The following position statements are approved by the SPIE Board of Directors and serve as guiding principles for the Society when dealing with issues of importance to the Society, SPIE Membership, and the optics and photonics community.
Global research and development funding
Public funding of research and development is critical to the continued growth of scientific discovery and innovation and is important for the global optics and photonics community. SPIE supports robust global investment in research and development (R&D) to drive innovation, train the next generation of scientists and engineers, and increase economic prosperity. Funding both basic and applied science and engineering, and establishing national, regional, and local public-private partnerships that include universities, research centers, and small and large companies facilitates full use of these advancements through development and commercialization. SPIE opposes the threat of restriction or withdrawal of research funding for political or ideological goals unrelated to the quality, effectiveness, and benefits of the research.
Science and security: Export controls and foreign investment
SPIE recognizes that while scientific advancements benefit from openness, some technologies require controls for security purposes. Limiting such controls to the most sensitive technologies and providing clear guidelines are key to ensuring that companies and universities are not overburdened with unnecessary or inaccurate export controls. Export controls should be written to allow for the continued advancement of optic and photonic technology and research. International private investment in technology should be encouraged through appropriate and clear guidelines and respect for intellectual property. Guidelines governing reporting requirements by innovators should be clear, fair, and allow for continued international collaboration.
International mobility of scientists
SPIE supports policies that allow for the international mobility of scientists. Sharing knowledge and talent through collaboration has been core to scientific breakthroughs for over a century and will continue to be a vital element to innovation across the sciences. Nations that prevent, restrict, or discourage the movement of researchers, whether in temporary business activities, employment, or scientific exchange, may put themselves at a disadvantage while hindering scientific progress. Students educated in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields benefit the economy and stimulate innovation, and when educated outside their home country should be provided a secure and clear path to receiving work authorization if they desire to stay and work in their country of study.
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education
SPIE supports investment in STEM education and workforce development worldwide, at all levels. Prioritizing education programs that promote equal opportunity enhance future competitiveness and economic prosperity. SPIE calls upon colleges and universities to provide or facilitate access to research experience for all STEM students.
Facial recognition technology
SPIE strongly condemns the use of any optics and photonics technologies for discrimination, racial profiling, or human rights violations. Furthermore, technologies purporting to assess criminality or related behaviors of an individual based on facial characteristics are not founded in sound scientific premises, research, or methods. SPIE calls upon the optics and photonics community to refute efforts to utilize facial recognition technology in discriminatory, divisive, or nefarious ways.
Sustainability
SPIE supports efforts by the optics and photonics community to advance environmentally sustainable technologies that improve the quality of life for everyone. These advances include high-quality research in the climate sciences as well as innovative ways to improve energy efficiency and to enable renewable energy sources.
Equity, diversity, and inclusion
Optics and photonics technology is for everyone and should be accessible to all, whether through study, employment, or the societal benefits achieved from advancements in this area. SPIE supports a welcoming environment, promoting opportunity, equity, and freedom for all people regardless of identity, background, or affiliation. SPIE calls on governments, academia, and the private sector to ensure access to opportunity and advancement within their constituencies, as society benefits greatly from a diverse and expanded workforce.
Anti-racism
SPIE embraces the multi-ethnic communities and acknowledges that each individual voice has equal value. SPIE explicitly condemns and actively denounces racially motivated violence, bias, discrimination, or exclusion. Understanding that some racist acts can be unconscious or unintentional, SPIE resolves to discuss and better understand the inequities that exist within optics and photonics. Standing up against racism is integral to the SPIE mission as a scientific society: to advance light-based research and technologies for the betterment of the human condition.