GIVE SCIENCE A VOICE
For 50 years, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and partnering science and engineering societies have brought outstanding science and engineering fellows to the US government.
AAAS’s Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) program puts the nation’s best minds to work for national and global causes like climate change, public health, cyber security, and more.
As society confronts a daunting list of existential challenges, we find ourselves in an increasingly chaotic and divided world, looking for clarity and information that can cut through the confusion. The growing demand on policymakers — most of whom do not have a science or engineering background — to analyze data and make decisions about scientific and technical topics amid misinformation and public distrust puts the American people and people across the globe at risk.
RASHADA ALEXANDER, PHD
Director, AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships Program
STPF Alumna 2009-11
HELP US MEET THE DEMAND FOR FELLOWS
When our fellows help lawmakers understand and embrace scientific research, data, and technical information, it results in sound policy decisions that rise to the challenges of our day, benefitting people, the environment, our economy, and our democracy.
Hundreds of fellows bring their expertise each year to the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of federal government in Washington. But unfortunately, hundreds more requests for support go unanswered.
OUR FELLOWS WORK ALONGSIDE LEADERS TO:
Interpret data and champion evidence-based policymaking.
Bridge partisan divides by building a common framework.
Help policymakers make the best decisions for their constituents.
PLACING MORE FELLOWS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REQUIRES MORE FUNDING—AND WE CAN’T NAVIGATE THIS DEMAND WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.
GIVE SCIENCE A VOICE TO
ENSURE REPRESENTATION & PRESERVE DEMOCRACY
Trained scientists and engineers throughout the federal government, especially on Capitol Hill, are scarce.
With the exception of a few select committees, professional staff with science and technical know-how also are rare. There is a great need for skilled science and technology professionals to help the U.S. respond to crises, seize opportunities to benefit society, and advance U.S. innovation and economic growth.
Our fellows provide in-house expertise and analysis for decision-makers and are a coveted resource in all three branches of the federal government. In turn, they learn to navigate the policymaking process and build life-long relationships that forge lasting links between science and policy.
Relatively few members of Congress have been trained in the sciences. It’s important for them to have a resource available who can provide advice and help interpret different issues in science. That can make a significant difference in the legislation that is passed—laws which make a significant difference in all our lives.
DR. IRWIN JACOBS
Co-founder and former chairman, Qualcomm
GIVE SCIENCE A VOICE TO
OFFER CLARITY
& FOSTER UNITY
In today’s society, sound policy development requires an understanding of technical information, complex data, and scientific research.
The difficulty lies in fostering a shared, non-partisan understanding of scientific concepts among policymakers, which can serve as a unifying framework.
Our fellows are known for not only bringing critical evidence to the table, but explaining it with simplicity and relevance. They work alongside decision makers and the public at different points on the ideological spectrum to transcend party lines.
OUR FELLOWS ARE MAKING HISTORY IN WASHINGTON
GIVE SCIENCE A VOICE TO
CREATE BETTER POLICY
Our mission is clear, and our track record speaks for itself.
Our fellows have been making positive change for five solid decades, and we have no plans to back down now, when there is so much at stake. Getting scientists into policy decisions in Washington is what we need to take on the challenges that face the world. Future fellows are ready to hit the ground running in federal agencies and in the halls of Congress—and it will take all of us to get them there.
1970s
Human Rights
Dr. Jessica Tuchman Mathews (1973-74)
The first woman in the STPF program, Dr. Mathews monitored nuclear proliferation and conventional arms sales and human rights, and promoted international peace.
1980s
International Conservation
Dr. Katheryn Saterson (1986-87)
Dr. Saterson performed worldwide environmental assessments and supported development projects on biological diversity, protected areas, and forest and watershed management.
1990s
Emergency Preparedness
Dr. Jon Peha (1997-98)
While working on the National Broadband Plan, Dr. Peha helped architect national policy designed to ensure more efficient emergency communication using advanced technology.
2000s
Public Health
Dr. Ann Hwang (2004-05)
Dr. Hwang volunteered at a health clinic in Rwanda where she experienced the HIV/AIDS crisis at ground level and helped advocate to increase U.S. funding of global HIV/AIDS programs.
2010s
Clean Energy
Dr. Robert “Bob” Kopp (2009-11)
Dr. Kopp supported work for the first Clean Energy Ministerial with global leaders to collaborate on policies and programs to accelerate a global transition toward clean energy technologies.
2020s
COVID-19 Communications
Dr. Caitlin Burgdorf (2020-22)
Dr. Burgdorf assisted in efforts to shape the creation of a white paper and one-pager tip sheet released on the same day as the FDA emergency-use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine.
GIVE SCIENCE A VOICE TO
CHANGE THE WORLD
More funding, more fellows, better policy.
Decisions made by our government officials today will echo throughout the generations. Science must cut through the noise to inform those choices. And the STPF Fellows have a vital role to play.
The demand for our fellows far outstrips our current funding and resources. For example, congressional offices and committees from both sides of the aisle request nearly 100 fellows each year, demonstrating a commitment to informing their work with scientific input. However, we only have funding to support approximately 30 fellows each year.
Clean Air Act of 1963
Dr. William R. Moomaw (1975-76)
As a congressional fellow in office of Senator Dale Bumpers, Dr. Moomaw worked on the ozone depletion provisions of the 1977 amendments to the 1963 Clean Air Act.
Sulfate Safety Act
Dr. Bohne G. Silber (1984-85)
As a congressional fellow in the office of Senator Albert Gore, Jr., Dr. Silber encouraged Senator Gore to introduce a bill to ban sulfating agents. This bill became the Sulfate Safety Act.
Cancer Genome Atlas
Dr. Mercedes Gorre (2010-11)
Dr. Gorre created policy options for an innovative $275M effort to accelerate understanding of the molecular basis of cancer through the application of genome analysis technologies.
GIVE SCIENCE A VOICE BY MAKING YOURS HEARD. SUPPORT THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY POLICY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
HEAR FROM LEADERS
Heather Huyck
Heather Huyck is a public historian and activist-scholar as well as a park ranger, manager, and organizer. She has a PhD from the University of Minnesota, has worked on the foundational Women’s History Sources Survey, and has taught women’s history for the National Park Service and the College of William & Mary and has made numberous presentations. A past president of the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites, she has been an OAH Distinguished Lecturer, AHA Congressional fellow, and AHA Feis Public History Award recipient.
Rajiv Shah
Dr. Shah serves as President of the Rockefeller Foundation, a global institution with a mission to promote the well-being of humanity around the world. The Foundation applies data, science, and innovation to improve health for women and children, create nutritious and sustainable food systems, end energy poverty for more than a billion people worldwide, and enable meaningful economic mobility in the United States and around the world.
