The AAAS Leadership Seminar in Science and Technology Policy is a "crash course" in science and technology (S&T) policy, designed for those who need to know how S&T policy works. It is modeled after the highly acclaimed orientation program that AAAS provides for its new S&T Policy Fellows each fall, but distills the key material into 4 1/2 days instead of two weeks. Space is limited to only 30 to 35 participants ‐ the small group setting provides an ideal opportunity to learn about the challenges and solutions of S&T policy from the experts.
Who should attend?
Anyone who needs or wants to know how S&T policy works at both macro and micro levels ‐ scientists and engineers, administrators, and managers in any sector (industry, academia, or government). Specifically, this includes federal grant recipients and managers, industrial R&D managers, agency program managers, association officials, public affairs or government affairs specialists, science diplomats, and others.
What does it cover?
Learn directly from the key players in federal S&T policy about: where S&T fits in public policy; the contrasting cultures of science and policymaking; the policy process in general and the federal budget process in particular; how S&T policy is coordinated at the federal level; how to interact effectively with both congressional offices and executive branch agencies; the role of lobbying; the role of S&T in U.S. foreign policy; the politics of innovation and competitiveness; and how science advice is acquired and used by various parts of government.
How will you benefit?
You will learn how to select points of intervention for maximum impact with policy makers and how to be more effective in interacting with federal decision makers. More generally, you will gain an understanding of S&T’s appropriate roles in policymaking, as well as how to see policy issues from a policymaker’s and the public’s perspectives. You will begin to learn how to bridge the cultural gap between S&T and the policy process, and how to foster more effective interaction between the sectors.