science and technology policy

In the Media

Administration rules on research put innovation at risk - Parthasarathy

Jun 12, 2026 Bloomberg

The Trump administration is pushing changes to rules that govern how federal agencies distribute funding, which could permanently politicize research in the US.

In the Media

Green: "Antagonism toward data centers is real and organic"

Jun 10, 2026 Fortune

Amid allegations of Chinese interference in the data center debate, Ben Green argues that the increased negative public attitude surrounding them is real and organic.

Publication

'From STEM to earn': High school programs aimed at diversifying the field drive gains in college, salaries

Jun 4, 2026

High school students participating in pipeline programs aimed at increasing diversity in STEM fields are more likely to enroll in—and graduate from—elite colleges with a related degree, according to a study by Sarah Cohodes.

Publication

Overburdened bureaucrats, not corruption, are delaying public benefits in India

Jun 4, 2026

Yusuf Neggers co-authored an article in VoxDev about how improving access to existing government data can reduce delays in public benefit delivery and strengthen safety nets for vulnerable households.

In the Media

State governments are experimenting with AI introduction - Kleinman

May 22, 2026 Michigan Advance

STPP Managing Director Molly Kleinman says state governments don't have clear guidelines on using AI.

News

National biodefense leaders call for coordination and stable public health support

Apr 26, 2026

As concerns grow about new disease outbreaks and the misuse of biotechnology, the University of Michigan welcomed a bipartisan group of former federal leaders and experts on April 10 for a day of discussions on how the nation can better prepare for b...

Biodefense panel with Joe Upton speaking at the center

News

U-M experts explore benefits, harms of AI for people with developmental disabilities

Apr 20, 2026

STPP's new project will explore the potential benefits and harms of AI in supporting people with developmental disabilities, their families, and direct-care workers.

News

Innovation as a force for equity

Mar 27, 2026

In an essay published in Issues in Science and Technology, Shobita Parthasarathy on the current lack of equity in science and innovation and argues that, to change this, "society needs to think differently about expertise, innovation itself, and syst...

News

Hassan joins global effort to center African perspectives in technology ethics

Jan 26, 2026

Ford School assistant professor Yousif Hassan is contributing to a growing international effort to explore how the African humanities “can inform and transform global conversations on technology and ethics."

In the Media

Kleinman comments on DPD use of ShotSpotter

Dec 16, 2025 Michigan Advance

Molly Kleinman comments on the Detroit Police Department use of ShotSpotter

In the Media

Green addresses data center forum

Dec 4, 2025 Michigan Advance

Ford School professor Ben Green addressed citizen concerns about data centers at a forum in Howell, Michigan

In the Media

Kleinman outlines potential effects of data centers

Dec 3, 2025 Michigan Advance

Molly Kleinman, managing director of the Science, Technology, and Public policy program, outlines the potential harmful environmental effects of data centers.

Publication

New nuclear requires strong governance to avoid making old mistakes

Dec 1, 2025

University of Michigan researchers call for policies to ensure that small modular reactors serve the public interest without creating and worsening familiar problems.

Nuclear power plant with four steam-emitting cooling towers located in a green landscape with a winding road.

Publication

Bagenstos on the science and politics of public health regulation

Oct 9, 2025

Kohn Professor Samuel R. Bagenstos challenges the prevailing viewpoint that science and politics should be kept separate.

Publication

Owen-Smith presents alternative research methods for measuring AI’s economic impact

Oct 9, 2025

Policymakers do not have the data they need to fully understand AI’s impact on the U.S. economy, labor force, and industries. Jason Owen-Smith and experts from across the U.S. address this gap in a new policy report from AEI.

News

Kleinman gives keynote on AI regulation at Michigan civil rights forum

Aug 6, 2025

Molly Kleinman delivered the keynote address at “Local and State Government in the Age of AI: Innovation, Civil Rights, and Policy,” a forum hosted by the Michigan Council on Government and Education on July 16. The event brought together leaders fro...

molly kleinman speaking on AI regulation at Michigan civil rights forum

Publication

Fear, trust and other human factors are vital yet overlooked piece of solar geoengineering research

Jul 1, 2025

Human perceptions hold the key to the future of solar geoengineering and other approaches to cool our warming planet. A new study from the University of Michigan urges the scientific community to move beyond solely focusing on the physical aspects of...

