Congressional S

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Congressional ST fellowship Jump-start to a
career in science policy

• Jamie Link
• August 18, 2009
• American Chemical Society Meeting
• Washington, DC

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Outline

• My background and interest in ST policy
• How do science and policy intersect?
• AAAS Congressional Fellowship Program
• What do you learn?
• What can you do after the fellowship?
• Science Technology Policy Institute / IDA
• How does STPI inform policy?
• How can a chemist contribute?
• How to get involved
• Opportunities on campus
• Opportunities in DC

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My background

• PhD in inorganic chemistry, UCSD
• Graduate fellow with California Institute for
  Telecommunications and Information Technology
• Developed chemical sensors for environmental
  monitoring
• Materials and Devices Layer
• How does science get implemented?
• How does technology affect society?

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What is ST Policy?

• Public policy that affects all aspects of the
  innovation process with the end goal of
  increasing commercialization of technologies and
  driving economic growth

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Public policy plays a role at every stage of the
innovation process

• Basic research
• Applied research
• Development
• Demonstration
• Commercialization

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AAAS Congressional ST Fellowships

• Fellows sponsored by scientific societies
• AAAS administers program for 30 fellows annually
• Provides opportunity for scientists with little
  or no policy experience to spend a year on the
  Hill
• Worked in personal office of Sen. Joe Lieberman

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National Innovation Act
Drafted and gathered support for Ensign-Lieberman
National Innovation Act Broad research and
education bill which authorized funding increases
for physical science agencies Incorporated into
America COMPETES Act, signed into law in August
2007
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What did I learn?

• Firsthand look at how the legislative process
  works and how to influence it
• Gain insight into the many ways in which science
  informs the policy-making process
• Develop contacts and friendships within AAAS
  network
• Develop a network of contacts at state and
  federal level

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Science Technology Policy Institute

• Congressionally chartered think tank that serves
  White House Office of Science and Technology
  Policy (OSTP) and other executive agencies
• FFRDC same quasi-government status as
  national labs
• Provides objective scientific and policy analysis

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Office of Science and Technology Policy

• Established by President Ford in 1976
• The primary function of the OSTP Director is to
  provide, within the Executive Office of the
  President, advice on the scientific, engineering,
  and technological aspects of issues that require
  attention at the highest level of Government.
• OSTP has no direct authority over any executive
  branch agency or OMB
• Strong role in interagency coordination

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STPI research

• Sponsors include OSTP, NSF, NIH, DOE, Commerce
• Program evaluation
• Policy analysis
• Supporting NSTC subcommittees

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Finding Ways to Get Involved

• Informal discussion groups and seminar series
• Coursework in other departments
• Public policy bootcamps (eg. IGCC, MIT)
• DC offices for universities
• National Academies fellowships
• Work in state government, on a campaign, etc.

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• Questions?
• jlink_at_ida.org