A group of more than 50 researchers and policy-makers led by scientists at the University of Cambridge in the UK have come together to create a list of "40 key unanswered questions" in order to help governments around the world shape the focus of their scientific agendas, reports Nature News' Daniel Cressey. Published recently in PLoS One, "the questions are grouped into six broad themes, such as 'understanding the role of scientific evidence in policymaking' and 'democratic governance of scientific advice,'" Cressey says. "The questions themselves include 'Under what conditions does scientific evidence legitimize political decisions?' and 'What impact has research on the relationship between science and policy actually had on science policy?'"
The team says it hopes the questions help those responsible for setting agendas understand where to focus their efforts, and adds that, while its list of questions isn't definitive, it does open up the floor for future discussions.