This project from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science was a 2025 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awardee. The awards—presented each year by ASTC—honor member institutions and/or their staff and volunteers whose work represents exceptional achievement. These awards celebrate efforts that not only enhance the performance of an individual institution but also advance the entire field of informal science learning and engagement. Read more about the awards here.
George Sparks, President and CEO of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, came up with the idea for the Institute for Science & Policy in the wake of the 2017 March for Science. He saw a growing need for spaces to talk about science and its relationship to policymaking. The following year, the Museum launched the Institute as a strategic initiative to foster those conversations and provide opportunities for people to learn and engage with timely, socially relevant science policy issues.
Now led by Executive Director Kristan Uhlenbrock, the Institute is driven by the belief that pairing scientific data and evidence with civil discourse can help address ‘wicked problems’—issues that are difficult to define and socially complex, with myriad interdependencies, multiple causes, and no clear solutions.
Foundational Principles
Wicked problems often challenge traditional ways of problem-solving, making them unique to our time and place. Examples include the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated stresses and health inequities; the far-reaching impacts of climate change and disasters like wildfires; and the influence of misinformation that continues to challenge society. The Institute takes a human-centered approach to addressing these wicked problems, by breaking down the barriers and silos that can hinder trust and focusing on building common ground. We believe that working across divides helps us solve our most complex statewide, national, and global challenges. As public concerns about incivility grow, we work to create pathways for productive dialogue, healthy disagreement, and critical thinking.
The Institute does not take positions on specific policies, acting instead as a nonpartisan convener and honest broker of information. Its mission is to enrich policy discussions at the local, state and regional levels. There is power and possibility in cultural institutions taking on a larger role in society as trusted conveners and boundary spanners, promoting respectful discourse and elevating scientific thinking. Museums consistently rank among the most trusted institutions in the U.S., recognized as highly credible sources of information. They are increasingly serving as forums for community engagement across generations and political divides because they are viewed as expert, factual, and impartial. By building on the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s strong reputation as a trusted institution, the Institute expands the Museum’s reach and relevance. It brings people together to connect, learn, and make progress on today’s most pressing societal issues.
Pillars of Work
The Institute is both community convener and think tank. We center communities’ perspectives, experiences, and needs at the heart of our work, combining them with thought leadership and critical thinking to help address and solve problems. The three pillars of our work are storytelling, convening and research – focused on climate change, the energy transition, natural resources, public health, and human nature. Our storytelling efforts have garnered national recognition, highlighted by the award-winning “Laws of Notion” podcast.
Each season, this long-form, narrative series unpacks a story facing a Colorado community, exploring the interconnections between science, policy and our values. Laws of Notion examines complex issues that require diverse perspectives to solve, encouraging listeners to question their assumptions and think critically about the world.
The recently released fifth season, titled “Gray Territory: The Return of Wolves to Colorado,” explores the complexity of reintroducing wolves to the state. Through the voices of ranchers, conservationists, scientists, wolf advocates, government officials, and wildlife managers, the series uncovers the deeper story of how humans and predators might coexist in the modern world.
Laws of Notion season one, “Coal at Sunset,” examined the energy transition through the lens of a Colorado town in transition. Season two, “Water, Under Pressure,” dove deep into water issues in the West. Both series received the National Academies Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication. Season three, “Clearing the Air,” which focused on the air pollution crisis in Colorado, earned Laws of Notion a spot on Denver–based magazine 5280’s list “The 26 best podcasts to listen to in 2024.” And season four, “United by Fire”, explored Colorado’s historic 2020 wildfire season and the challenge of land management in the face of increasing megafires.
Beyond storytelling, the Institute leverages its science policy expertise to bring together a broad mix of collaborators through convening work. The convenings provide an inclusive, open-minded space for science-based dialogue and policy conversations with scientists and community leaders. For example, in 2022, we dedicated a six-month convening process to address the future of Colorado’s water, which is under increasing pressure from climate change, population growth, and an already overstressed system. Those discussions inspired the Institute’s Roadmap to Better Decisions, a guide for engaging in productive dialogue, and a reflection on the process.
Building on our reputation as a trusted knowledge broker, the Institute hosts the Colorado Science & Technology Policy Program (STPP). Launched in fall 2025, the program is a nonpartisan professional development opportunity for both students and professionals in scientific and technical fields related to public policy in Colorado. Through two distinct tracks, the STPP Summer Scholars and STPP Fellows apply their expertise to support evidence-based policy development in the state legislature.
The Institute also serves as a forum for addressing the science policy issues that define our modern world by soliciting perspective articles from scientists, policymakers, journalists, thought leaders and engaged citizens. From a series of guest essays on climate change and equity to a monthly public health column by Jon Samet, former dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, the Institute provides a platform for leading voices across a variety of disciplines. The Institute also brings together experts and thought leaders from around the globe for virtual and in–person events, including its annual Symposium, to address today’s most critical issues. For many events, we partner with outside organizations – from national groups like the American Meteorological Association and the Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal to Colorado universities and science centers – broadening our reach and covering a wide range of topics with depth and nuance.
Core Values
Science can influence policy, and policy can influence science. Our core values reflect this circular endeavor. We prioritize inquiry, consensus science and scientific process to inform policy discussions while also questioning assumptions, challenging biases, and recognizing tradeoffs. We also recognize that identity, relationships, biases, values, and power shape behavior and thinking, and we thread this understanding through our approach to the intersection of science and policy.
Diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion are at the core of everything we do. We are committed to including a range of voices in all our programming, including those that may not be the most obvious choices but offer invaluable perspectives. We ensure broad representation across panels, speakers, and guests, incorporating diverse lived experiences, backgrounds, viewpoints, political and socioeconomic perspectives, geographic regions, and professions. We also address socioeconomic barriers that might hinder participation, offering honorariums to cover costs such as support for people’s time, travel, food, and childcare when needed. By approaching our work with this holistic mindset, we maintain public trust, centering diverse voices and approaching issues with humility and empathy.
Our approach is both unique and familiar. We rely on others for their expertise and experience, while sharing our own knowledge and insight with the broader community. Our partners, participants, advisors, and communities help us create better and more meaningful engagement. Now approaching its seventh-year anniversary as part of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the Institute for Science & Policy continues to expand the Museum’s impact in Colorado and beyond as a new paradigm for scientific engagement.
For more information about the Institute’s work, visit the website and stay connected through our monthly email newsletter, The Ampersand.
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