The ISSP

The Institute for Science, Society and Policy is a cross-faculty Institute at the University of Ottawa exploring the links between science, society and policy. Our network includes professors, researchers, practitioners and students from multiple faculties and disciplines both inside and outside uOttawa. 

Our collective expertise spans three areas: science for policy (also known as evidence-based decision making); policy for science; and, governance of emerging technologies. We address issues from the funding of the S&T enterprise, through its regulatory oversight to its social implications.

The ISSP’s mandate is to foster rigorous decision-making in uncertain, disruptive times on complex problems at the interface of science, society and policy. By strengthening links between these three spheres, the ISSP’s work improves the governance of science, technology, and innovation.

Key themes in the Institute’s research, outreach and teaching include science for policy (evidence-based decision-making), policies for science/technology/innovation, and the governance of emerging and disruptive technologies.

The Institute’s value proposition lies in its members’ cutting-edge multidisciplinary research and engagement; members’ thought leadership; its bilingualism and strategic location in the nation’s capital; and its reputation as a trusted convener and solution seeker on complex contentious issues.