Research Interests and Accomplishments

Robert Friedman is Vice President for Policy and University Relations at the Venter Institute. Friedman directs JCVI's Policy Center and is also active in several projects ongoing in the Institute's Environmental Genomics Group. Prior to joining the Venter Institute, Friedman was Vice President for Research at The Heinz Center, a nonprofit policy research organization that brings together collaborators from government, industry, environmental organizations, and academia. Earlier, Friedman was a Senior Associate at the Office of Technology Assessment, U.S. Congress (OTA). For 16 years, he advised Congressional committees on issues involving environmental and natural resources policy.

Dr. Friedman received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in Ecological Systems Analysis, concentrating in ecology, environmental engineering, and systems analysis. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Select Publications

Reports

Synthetic Genomics | Options for Governance, with M.S. Garfinkel, D. Endy, and G.L. Epstein. The J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville MD, 2008, 57 pp.

The State of The Nation's Ecosystems: Measuring the Lands, Waters, and Living Resources of the United States, with R. O'Malley and staff of The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment, Cambridge University Press, 2002. 288 pp.

Technology Policies For Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emission, with J. Alic. The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment, Washington DC, 1999. 21 pp.

Environmental Policy Tools: A User's Guide. Office of Technology Assessment, U.S. Congress, Washington DC, 1995. 217 pp.

Changing By Degrees: Steps to Reduce Greenhouse Gases. Office of Technology Assessment, U.S. Congress, Washington DC, 1991. 354 pp.

Environmental Applications of Genetically Altered Organisms. Special Report, Office of Technology Assessment, U.S. Congress, Washington DC, 1986. 53 pp.

Articles