What is Science Policy?
You might work as a congressional advisor acting as the resident “expert” on all things science. You might work with a professional society to help craft or analyze policies for the society and/or the government. Possible policy areas include natural resources, energy, the environment, national security, education and outreach and many others. You might also work for a think tank crafting and analyzing policies for other companies or the government. Here is a short article with more information.
Fellowships (approximate application deadlines given in parenthesis)
- Am. Academy of Arts and Sciences (Jan. 15)
- Am. Assoc. for the Advancement of Science (Dec. 15)
- Am. Institute of Physics (Jan. 15, Nov. 1)
- National Academies of Science (May 1, Nov. 1)
- RAND (deadlines vary by program)
- State of California (Feb. 12, you do NOT have to be a current resident)
- White House Office of Science and Technology (Feb. 14)
- Scientists and Engineers for America (deadline varies, they also have virtual internships)
- National Science Foundation (undergrads only, deadline?)
Jobs
You can find policy type jobs with places like the National Science Foundation or the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation but usually these jobs require some number of years work experience prior to applying. Also look at USAJobs which lists ALL job openings in the federal government.
Relevant Classes
In addition to the obvious scientific knowledge you will be expected to posses any position in policy requires excellent written and verbal communication skills and a familiarity with statistics is often desired. Familiarity with grant proposals is also sometimes desired. Some classes you might consider taking if you are interested in science policy include:
- PHY_341 - Physics of national security
- RHE_330E - Rhetoric of science in popular media
- CHE_384 - Energy technology and policy
- The School of Public Affairs offers graduate classes in various policy areas.
- The Energy and Earth Resources program offers several courses relevant for energy policy.
Resources
- A broad overview of history and introductions to science policy taken from Science and Technology Policy in the United States by Sylvia Kraemer.
- Issues in Science and Technology (also available through the library)
- Discover blog has a long list of opportunities in a wider array of science disciplines.
- A list of science policy jobs and resources
- Univ. Colorado Center for Science and Technology Policy
- Articles from Science
- More articles from Science