Fauci Intelligence Community Release — page 38

General Information for Speakers Some Background: JASON is an independent group of approximately 60 academic scientists, founded in 1959, who advise the Executive Branch of the U.S. government on a broad range of issues pertaining to national security. JASON members include 4 Nobel Laureates and 25 members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, with diverse expertise and high-level security clearances. JASON does not provide an aggregated list of its members, all of who are non-government employees and have primary responsibility to their home institutions. The current membership of JASON consists of approximately 40% physicists, 20% chemists and biologists, 20% computer scientists and engineers, 10% mathematicians and statisticians, and 10% from other disciplines. JASONs range in age from 38 to 72, with uniform distribution over this range. On average, members of JASON have 17 years of experience with the organization, providing continuity and cohesiveness that make JASON unique among U.S. government advisory groups. JASON is a rigorously independent and impartial self-governing body that chooses its own members and demands that they perform to the highest intellectual standards. Who else is there: In addition to the JASONs, the audience consists of about 120 leaders in the S&T community from across the government agencies. Congressional staffers come from time to time. Typically, there is no industry unless they are serving in a government capacity like the Defense Science Board. There is no press in the audience and your remarks are "off the record". We do not distribute slides or notes from you talk. How long is a talk: Each talk lasts about 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes for questions. There are always questions. We normally have 12 speakers over two days, and an evening dinner session on Friday. You are encouraged to stay for as many talks as you like (appropriate clearances will be required for any classified talks) and the evening session. Room configuration and technical details: Presentations should be sent in advance and formatted for 16:9 display. Slides will be loaded onto either a PC or Mac briefing laptop (whichever your slides are compatible with). The room will include a stage with a podium and large projection screen. You will have access to a podium, lapel mic, laser pointer, slide clicker. An IT member will be in the room at all times to help you get set up and ensure everything runs smoothly. What type of talk should I give: There are two basic types of talks, operational and scientific. Operational talks are given by high level government officials and address challenges with technical or strategic roots. Difficult technical challenges are of great interest to this audience. Strategic issues include where the agency is going and what motivates these directions. What keeps an official awake at night can be a useful frame. Scientific talks are given by scientists doing cutting edge research and those who have developed new approaches potentially important to national security. The best talks begin with adequate background so that a technically savvy, but uninitiated listener can quickly grasp both a field's key questions and the specific research or operational foci of the speaker. A deep exploration of specific issues or case studies can then be used to illuminate current research and development. Sufficient depth so that the audience can provide substantive feedback to the speaker is desirable. The audience is very attentive and interactive. As this audience is unique, if the speaker has access to a JASON member who can provide more detailed feedback, they are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.