Governments around the world are increasingly confronted with a complex interplay of environmental, social, and economic challenges at both global and local levels. Changes in politics are putting pressure on democratic institutions and political norms, including growing struggles over the legitimacy of science as a trusted source of knowledge to guide policy action.  Yet, it remains a truism that effective government decision-making relies upon access to relevant and timely information. However, evidence-informed policy cannot be taken for granted. It requires concerted work both by policy professionals and academic researchers, and other knowledge holders, to ensure that the right information gets to the right people at the right time.

This course explores past, present and future challenges and opportunities for science in government. In doing so, it will provide students with the knowledge and skills to think critically about the role of knowledge in democratic societies and act more decisively in interpreting, commissioning, and promoting the use of research evidence in policy settings.

The course is appropriate for a range of students. These include: students from STEM backgrounds seeking to better understand how STEM research can be designed and promoted to reach policy audiences; students interested in careers in public policy (e.g. the Australian Public Service) or governance (e.g. United Nations, Non-Governmental Organisations, etc.) who will be expected to access, interpret and use research evidence in their roles; and students from social sciences and humanities seeking to deepen their critical understanding of how knowledge of different kinds come to matter in democratic societies.

The course will cover a range of topics, including understanding the political nature of knowledge; the role and interaction of different knowledge systems; barriers to, and enablers of, knowledge exchange among scientists and decision-makers; political challenges to the use of evidence; the production of expertise and scientific advice; and the means by which governments justify their decisions to a public audience. The course will allow students to develop skills in synthesising scientific knowledge focusing on contemporary sustainability issues, producing engagement outputs for a policy audience, and developing strategies to improve the uptake of research in decision-making.

This course is co-taught with postgraduate students but assessed separately.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Recognise and apply key principles underpinning successful knowledge exchange between scientific and policy communities;
2. Synthesise scientific knowledge on contemporary sustainability issues;
3. Describe current challenges at the science-policy interface;
4. Describe and demonstrate practical strategies to enhance the uptake and use of scientific research in specific domains of policy.

Research-Led Teaching

The course content is structured in terms of key themes from research literature in the field of social studies of science and technology, including examples of research conducted by the course convener/lecturer and colleagues. Students will have an opportunity to reflect on, extend and critique research insights, and apply insights to examples of science and technology communication. Finally, students will apply core themes and insights to define and propose a concrete problem at the science-policy interface, and translate their learning in the form of a report for a key stakeholder. This will give them experience of the research process.

Required Resources

Links to readings available through ANU library and associated online materials will be placed on Canvas.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Combined lecture and small group and plenary discussion; Introduction to science in government.	Overview of assessments
2	Combined lecture and small group and plenary discussion; The contested nature of expertise.
3	Combined lecture and small group and plenary discussion; Bridging science and policy.	In-class assessment: Assessment Task 1
4	Combined lecture and small group and plenary discussion; Diagnosing challenges at the science-policy interface.	In-class assessment: Assessment Task 2
5	Combined lecture and small group and plenary discussion; Student-led presentations and recap.	In-class assessment: Assessment Task 3

Tutorial Registration

There are no separate tutorials for this course. Teaching delivery is via lectorials, with lectures combined with small group and plenary discussions, contained within the intensive 5-day face-to-face component.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Expert Committee Design Draft (In-class Assessment)	10 %	15/07/2026	31/07/2026	1,2,4
Decision Memo Draft (In-class Assessment)	10 %	16/07/2026	31/07/2026	1,2,4
Oral Presentation (In-class assessment)	5 %	17/07/2026	31/07/2026	1,2,3
Annotated final version of EITHER Expert Committee Design OR Decision Memo	15 %	14/08/2026	28/08/2026	1,2,4
Written report on science-policy interface challenge	25 %	11/09/2026	25/09/2026	1,2,3
Oral assessment	30 %	*	11/09/2026	1,3,4
In-class participation	5 %	*	31/07/2026	1,3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Canvas’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

The intensive teaching week includes significant in-class assessment and opportunities for feedback, which will be important for the successful completion of the course. Students are therefore expected to attend all of the face-to-face components of the course and class participation is assessed.

Assessment Task 1

Expert Committee Design Draft (In-class Assessment)

Individual written assignment considering the strengths and weaknesses of different organisational choices in the design of an expert committee to address a pre-defined policy challenge. Assignment is a timed assessment with a duration of 1 hour involving individual work carried out in class on 15/07/2026. The assignment will be handwritten and completed on a provided pro-forma. No use of computers, mobile phones or any internet connected devices is permitted during the completion of the task. Printed dictionaries may be used. Hard copies of the written assessment should be submitted by hand to the course tutor at the end of the timed period with a cover sheet and copies will be produced for marking. Late submission not permitted.

