Medical and Science
Demand surges for scientist role in policy-making amid calls for more transparency

Two-thirds of Australians believe scientists should actively advocate for specific policies, with over 60% urging greater scientist involvement in policy-making. However, the push for increased transparency persists.
Surveying more than 71,000 individuals across 68 countries, the study ranked Australia fifth globally in terms of public trust in scientists. However, conducted from November 2022 to August 2023, the study misaligns with Australia’s COVID-19 Inquiry report last year, which exposed deep erosion of trust in government and medical science.
Ryan Winn, CEO of Science & Technology Australia (STA), said “This study highlights…that people see the crucial importance of using science to inform and guide policymaking. Indeed, the majority of people want scientists to be more closely involved in policymaking.”
The study identifies scientific integrity as one of the pillars of trust, while transparency remains an area for improvement.
“Therefore, scientists wishing to gain public trust could work on being more transparent about their funding and data sources, and invest more effort into communicating about science with the public,” said the authors.
In a recent interview with Health Industry Hub, Dr Krishan Thiru, Medical Director of Pfizer ANZ unpacked the far-reaching consequences of the mistrust that came to light in the COVID-19 Inquiry report.
“Mistrust in science has a huge impact on patients…hospitals and the broader economy. It’s really imperative that we work together to address that,” emphasised Dr Thiru.
Dr Zoe Leviston from the Australian National University, a co-author of the global study, noted, “68% of Australians agree or strongly agree that scientists should communicate their findings to politicians, while 80% believe scientists have a responsibility to communicate about science with the general public.”
The study also examined the correlation between political views and trust in scientists. Dr Mathew Marques from La Trobe University noted that in Western countries, right-wing political views often correlate with lower trust in scientists, though Australia diverges from this trend.
“In Australia having a right-wing versus left-leaning political orientation didn’t seem to matter,” Dr Marques explained. “This could mean political polarisation around science is not as much of an issue in Australia as it is for specific scientific issues like climate change.”
Looking ahead to the Federal election, Winn sees an opportunity to leverage science for national progress. Australia currently trails the OECD average in R&D investment by nearly 40%, prompting calls for political commitment to align with public expectations for a robust innovation agenda.
“STA’s comprehensive suite of election asks would secure the nation’s economy into the future – an economy powered by Australian ingenuity,” he stated.
“The politicians and parties standing for election can put us back on the path the public wants by committing to an Innovation Future Fund; a Strategic Moonshot Program; and a robust strategy to increase Australia’s R&D investment to 3% of GDP.”
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