Neil Shubin is an advocate for connecting scientists with the general public.Credit: Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press/Alamy
On 1 July, Neil Shubin, a palaeontologist at the University of Chicago in Illinois, began his five-year term as president of the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS), a non-profit society of elected scholars. Shubin is best known for discovering a fossil (Tiktaalik roseae) that represents a ‘missing link’ between sea- and land-dwelling vertebrates, and has authored many popular-science books. He replaces geophysicist Marcia McNutt in the prominent role of academy president.
Trust in science
Shubin will have to navigate upheaval at the NAS, which has faced substantial cuts and political pressure under the administration of US President Donald Trump. The past year has brought contract cancellations and lay-offs for the National Research Council, the operating arm of the NAS, and Republican lawmakers accused the academy of demonstrating partisan bias in its research methods. In response, the NAS members called for strong leadership.
As he takes the helm, Nature asked Shubin about his goals as president, the issues facing the NAS today and how he plans to stand up for science.
What attracted you to the position?
This is a consequential moment for science in America. And it’s a consequential moment for international science — for social, political and geopolitical reasons. Many of the decisions we make could have lasting impacts.
What aspects of your research experience will inform your approach?
I did long-horizon, risky science. We took a bet by looking for fossils and working on DNA. We also developed collaborations — some of them international — to accomplish our goals.
Importantly, my research also took me in two other directions. The first is that it’s very multidisciplinary — encompassing molecular biology, palaeontology, geology, biomechanics and physiology. That interdisciplinarity gave me a sense of the importance of collaboration and applying ideas and methodologies from one field to another.
Second, my science took me in the direction of outreach — talking to the general public and to students. That gave me an appreciation for how many wonderful opportunities there are to communicate our science.
Science could solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Why aren’t governments using it?
What immediate goals do you have?
The NAS has been around since 1863. It was founded four months before the Battle of Gettysburg, at one of the most pivotal moments in the history of our democracy. And we were founded as science advisers to the nation.
We have an enormous amount of content, which I think we need to connect to the general public. We have a journal that produces thousands of papers a year and we produce hundreds of reports a year. We need to show the power of science advising and why it’s so important in a functioning democracy.
We have to try new media. We have to try outreach. We have to work with local communities. We have more than 2,500 members throughout the United States and hundreds more around the world. They are some of our best ambassadors for science and our goal is to connect them to their local communities in ways that help their missions and our own.
And for the longer term?
We really are at an inflection point in how science is done and in the relationship of science with governments, industry and universities. I’d like to put the NAS at the hub of conversations around what the science ecosystem should look like, to promote discovery and innovation in the years ahead.
One thing that the NAS can do is foster a multisectoral conversation that brings together all the players so we can think up the best career pathways, funding strategies and relationships between industry and basic science.
Shubin was part of the team that discovered the ‘missing link’ fossil Tiktaalik roseae.Credit: Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press/Alamy
How can the NAS move forwards after a turbulent year?
A lot of it is getting our message out. And part of that is fundraising to support our mission. I believe very strongly in the power of evidence-based thinking in a functioning democracy. The more we can communicate our message, the more we can find support for the work we do. It’s essential for us not only to make our work more accessible, but to be much more nimble in the work that we do.
Historically, the NAS has done consensus studies, which are the gold standard of non-partisan, evidence-based advice. They can take 18 months to two years. That’s a lot of news cycles. I think we have to be more rapid in our advice.
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How will you deal with political agendas?
We are by design a non-partisan organization. This means that we are not a Republican or a progressive or a conservative organization; we’re a scientific one. My job is to focus on the science. Whether it takes us into a difficult partisan place or not, I can’t consider that.
