Findings and Recommendations - Science For Environmental Protection: The Road Ahead - page 181

ades, it must maintain its expertise in traditional scientific disciplines while en-
hancing the breadth and depth of its skills in new disciplines.
Recommendation 3: The committee recommends that the agency strengthen
its scientific capacity by (a) continuing to cultivate knowledge and expertise
within the agency generally, (b) hiring more behavioral and decision scien-
tists, and (c) engaging mechanisms to draw on scientific research and exper-
tise from outside of the agency.
Within EPA
Addressing the environmental challenges of today and the future requires
forward-thinking and resourceful scientists and engineers. One of the keys to
recruiting and retaining high-quality scientists who can help the agency to main-
tain its leadership role is for the agency to foster an environment where scien-
tists and engineers have opportunities to work on interesting, challenging prob-
lems, interact synergistically with colleagues, have an impact, and earn
recognition for their work. Furthermore, if the agency is going to address the
problems of today and the future from a systems perspective, its scientists and
engineers need to be able to optimize resources, create and benefit from scien-
tific exchange zones, and lead innovation through transdisciplinary collabora-
tions.
Finding: Expertise in traditional scientific disciplines—including, but not lim-
ited to, statistics, chemistry, economics, environmental engineering, ecology,
toxicology, epidemiology, exposure science, and risk assessment—are essential
for addressing the challenges of today and the future. The case of statistics is
one example where the agency is facing significant retirements and needs to
have, if anything, enhanced expertise. EPA is currently attuned to these needs,
but staffing high-quality scientists in these areas of expertise who can embrace
problems by drawing from information across disciplines will require continued
attention if EPA is to maintain its leadership role in environmental science and
technology.
Recommendation 3a: EPA should continue to cultivate a scientific work-
force across the agency (including ORD, program offices, and regions) that
can take on transdisciplinary challenges.
Some options that EPA might explore to fulfill the recommendation above in-
clude:
 Build a stronger mentoring and leadership development program that
supports young researchers and fosters a culture of systems-thinking research.
 Recruit young scientists who have expertise and interest in scientific
concepts and tools relevant to systems thinking and its supporting analytic tools.