Stories

This May, philanthropies investing in civic science ventures gathered at the Simons Foundation in New York City to strengthen learning and collaboration across a constellation of efforts to ensure that science and technology realize their potential to benefit humanity, in what host partner Alondra Nelson recently called “a milestone moment for civic science.” We open the June issue of the Civic Science Series with insights adapted from a keynote conversation at the gathering between Harvey V. Fineberg, President of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and David Spergel, President of the Simons Foundation.

Why we need civic science:
Think of the range of things we need beyond great scientists to make science thrive. We need to be thinking about public understanding and engagement, the conduct of science and integrity, and coproduction of knowledge and the role of citizens. Most important, we need to be thinking about the ways science can contribute to better decision-making. It would be hard for society to make the progress it wants—we cannot do it—unless we have solid ways to incorporate science and scientific thinking. – Harvey Fineberg

This is a moment to think back about how we structure the scientific enterprise and engagement with the public. What should science look like in the 2030s and 2040s? What should the relationship look like between science and society? If things are broken, we have an opportunity to think about fixing them. – David Spergel

On addressing challenges in federal and state contexts:
The task is daunting. The scale and scope of what we’re losing from federal support seems overwhelming. We can’t make up for the losses. But that doesn’t excuse us from trying to do something. We are placing a greater emphasis on the promise of states. In every state—in the future of industry and the economy, health, education, and social welfare—scientific expertise should play a prominent role. Most state legislatures are pragmatic in solving problems. They are close to how we get things done. The Moore Foundation is helping underwrite and match funding for state-level science policy advising fellowships as a way we can bring civic science to policymakers. – Harvey Fineberg

VAST, the Vision for American Science and Technology taskforce, brought together leaders from across the country to identify top priorities and questions for American science. This is part of the path forward: We can help reconstruct the way we do science in the United States. The way we did science in 2024 was effective but not perfect—there are other models. This is a good moment to step back and think about the relationships between national labs, research, industry, and universities. We can think about regional centers of excellence. We need a better flow of people and ideas among institutions. – David Spergel

Asks for the civic science community:
I’d like to plug a word: humility. It’s important for scientists to be in civil dialogue—to be part of a true conversation, which requires both speaking and listening. We need to engage with people in different parts of the country, listen, and meet them in their space. Be listeners and enablers of conversations that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Science is much more about questions than answers. Bring the interesting questions. – David Spergel

We can’t assume science speaks for itself. We have to make the case, and we have to do it by listening as much as explaining. – Harvey Fineberg

Harvey V. Fineberg is President of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. David Spergel is President of the Simons Foundation. The 2025 Civic Science Funders Gathering was co-hosted by the Simons Foundation and the Civic Science Funders Collaborative.