News

Parthasarathy on the intersection of technology, feminism, colonialism, and social justice

May 13, 2025

Kirti Jayakumar, from the India-based Gender Security Project, interviewed Shobita Parthasarathy about her journey into science policy, her research in India, using a social justice perspective to advance technology, and the role of law and policy. B...

State & Hill

A pile of parts: Ethical STEM training prepares students for the big picture

May 8, 2025

Have you ever disassembled a broken coffee maker or a sink, convinced you could fix it, only to end up with a jumble of parts? As a child, Terry Nguyen’s (BA ’25) curiosity about how things worked led to a broken fan, a pile of parts, and no idea how...

State & Hill

Q&A - Pete Buttigieg

May 8, 2025

In his last public event as U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg visited the Ford School for a conversation on investments in infrastructure. Below is an excerpt from an interview with S&H.

Person speaking at a Gerald Ford School of Public Policy event.

Publication

Hassan on AI, power, and decolonial possibility in Africa

Apr 29, 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an increasingly defining force, shaping global advancements and influencing crucial aspects of society. Assistant professor Yousif Hassan’s research examines the social, economic, and political implications of emerging...

News

The Incoherent Policy Change Wreaking Havoc on University Research - Owen-Smith

Apr 3, 2025

Jason Owen-Smith, Ford School professor (by courtesy) and director of Institute for Research on Innovation and Science, in a piece for The Chronicle of Higher Education, explained the illogic of cutting indirect-cost (IDC) rates. Owen-Smith wrote, "T...

News

Top technology journalist and thinker Kara Swisher to join Ford School faculty for Fall 2025

Mar 14, 2025

Technology writer and podcaster Kara Swisher will join the Ford School for the Fall 2025 semester as a Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence.

In the Media

Parthasarathy on AI running the government

Mar 13, 2025 Al Jazeera

Shobita Parthasarathy, Ford School professor, says "These workers have real expertise and a nuanced understanding of the issues, which AI does not. AI does not, in fact, ‘understand’ anything." So, she says, “It’s a very bad idea" to use AI to run t...

A person gesturing while speaking at a podium in front of a blackboard, in a lecture hall.

News

DOGE Plan to Push AI Across the US Federal Government is Wildly Dangerous - Green

Mar 6, 2025

Ford School assistant professor (by courtesy) Ben Green, wrote an essay for Tech Policy on Elon Musk's new “AI-first strategy” for the federal government, and commented, "unleashing AI to revolutionize the federal government is a recipe for disaster....

News

Parthasarathy speaks at AAAS Annual meeting about Asilomar’s legacy

Feb 27, 2025

Shobita Parthasarathy spoke at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in a session titled, “Revisiting Asilomar Fifty Years Later: Who is in the room when we talk about AI?” While Asilomar is often praised for d...

News

Podcast: Hassan explores risks, responsibilities in development and implementation of AI

Feb 26, 2025

Challenges abound in the development, implementation and effects of artificial intelligence. Yet people still have the power to limit risks and even foster positive integration of AI—should they choose to shoulder that responsibility. Listen to the f...

News

Viewing Asilomar from the Global South

Jan 31, 2025

Fifty years ago, the Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA convened 140 life scientists from the U.S. and the UK to anticipate potential risks in the emerging biotechnology field to help inform rules and regulations. The conference was celebrated as...

News

Owen-Smith: Here’s how the US can prepare for AI impacts on labor markets

Dec 30, 2024

In an article co-authored with Brent Orrell and Suzette Kent, Ford School professor Jason Owen-Smith writes for FedScoop about the possible impacts AI and other technologies will have on US labor markets. Owen-Smith compared new technologies like AI...

News

A lot of ‘unskilled’ workers actually aren’t - Stevenson

Oct 7, 2024

"It is an appropriate time to consider the term 'unskilled,'" writes Betsey Stevenson, Ford School professor and economist in an opinion article for Bloomberg. She says this term is "demeaning and misleading." These workers, she says, "Often people h...