Assessment criteria: Use of evidence from the course readings/lectures/discussions in formulation of answers; The quality of critical analysis; Extent to which questions are answered in full. Marking matrix will be provided on Canvas.

Assessment Task 2

Decision Memo Draft (In-class Assessment)

Individual written assignment considering the strengths and weaknesses of different types of evidence to address a pre-defined policy challenge. Assignment is a timed assessment with a duration of 1 hour involving individual work carried out in class on 16/07/2026. The assignment will be handwritten and completed on a provided pro-forma. No use of computers, mobile phones or any internet connected devices is permitted. Printed dictionaries may be used. Hard copies of the written assessment should be submitted by hand to the course tutor at the end of the timed period with a cover sheet and will be copied and copies will be produced for marking. Late submission not permitted.

Assessment criteria: Use of evidence from the course readings/lectures/discussions in formulation of answers; The quality of critical analysis; Extent to which questions are answered in full. Marking matrix will be provided on Canvas.

Assessment Task 3

Oral Presentation (In-class assessment)

Individual oral presentation on a specific challenge at the science-policy interface carried out in class on Friday 17/07/2026 between 9am and 5pm. Presentations will be up to 3 minutes long (anything after 3 minutes will not be assessed). Presentations will be recorded for marking purposes. Peer feedback provided. Late submission not permitted.

Assessment criteria: Logic and coherence of proposal; Quality of argument and explanation; Verbal expression and presentation. Marking matrix will be provided on Canvas.

Assessment Task 4

Annotated final version of EITHER Expert Committee Design OR Decision Memo

Individual written assignment composed of completing one polished version of:

EITHER

Task 4A: Expert Committee Design setting out the Terms of Reference of an expert committee to address a pre-defined policy challenge aligned with Assessment 1. Terms of Reference should build on work carried out in Assessment 1 and be completed according to provided template with annotations.

OR

Task 4B: Decision Memo setting out a ministerial briefing for a government minister to address a pre-defined policy challenge aligned with Assessment 2. Briefing note should reference and build on work carried out in Assessment 2 and be completed according to provided template with annotations.

Word length can be up to 750 words for the primary document and approximately 250 words for annotations. Reference list not included in word count. Any submissions that exceed word limits will be subject to a penalty of 10% of available grades and additional words will not be assessed. Assessment item should be submitted via Canvas/TurnItIn. Late submission permitted.

Assessment criteria: Logic and coherence of proposal; Inclusion of evidence from the course readings/lectures/discussions; Quality of explanation; Clear connection to work carried out in Assessment Task 1 or 2; Written expression and presentation. Marking matrix will be provided on Canvas.

Assessment Task 5

Written report on science-policy interface challenge

Individual written assignment on a specific challenge at the science-policy interface identified in Assessment Task 3. Reports can be up to 1500 words in length (any submissions that exceed this limit will be subject to a penalty of 10% of available grades and additional words will not be assessed). Reference list not included in word count. Assessment item should be submitted via Canvas/TurnItIn. Late submission permitted.

Assessment criteria: Inclusion of evidence from the course readings/lectures/discussions; Logic and coherence of proposal; Quality of explanation; Clear connection to work carried out in Assessment Task 3; Written expression and presentation. Marking matrix will be provided on Canvas.

Assessment Task 6

Oral assessment

Individual oral assessment on the content of the course, including completed assessment items. To be carried out online via Teams in student-selected time slot in the week of 31/08/2026. There will be a pool of 10 topics, from which 3 will be randomly chosen. Students will answer questions on 2 of the 3 topics within the allotted time. Total response time (there will be a timer): 6 minutes. Responses will be recorded for mark validation purposes. Penalties for exceeding time limit: up to 10% of available grades.

Assessment Criteria: Inclusion of evidence from the course readings/lectures/discussions to help formulate your answer; Comprehensive and analytical response to questions; Lucid, clear expression. Marking matrix will be provided on Canvas.

Assessment Task 7

In-class participation

Individual participation in class during the course, including written peer feedback on oral presentations. Students will submit by hand to the convenor one handwritten peer feedback form on the final day of the intensive week. Students may also be asked to share responses verbally in class, although this will not be assessed. Late submission not permitted.

Assessment Criteria: Constructive engagement with student presentation materials; Lucid, clear expression.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded. In cases where students are unable to complete a given assessment task due to specific Extenuating Circumstances consistent with Student assessment (coursework) Policy and appropriate evidence is provided, an alternative assessment may be offered.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Returning Assignments

Assignments submitted through Turnitin will be returned through the system with electronic comments.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Not permitted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students