The purposes of this blog are to bring awareness to legislation and provide encouragement and resources for advocacy. This is a special blog post that highlights a unique opportunity in science policy and advocacy.
Are you a scientist interested in advocacy or science policy, but don’t know where to start? Is science communication and outreach important to you, but maybe you don’t have experience interacting with the policy world? Are you becoming more concerned with the environmental changes you’re witnessing? Do you have a feeling of obligation to use your scientific expertise and passion for science communication to help inform our policymakers and support their legislative efforts? Like any new direction, the policy world might feel like an overwhelmingly vast unknown. Participating in the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) Voices for Science Program could change all of that. Morgan was a part of the 2020 cohort and is sharing some of her insight and experiences below. About the Program AGU launched their Voices for Science (VFS) Program in 2018, in an effort to train scientists in effectively communicating the impact of science to a diverse set of audiences. The program is split into two tracks (you apply to the one you are interested in), a communications track focused on communicating science to journalists, media and public audiences, and a policy track geared towards communicating and building connections with policymakers. Both tracks have a central goal of increasing community engagement. Selected scientists participate in a two day training as a cohort, and then receive support from an assigned regional team and trained AGU staff throughout the year. Individuals gain a diverse and incredible network of passionate scientists, all sharing and conducting creative outreach opportunities with the common goal of advancing an understanding and trust in science. The Experience By the end of the first day of training, I (Morgan) was shocked at the vast role that science plays in policy, and surprised by the overlap of my skills as a scientist and those needed for a career in science policy. To name a few, science policy relies on persistence, natural curiosity, knowledge of the scientific process, the ability to juggle multiple projects and shift gears rapidly, familiarity with uncertainty, and communication skills. Many of these skills or qualities are what drove me to pursue a graduate degree, and others I have been consciously and steadily trying to build throughout my career. On the second day of training, with guided preparation, we led mock meetings (in non-COVID times, these would have been in person meetings on Capitol Hill) with legislators, learned how to formulate an “ask,” and connected our message with the values of our legislators. In the span of two days, I went from feeling nervous about the unknowns associated with the policy world to feeling excited and motivated to dive into advocacy. Monthly meetings with my regional team and AGU leader have held me accountable to conducting advocacy and outreach activities throughout the year. Working with this incredible team has pushed me to be more creative and confident in my outreach endeavors. This opportunity has been hugely inspiring. It has shown me the vast possibilities for connecting science and policy, and has helped me define career goals in which I can use my technical science background as a tool to help address critical societal challenges. I gained a more comprehensive understanding of the legislative process, and have learned how to articulate the importance of scientific research in an accessible way. The VFS program provided me with resources and support that enabled me to navigate my way into the policy world, and pushed me to advocate for legislation and topics I am passionate about. I would encourage anyone with an interest in science policy to take advantage of opportunities like VFS. Interested in Applying? The application for the 2021-2022 cohort is open until February 1. The application can be found at: https://www.agu.org/Share-and-Advocate/Share/Sharing-science-network/Voices-for-science If you miss the application deadline, apply next year! In the meantime, keep an eye out for the many opportunities offered by AGU, AAAS, GSA, and other scientific societies. You can also be involved by sending emails or calling your representatives offices. Check out our resources page for more on this, or if you need help getting started send us an email! There is a growing mission throughout the scientific community to make science more accessible, so take the initiative and be a part of it! If you have found opportunities or have personal experience getting involved, we would love to hear about it! Send us an email or leave a comment below.
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