Mission
To shape and promote policies and practices that foster a cutting-edge, effective, and equitable US life sciences research and training enterprise and to ensure public policy is informed by sound scientific evidence.
Vision
A life sciences research and training environment that best enables and supports participants and serves society to advance scientific discovery, innovation, health, and economic prosperity.
Our Values
We believe in the ‘power of science’, the generation of trustworthy scientific knowledge through discovery, freedom to publish, inclusion of diverse people in the scientific endeavor, public accessibility of published findings, and consensus building through scientific discourse.
We believe in a diverse, equitable and inclusive research enterprise that serves all groups in society and addresses global problems with global benefits.
Goals
- Gain perspective from all relevant stakeholder groups (academia, industry, foundations/institutes, government, funders, scientific societies, and publishers) to define best science policies and practices.
- Serve as the “voice of life scientists” to mobilize and respond quickly to issues and matters affecting the life sciences community, establishing and advocating for best policies and practices.
- Develop, support, and attain diverse leadership capacity in life sciences policy and practice.
Strategies for Goals: Convene — Inform — Advocate — Engage
- Use the convening power of the CLS to bring diverse stakeholders together.
- Inform policy makers about current data-based scientific knowledge and the latest scientific advances, the role of research funding, the importance of science education, and how science works and the importance of fundamental research.
- Advocate for policies and practices that position the US to be a productive, responsible, and leading contributor to a global research enterprise.
- Advocate for diverse, qualified candidates for governmental science leadership positions who will be guided by evidence, data, and scientific best practices.
- Engage scientists in public policy and advocacy for science and science education.
Foundational Activities: Organize Internally — Focus on Critical Topics — Communicate Effectively
Strengthen and sustain CLS
- Enlist distinguished and trusted leaders across the life sciences to guide CLS activities.
- Recruit and advance a diverse next generation of CLS leaders including scientists and engineers in the life sciences across career stages, demographics, and disciplinary backgrounds.
- Expand organizational membership to represent scientists and disciplines from all sectors of the US life sciences research enterprise (scientific societies, academia, research institutes, industry, and research funders).
