The U.S. Department of State asked the IAP: The Global Network of Science Academies to organize a workshop about ways to educate life scientists on dual use issues.
To date, there has been a very limited introduction of education about dual use issues either as stand-alone courses or as components of other courses.
The FAS project currently includes eight online modules focused primarily on case studies that exemplify potential questions about dual use issues that a researcher might encounter.
Given the diversity of fields, interests, and experiences across the life sciences, making dual use issues relevant to all students is a challenge.
The first module provides a brief introduction to dual use issues, including a history of bioweapons and efforts to control them.
Providing widespread access to materials that could be adapted for specific contexts or applications using open access repositories or resource centers would help implement and sustain education on dual use issues.
To encourage expanded implementation by helping faculty develop the skills, abilities, and knowledge needed to teach dual use issues effectively, the best "train-the-trainer" programs explicitly seek to create a network among faculty to support and sustain each other.
There is a need to develop engaging, interactive materials suited to specific educational settings as well as to provide faculty with the resources and peer networks to support teaching and learning about dual use issues in the life sciences.
Most education about dual use issues occurs as part of general education about responsible conduct of research in basic life sciences courses or as part of training in biosafety or bioethics.
In addition to advancing a tradition of scientists' self-governance and self-regulation when challenged to address the potential implications of research developments, education about dual use issues provides good opportunities to engage students in conversations about the intersection of science and society.
Second, education about dual use issues would benefit from the insights of the "science of learning," the growing body of research about how individuals learn at various stages of their lives and careers and the most effective methods for teaching them (e.g., NRC, 2000; Eshel, 2007).
