Community Issues Forums will be modeled after the National Issues Forums conducted by the Kettering Foundation for the past 25 years and will use a moderated deliberative approach to promote dialogue between research and clinical scientists, community members, governmental officials and the media with the goal of developing scientific citizens and informing public policy.
The Center for Science, Health and Society will identify topic areas from Science Café discussions that may be appropriate for deliberative dialogue at an annual Community Issues Forum. Forums will be led by trained, neutral moderators, and use an issue discussion guide that frames the issue by presenting the overall problem and then three or four broad strategies to address the problem.
An electronic Audience Response System (ARS) will be used to quickly collect and display participant opinion as forum participants work through the issue by considering each approach; examining what appeals to them or concerns them as well as the associated costs, consequences, and trade-offs. The CSHS staff and faculty advisory board will develop, facilitate and refine the forums. Information will be used to inform policy-makers on health-related issues.