BA (Journalism), BA (International Studies)

Contact Details Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Physics Link Building 38a, Science Road, Australian National University ACT 0200 Australia Tel (Adelaide): +61 8 8303 7230 Fax: +61 2 6125 8991 Email: cobi.smith@anu.edu.au

MPhil Candidate

Involving the public in prioritising research

Cobi is investigating public participation in research funding decisions and how deliberative democracy could improve science policy.

In 2008, she gathered data at deliberative events during National Science Week in Adelaide and Canberra. The events’ format was adapted from a model developed at the Institute for Food Research in the UK.

Now she's writing about the methodology of the Australian deliberative events and their context in science communication best practice, including differences in the UK and Australian methods used and the potentials and limitations of the model.

She's analysing the results of the UK and Australian events and considering what these suggest about how the public would make decisions about science funding, reflecting on implications for science policy.

She's also critiquing current thought on what types of institutions should do deliberative democracy-based public engagement, proposing that non-governmental science organisations can use such engagement methods in organisational policy making.

Supervisory Panel

• Dr Rod Lamberts, CPAS, Australian National University
• Dr Gene Rowe, Consumer Science, Institute for Food Research, UK

Current Work

• Communications Manager, Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, University of Adelaide
• Director, Concise Science (UK)

Personal Biography

Cobi was firmly focused on journalism in Adelaide when the Australian Broadcasting Corporation sent her to work as their newsreader and journalist in Port Lincoln. There she discovered covering issues like aquaculture, conservation, desalination and drought were more interesting than crime and local politics. She moved into science communication, working for the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics before moving to Cambridge, UK, in 2006. There she worked on science media projects ranging from podcasts to books, for organisations including a publisher, university and commercialisation consultancy. Most of her work examines how science fits in society; she is passionate about science supporting sustainable development. Cobi was drawn back to Adelaide’s Waite Campus and now juggles commitments at ANU and the University of Adelaide.

Publications

Smith, C and Firth, L (2008) Sustainability and Environment, Cambridge: Independence Educational Publishers

Smith, C and Firth, L (2008) Climate Change, Cambridge: Independence Educational Publishers

Smith, C and Firth, L (2008) Migration and Population, Cambridge: Independence Educational Publishers

Smith, C (2007) Suriname has 'already hit' malaria MDG, Science and Development Network, 20 September

Smith, C (2007) Antimalarials 'give children an edge' at school, Science and Development Network, 18 September

Smith, C and Crewdson, S (2007) Smoking Trends, Cambridge: Independence Educational Publishers

Smith, C and Crewdson, S (2007) Media Issues, Cambridge: Independence Educational Publishers

Smith, C and Crewdson, S (2007) Mental Health, Cambridge: Independence Educational Publishers

Firth, L  and Smith, C (2007) The Cloning Debate, Cambridge: Independence Educational Publishers

Firth, L  and Smith, C (2007) Problem Drinking, Cambridge: Independence Educational Publishers

Firth, L  and Smith, C (2007) Vegetarian and Vegan Diets, Cambridge: Independence Educational Publishers

Smith, C and Adelaja, A (2007) Scholars call for communications cable access, Science and Development Network, 24 May