Are you a paleontologist and you’ve wondered how to better communicate your science in a way that can affect public policy? If so, the 2019 North American Paleontological Convention in Riverside, California (June 23-27, 2019) had a workshop on just that topic. But if you weren’t able to attend either the meeting or the workshop, its main organizer – the 2016-2017 AGI/AAAS Science and Technology Policy Congressional Fellow, Dr. Emma Locatelli – has provided some tips and links from the workshop to help get you started.
Talk to Your Elected Officials! A Workshop on Communication and Public Policy for Paleontologists
Information and Resources
Find Your Representatives
- Find your member: House (by zipcode): https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
- Senate
Find Committee Makeup:
- By House Committee: https://www.house.gov/committees
- By Senate Committee
- Or, every member will list their committee on their own websites.
Budget and Natural Resource Committees:
House
- Agriculture
- Appropriations – Subcommittee on Interior and Environment, Energy
- Budget
- Energy and Commerce
- Natural Resources
- Science, Space, and Technology
- Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
Senate
- Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
- Appropriations – Subcommittee on: Interior and Environment, Energy
- Budget
- Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Energy and Natural Resources
- Environment and Public Works
Contact Your Representatives:
- Write or call – check their websites!
- Meet with their staff
- In District/State – check their websites!
- Visit D.C.
- Congressional Visit Days · AGU: https://www.americangeosciences.org/policy/geo-cvd · AGI: https://sciencepolicy.agu.org/cvd/
- AIBS: https://www.aibs.org/public-policy/congressional_visits_day.html
- *Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award (scholarship to go!): https://www.aibs.org/public-policy/eppla.html
Science Policy Newsletters
- AIBS Public Policy Reports: https://www.aibs.org/public-policy-reports/
- AGU Science Policy Alerts: https://sciencepolicy.agu.org/spalert/
- GSA News from the Hill:on their website
- FYI from AIP: https://www.aip.org/fyi
- AAAS : https://www.aaas.org/resources
Congressional and Executive Fellowships
- Geoscience-Specific Congressional – PhD Requirements Completed (diploma-in-hand not needed)
- AGU: https://sciencepolicy.agu.org/congressional_fellows/
- GSA: https://www.geosociety.org/csf/
- AGI: https://www.americangeosciences.org/content/application-submission-form-william-l-fisher-congressional-geoscience-fellowship
- AAAS – PhD required – Congressional and Executive: https://www.aaas.org/programs/science-technology-policy-fellowships
- State Department Fellows – multiple levels: https://careers.state.gov/work/fellowships/
- Mirzayan S&T Policy Graduate Fellowship Program: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/policyfellows/
- NOAA Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship: https://seagrant.noaa.gov/Knauss-Fellowship-Program
Student Policy-Related Fellowships, Workshops, Etc.
- American Meteorological Society Summer Policy Colloquium: https://www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams/policy/summer-policy-colloquium/
- AAAS Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering Workshop: https://www.aaas.org/programs/catalyzing-advocacy-in-science-and-engineering
- AAAS Mass Media Fellowship: https://www.aaas.org/programs/mass-media-fellowship
- Voices for Science (AGU): https://sharingscience.agu.org/voices-for-science/
- State Department Virtual Student Foreign Service: https://www.state.gov/virtual-student-federal-service/