Facing Wicked Problems

Wicked problems are complex issues that involve a myriad of facets, calling on an array of fields of expertise, and are extremely difficult to solve. These grand challenges are exactly what PPRI aims to face and provide viable alternatives. Of particular interest to PRRI are those grand challenges that fall into the strategic focus areas of Discovery Park.

PPRI’s holistic approach is precisely what is needed to help the world face wicked problems. Drawing from Purdue’s strengths in the STEM, humanities, and social science disciplines, PPRI builds and strengthens interdisciplinary teams. Zeroing in on what matters most to stakeholders, ideally in the beginning of a project, is key to getting at the heart of all the parts of complex issues and aiming research questions at uncovering the facts that inform policy to make real impact.

PPRI offers a variety of options to achieve multiple levels of communication in a range of ways and opportunities for experts, stakeholders, and policymakers to connect. The next few pages discuss some of them.

SCIENCE NEEDS AN ELEVATOR PITCH!

Why Those First Moments Are Crucial

There is a human element to science that often gets overlooked when a presentation is prepared. A short attention span can derail a proposal just as fast, if not faster, than bad science. Robert Sadler of Sadler Consulting explains how scientists can better prepare for a strong showing and why they should.

Journalists know they have to hold the reader within the first seven lines of a column inch. Film makers know they have to hold the viewers’ attention very fast as well. Advertisers make a living on messages that are less than 90 seconds and they know the drivers. Neuroscientists also know that decisions to fund, buy, subscribe, vote for, and support are made within a couple of minutes of a presentation. In those first 90 seconds an audience is moved to support or not support by the presenter’s physical appearance (about 40%), authenticity/likability (about 30%), narrative (about 20%), and a strong scientific idea (10%). In my experience, most (not all) scientists and engineers ignore that reality. They would prefer to prepare a proposal as if decisions were driven by strong scientific ideas alone. So, they’ll spend 100% of their time building a slide deck and a paper that lays out the scientific case. They end up using the slide deck as a teleprompter because they haven’t rehearsed the delivery. There’s no thought given to the story that makes the new idea move decision makers to fund an idea. There’s no thought given to making sure that the person making the pitch comes off as authentic and likable. There’s no thought given to the physical appearance of the presenter.

You probably think you don’t have time to develop a 90 second elevator pitch, but having a good pitch is just plain good discipline. In 90 seconds we need to tell a story, present the idea, say it in a way that draws the listener in… through appearance, authenticity and likability, and triggers a “yes” . It’s hard work, but it’s critical to winning proposals. WHY IS A 90 SECOND PITCH CRITICAL?

Originally posted on the PPRI blog and written by blog contributors Robert Sandler and Emily Temple

It may be needed to win the opportunity to get a longer meeting with the right decision makers. It becomes the outline for the 20-minute pitch you need to make to win the work. It’s a sanity check. If you can’t write and deliver a great 90 second elevator pitch, you may want to reconsider making a proposal until you have a stronger idea or the timing is better.

Mark Twain said it best… “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.

FACING WICKED PROBLEMS

Drone Use on the Rise; You Better Regulate

Drones are growing in popularity, developing in capability, and varying in their use at a faster rate than safety and security regulations can develop. A more robust and in-depth understanding of critical issues is needed to develop fresh approaches and alternative policy solutions to address these problems as they arise. The Purdue Policy Research Institute (PPRI) has created the Drone Regulatory Research Initiative (DRRI), a public-private, interdisciplinary partnership, to deepen our understanding of these issues and to develop fresh approaches and alternative solutions to these problems.

UAS Considerations for Local Transportation Agencies and Other Local Agencies

A survey was sent to town, city, and county government officials in Indiana to obtain their thoughts and perceptions about regulating drone use in their communities, and the extent to which these government agencies are using drones for their own purposes. This research completed by Tyler Spence (PPRI), Sarah Hubbard (School of Aviation and Transportation Technology), and Bryan Hubbard (Building and Construction Management) was accepted for presentation at the 2017 Mid-Continent Transportation Research Symposium.

Education and Outreach

Drone Regulation Policy Brief Series Course development for community drone users Participation in community events Participation in the UAS subcommittee of the University Aviation Association for education and policy analysis Contributing to federal regulations and policy implementation of drones

Autonomous Vehicles: Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications

Stepping into this initiative, Discovery Park with PPRI and the Center for Connected and Automated Vehicles (CCAT), are focused on the human dimension of transportation, our built environment (legacy infrastructure, sensors, materials, environmental issues, and land use), and the vehicles themselves. PPRI in particular is focused on the human dimension, including behavioral issues, public policy, privacy, societal implications, and ethics.

On January 25, 2018, PPRI hosted a roundtable discussion in Washington DC to engage policymakers and industry leaders on a national level. Issues rising to the top of the list of policy interest are safety (including infrastructure concerns), workforce/labor, and ethics in algorithms. On the global stage, PPRI Postdoctoral Fellow, Caitlin Surakitbanharn, engaged with international leaders in the autonomous vehicle realm in a conference in Dubai December 2017.

Interdisciplinary teams will be the key to assessing the policy related issues necessary to enable a more connected and mobile society. Over the next year, PPRI will connect with faculty on the topics uncovered in the discussions with national leaders.