What is it? Science Outside the Lab, presented by Arizona State University’s Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes (CSPO), explores the relationships among science, policy, and societal outcomes in a place where many important decisions about these things are made – Washington, D.C. During the two-week workshop, students will meet and interact with the people who fund, regulate, shape, critique, publicize and study science, including congressional staffers, funding agency officers, lobbyists, regulators, journalists, academics, museum curators and others.
Why? With the intersections between science, politics and society making the headlines every day, it is more important than ever for scientists and engineers to know how the decisions that affect them are made. Washington, D.C., where the $147 billion of federal science money and countless policy decisions originate, is the perfect setting to begin learning about the complicated world of science policy. Junior scientists and engineers who understand the goals and implications of publicly funded science will likely have an advantage when seeking jobs and funding. This program also will explore numerous careers that take advantage of science and engineering training but don’t involve laboratory work.
Who should attend? Natural science, engineering and mathematics doctoral students who are interested in how the decisions about science funding, regulation and policy are made will benefit from this program. Graduate students interested in careers in science policy also will find this to be an excellent opportunity to learn about important fellowships and meet current science policy professionals.
What to expect? Arizona State University hosts the program at its Washington Center and meetings take place in locations throughout the Washington, D.C., area, which allow the students to experience many facets of the Nation’s Capital. This is not a two-week lecture series. It includes discussions, hands-on experiences and on-location learning. It is designed not just to teach how decisions are made but to give the participants a chance to try their hands at them as well. The primary component of the program is the discussions the students will have with people throughout the District of Columbia. All presenters are asked to limit their opening comments to fifteen minutes. This leaves plenty of time for conversation. This opportunity, of course, comes with a significant responsibility. The success of the course will rest on the participants’ ability to ask probing questions and explore the subtler facets of policy. The goal is to expose participating graduate scientists and engineers to as many different viewpoints as possible and help them understand how the people and institutions in Washington, D.C., both influence and learn from science. Participants live in dormitories at George Washington University – walking distance to Georgetown and a Metro ride away from all the major sites in D.C.
How do I apply? Complete the application [download application pdf] and submit to CSPO no later than April 1, 2010. Submit your application as an e-mail attachment to Ira.Bennett@asu.edu, or by fax to (480) 727‐8791.
Questions? Contact Ira Bennett at Ira.Bennett@asu.edu