Most of the graduate students I work with are spending the bulk of their time in lab, teaching or preparing for required departmental examinations—ultimately, preparing for future careers. During our undergraduate training and even at the graduate level, most of us are led to believe our career options are limited to academia, industry, government or alternative careers. This narrows the areas of science we are exposed to—including science policy.
The cornerstones of science policy include, but are not limited to: science advocacy, scientific communication and science-based policymaking and legislating. As most of us matriculate through our graduate school careers, we begin to notice the need for increased funding in science, a disconnection between science and the public, and a host of other issues—issues we can fix.
This is the area where a science policy group thrives. Most science policy groups are comprised of graduate students, faculty members and undergraduate students who advocate for continued support of research, science-informed policymaking and communication of science, while also exploring the ethical, legal and regulatory issues that arise from scientific progress.
