Getting Involved in Science Policy (as a Scientist)
What is science policy? Science policy is a broad term encompassing a range of different career paths relevant to governmental allocation of resources towards scientific research. This can include job roles such as science communicator, science policy analyst, and scientific advisor for government agencies. Because of the large amount of funding needed for scientific research, legislation concerning scientific policy in most countries is often approved at a national or international level, and only a few countries have a provincial or state-level scientific policy apparatus. How do different science policy roles fit together? Science policy often starts with an advocacy group (such as scientists in ISEH) having a special interest in passing a piece of legislation (such as governmental funding to study a disease, or modifying regulations surrounding a research topic). In the US, an advocacy group starts by meeting with the staff of an elected representative who sits on the relevant comm