Between the 16th and 19th of May 2010 the Consortium For Science Policy and Outcomes will hold their 2010 conference at Mission Palms HotelinTempe, Arizona, USA.

The conference is entitled “The Rightful Place of Science?” and its stated aim is to ”address the challenges facing a society that is at once utterly dependent on science and technology and yet equally unprepared to govern the implications of that dependence“.

The Consortium For Science Policy and Outcomes is based at Arizona State University and describes itself as an intellectual network aimed at enhancing the contribution of science and technology to society’s pursuit of equality, justice, freedom and overall quality of life. CSPO creates knowledge and methods, cultivates public discourse, and fosters policies to help decision makers and institutions grapple with the immense power and importance of science and technology as society charts a course for the future.

The keynote speakers so far announced include Mons. Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and Gina Kolata, well known and respected science Journalist for The New York Times. Their interventions are aimed at catalyzing thought that would feed in to participant round tables involving all the participants present.

There will also be a series of “exemplars” of innovative approaches to managing the promises and complexities of science and technology with an interesting line up of contributors drawn from several different disciplines. The organizers in fact seem to want to promote diversity within the discussion, and the round table events look to offer plenty of interesting views from differing standpoints including a section entitled Responsible Innovation.

Registration costs are not excessive and there are good discounts for students as well as single day option.

(photo: trunk of chairs – by crumpart from Flickr)