response to national top-level design, social think tanks in China have undergone a historic transformation from scale expansion to quality enhancement, and from marginal exploration to mainstream participation. As a key component of the new-type think tank system with Chinese characteristics, social think tanks have played an irreplaceable role in policy consultation, innovative governance, and public diplomacy. This study systematically summarizes the development status of social think tanks over the past ten years, deeply analyzes the multiple challenges faced currently, and charts the course for their future development. It proposes pathways for promoting their high-quality …

Decade Of Local Think Tank Development In China: Retrospective And Prospective Analysis, Xiangzhi Zhou

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since mid-2015, when the CPC Central Committee and State Council issued “Opinions on Strengthening the Building of New-type of Think Tanks with Chinese Characteristics”, local think tanks in China entered a decade of rapid growth, divided into three phases: initial exploration, deepening differentiation, and quality innovation. A preliminary system has been established, with progress in institutionalization and demonstrated impact. Nevertheless, challenges persist, such as narrow vision, underutilized advantages, regional imbalances, low professionalization, and weak support. Future efforts should focus on improving the system, optimizing functions, emphasizing localized research, strengthening organized research, accelerating digital transformation, advancing scientific methods, and fostering an …

New-Type Think Tank Construction In State-Owned Enterprises: Historical Evolution, Current Challenges, And Optimization Paths, Jihai Huang, Jinpei Jia

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As a vital pillar of the new-type think tank system with Chinese characteristics, new-type think tanks in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are undergoing a critical leap from being established to becoming strong. Based on in-depth investigations and thematic discussions with a number of representative new-type SOE think tanks, this study systematically reviews their historical evolution and achievements, analyzes the practical challenges they face going into the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and proposes optimization paths. The study finds that the development of new-type SOE think tanks has progressed through four sequential stages: foundation building and emergence (1949–1978), initial exploration (1979–2012), rapid growth …

From Indicators To Systems: Logical Evolution, Practical Challenges, And Policy Recommendations Of Think Tank Evaluation In China, Gang Li, Zihao Ge

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Over a decade has passed since the issuance of the “Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of New Types of Think Tanks with Chinese Characteristics”. During this period, the number of think tanks in China has continued to grow, and evaluation activities have evolved from spontaneous exploration to institutionalized practice. Examining think tank evaluation from both the supply and demand sides of think tank development, this study systematically reviews the practical progress and theoretical exploration of think tank evaluation in China over the past decade. Building upon an analysis of the conceptual connotation of think tank evaluation, the study argues that …

Responsible Think Tank Research: Concepts, Principles, And Practical Pathways, Zhenyu Wang, Rui Li, Xiao Lu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Against the backdrop of increasingly complex national governance, the core challenge facing the development of new-type think tanks with Chinese characteristics is shifting from merely “producing outcomes” to “delivering high-quality outcomes responsibly”. This study proposes the concept of “responsible think tank research,” aiming to transform responsibility from an abstract ethical appeal into a systematic norm embedded throughout the entire process of think tank research. The study constructs a three-dimensional analytical framework centered on “national responsibility, scientific responsibility, and social responsibility”, and systematically elaborates the theoretical foundations and value orientations of responsible think tank research. Drawing upon and comparing international experiences …

Characteristics And Influencing Factors Of Think Tank Talent Development, Yongna Yuan, Xuejiao Zhao, Yingming Li, Shimin Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The development of think tank talent has become a fundamental pillar for enhancing the quality of China’s new-style think tanks with Chinese characteristics. On the tenth anniversary of the establishment of China’s new-style think tanks with Chinese characteristics, this study conducts an empirical analysis of the growth patterns, basic characteristics, and influencing factors of think tank talent in China, based on data from 187 valid questionnaires collected by the Think Tank Talent Development Alliance. The study finds that think tank talent in China can be categorized into three types: the “capability accumulation” type, the “stable development” type, and the “senior …

Is Science Still An Endless Frontier? —Past And Future Of U.S. Science Policy Through Lens Of Social Contract Of Science, Chunliang Fan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

This study analyzes the evolution of the relationship between science and government in the United States through the lens of the social contract of science. It proposes a five-dimensional framework covering legitimacy, institutional support, autonomy, functional expectations, and responsibility, and identifies three historical stages from 1945 to 2024, followed by recent policy changes since 2025.The findings suggest a shift from a science-centered, cognition-driven model to a mission-oriented model shaped by national competition and technological capacity. This transition is marked by more concentrated resource allocation, stronger alignment with industrial and security policies, and growing pressure on basic research. Overall, the postwar …

The Expanding Digital Border: Ai, Surveillance, And The Fight For Justice, James Chesser

Immigration and Human Rights Law Review

As artificial intelligence transforms the mechanisms of immigration control, the modern border has become a digital filter—one governed less by geography and more by code. This Article examines the legal, technical, and ethical implications of AI-driven systems now central to global border enforcement, including biometric surveillance, algorithmic risk scoring, and predictive profiling. It explores how states use these technologies not only to manage irregular migration, but to compete for global talent—constructing migration regimes that reward capital and compliance while eroding transparency, due process, and equality.

Through an international and comparative lens, the piece highlights the expansion of algorithmic decision-making across …