• Science Policy and Advocacy Organizations
• Federal Science Policy Sites
• Science Policy Career Resources

Science Policy and Advocacy Organizations

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB): A coalition of scientific societies, FASEB represents more than 65,000 biomedical researchers. The mission of FASEB is to enhance the ability of biomedical and life scientists to improve through their research the health, well-being and productivity of all people. Resources on science funding, stem cells, benefits of biomedical research and animal research.

American Association for the Advancement in Science (AAAS): The Directorate for Science and Policy Programs (SPP) serves society, government, and the research community through a diverse set of activities. Its programs address several objectives of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), including furthering the work of scientists, improving the effectiveness of science in the promotion of human welfare, and fostering scientific freedom and responsibility.

National Academies: The mission of Policy and Global Affairs division of the National Academies is to help improve public policy, understanding, and education in matters of science, technology, and health with regard to national strategies and resources, global affairs, workforce and the economy. In that connection, the units of the division focus particularly on the interaction of key institutions central to science and technology policy, on the standing of US research around the world and cooperation with Science & Engineering bodies in other countries, on the mission and organization of federal research activities, and on the sources of future manpower and funding for research.

American Chemical Society (ACS): Promoting public policy that advances the chemical enterprises and its practitioners. Issues of concern include research funding and innovation, education and the workforce, environmental issues and international science and security issues.

American Physical Society (APS): The APS Office of Public Affairs (OPA) was established to facilitate communication between physicists, the public, and government on scientific issues of concern to APS members and to the nation as a whole.

American Institute of Physics (AIP): Founded for the purpose of promoting the advancement and diffusion of the knowledge of physics and its application to human
welfare. It is the mission of the Institute to serve physics, astronomy, and related fields of science and technology by serving its Member Societies and their associates, individual scientists, educators, R&D leaders, and the general public with programs, services and publications.

American Society for Microbiology (ASM): Underlying the Society's dedication to the advancement of scientific knowledge is its commitment that science serve the public interest. To address scientific matters affecting the public interest, the Society monitors legislation and regulation and develops positions for the Society on public policy issues. The Board of Public and Scientific Affairs encourages the adoption of sound policies affecting science and technology and the discipline of microbiology. The Board responds to policy makers who may request or require an understanding of research and technology in microbiology. It also communicates microbiological issues to the public.

Federation of American Scientists (FAS): The Federation of American Scientists focuses the resources of the scientific and technical community on some of our nation's most critical challenges. Their programs and publications advance their mission of informed public debate. FAS is primarily focused on issues related to nuclear science and security.

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC): The Association of American Medical Colleges is a nonprofit association of medical schools, teaching hospitals, and academic societies. The AAMC seeks to improve the nation's health by enhancing the effectiveness of academic medicine. AAMC works with their members to set a national agenda for medical education, biomedical research, and health care.

Association of American Universities (AAU): The Association of American Universities (AAU) was founded in 1900 by a group of fourteen universities offering the Ph.D. degree. The AAU currently consists of sixty American universities and two Canadian universities. The association serves its members in two major ways. It assists members in developing national policy positions on issues that relate to academic research and graduate and professional education. It also provides them with a forum for discussing a broad range of other institutional issues, such as undergraduate education.

Research!America: Achieve funding for medical and health research in both public and private sectors at a level warranted by scientific opportunity and supported by public opinion, as well as to better inform the public of the benefits of medical and health research and the institutions and organizations that perform the research. Promotes and empowers a more active public and political life by the individual members of the research community on behalf of medical and health research, public health, and science overall.

Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy (JSC): A coalition of three basic biomedical research societies representing more than 49,000 researchers in the fields of genetics, cell biology and neuroscience. The JSC was formed in 1990 to bring scientists together to advocate for federal funding for basic biomedical research.

Federal Science Policy Sites

Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP): Congress established OSTP in 1976 with a broad mandate to advise the President and others within the Executive Office of the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. The 1976 Act also authorizes OSTP to lead an interagency effort to develop and to implement sound science and technology policies and budgets and to work with the private sector, state and local governments, the science and higher education communities, and other nations toward this end.

National Institutes of Health (NIH): The Office of Science Policy and Planning: 1) Serves as the principal resource for science policy, analysis, and development at NIH on issues of significance to the agency and the medical research community; 2) Addresses cross-cutting science policy issues and drafts the agency approach and position; 3) Provides leadership in developing major analyses of broad planning issues affecting the programs and policies of the major program components of NIH; 4) Participates in the development of new policy and program initiatives in emerging research areas.

National Science Foundation (NSF): The Office of Legislative and Public Affairs (OLPA) communicates information about the activities, programs, research results and policies of the National Science Foundation. OLPA employs a wide variety of tools and techniques to engage the general public and selected audiences including Congress, the news media, state and local governments, other Federal agencies, and the research and education communities.

Dept. of State Science Adviser: The Adviser's mission derives from the widely recognized fact that science and technology are ubiquitous to the functioning of the modern world and the framing and execution of domestic policies and international relations. Science and technology -- the engines of modern industrial economies -- are seminal to international cooperation and are the "bricks and mortar" of the three pillars of national security -- intelligence, diplomacy and military readiness.

Science Policy Career Resources

AAAS Science Policy Fellowships: The American Association for the Advancement of Science sponsors 10 science and technology policy fellowship programs to provide the opportunity for accomplished and societally aware postdoctoral to mid-career scientists and engineers to participate in and contribute to the public policy making process of the federal government. Thirty additional fellowships are supported by other science and engineering organizations.

Christine Mirzayan S&T Policy Graduate Fellowship Program: The Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program of the National Academies is designed to engage graduate science, engineering, medical, veterinary, business, and law students in the analysis that informs the creation of science and technology policy and to familiarize them with the interactions of science, technology, and government. As a result, students develop essential skills different from those attained in academia and make the transition from being a graduate student to a professional.

Assorted Science Policy Opportunities: Assembled by the University of Colorado Center for Science and Technology Policy Research.