spi summary 2011

THE MIT SCIENCE POLICY INITIATIVE web.mit.edu/spi

MissionThe Science Policy Initiative (SPI):

✦Provides education in the policies

governing research and innovation

✦Explores how science & engineering can inform policy decisions

✦Facilitates direct engagement in the science policy arena

Background

SPI formed in 2006 to address the lack of science policy exposure in the graduate curriculum at MIT. That

year, Science Policy Bootcamp emerged, and with it, the first leaders of SPI.

Congressional visits were added in

2007 as a “learn-through-practice” model, followed by the Lunch Speaker Seminar Series. SPI became a formal

MIT student group in 2007, sponsored by William Bonvillian, Director of the MIT office in Washington, DC.

Since then, SPI has rapidly expanded both its membership and activities. It is now the primary avenue for students on campus to explore and

engage the science policy arena.

Membership

SPI currently has 370 members from MIT and elsewhere. 50 of those members are actively involved in SPI meetings and event organization.

Since September 2010, act ive membership has increased by 50% and total membership has more than

tripled.

SPI serves members from over 25 departments and centers and across all

5 schools at MIT. SPI members are mostly graduate students, with representation from fellows, post-docs, undergraduates, faculty, and staff.

OrganizationSPI is organized and run entirely

by students. Students raise funds, develop the group’s mission, plan events, lead new directives, recruit new members, and cultivate relationships

with supporters. SPI’s organizational structure has developed to keep pace with the group’s rapid growth.

In 2011, SPI established a formal executive committee, composed of President, Vice President, Treasurer,

Secretary, and Media Director. SPI’s leadership team also includes chairs who provide focused leadership on our cornerstone programs: Congressional

Visits, Bootcamp, Policy Luncheons, Alumni Relations, and Outreach.

SPI’s new structure will help fulfill

its mission while maintaining a highly collaborative and inclusive approach to managing projects.

SPI Leadership, 2011—2012Johanna Wolfson, President

Daniel Chavas, Vice President

Nathaniel Schafheimer, Secretary

Nicole Casasnovas, Treasurer

Jennifer Rood, Media Director

David Healey, Bootcamp Chair

Katherine Saad, Alumni Relations Chair

Patrick Wen, Congressional Co-chair

Ross Collins, Congressional Co-chair

Sam Brinton, Outreach & Social Chair

Science Pol icy Ini t iat iveChanging how scientists & engineers at MIT engage with policymakers and the public

POLICY LUNCHEONSStudents learn from policy experts in an informal setting

POLICY NEWS CHATMonthly discussions on science policy topics in the news

CONGRESSIONAL VISITSStudents advocate for R&D funding on Capitol Hill

AGENCY VISITSStudents explore the federal science agencies on-site

POLICY BOOTCAMPIAP course introducing students to science policy

COMMUNICATION WORKSHOPSTeaching MIT researchers to communicate their science to the public

OUTREACHEncouraging scientists & engineers at MIT to engage beyond the lab, and promoting SPI as a model nationwide

ALUMNI MENTORINGMatching students with MIT alumni working in science & technology policy

POLICY EDUCATIONWorking to implement a science policy certificate program for PhD students at MIT

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 2011

http://web.mit.edu/spi



LUNCH DISCUSSION SERIES

Learning from the Experts in an Informal Setting

Our science policy lunch series facilitates friendly, informal discussion between MIT students and science policy experts—from faculty and government policy-makers to professionals in industry and non-profits. Once or twice per

month, students are exposed to a wide variety of policy topics and career options, and gain the unique opportunity to discuss pressing policy matters with the experts in a

relaxed environment.

Invited speakers discuss their personal involvement with science policy—their motivation for involvement, ongoing

participation, and insight into areas of future importance—and address the group’s questions.

We arrange between four and six lunches per semester. Attendance is typically 15–25 students and post-docs. The

discussions educate SPI members as well as the broader MIT community, and serve as an important SPI recruitment tool. Additionally, lunch discussions are a low-barrier introduction

to science policy for students with moderate or highly specific policy interests. Topics vary widely from one event to the next, so students have the opportunity to learn broadly about

many topics and careers. We always welcome suggestions for future lunch speakers from our attendees so that the series can continue to be most useful for interested students.

At a typical lunch, we host students from a wide range of

disciplines. Students appreciate the rare opportunity to meet with peers from across the Institute and engage in cross-disciplinary discussions about socio-technical challenges.

Enthusiastic attendance by SPI members and non-members, and its continued success in bringing new members to SPI, defines the success of this series. Speakers

have suggested colleagues as candidates for future events, indicating their strong support for the series.

INVESTOR NEWSLETTER ISSUE N°3 FALL 2009MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY JULY 2011MIT SCIENCE POLICY INITIATIVE JULY 2011MIT SCIENCE POLICY INITIATIVE 2011

RECENT LUNCH GUESTS

Charles Caldart, MIT Dept. of Civil Engineering and Director of Litigation at NELC, presented on scientific expert testimony and careers in environmental law (Sept. 2011).

Robert Paarlberg, Wellesley Professor of Political Science, discussed the state of agricultural technology use in Africa (Sept. 2011).

Tavneet Suri, MIT Professor of Applied Economics, spoke on technology adoption and mobile money (June 2011).

Subrata Ghoshroy, MIT Science, Technology, and Society Program Research Associate, discussed the dependence of academic R&D on military funding (May 2011).

Cynthia Robinson, AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships Director, shared with students the many opportunities available to AAAS fellows (May 2011).

Venkatesh Narayanamurti, Director of Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Harvard’s Belfer Center, shared his vision of the research ecosystem needed for innovative growth (April 2011).

Lars Friberg, Swedish Embassy Office of Science & Innovation, discussed challenges of diplomacy in energy and climate. (March 2011).

John Savage, Professor of Computer Science, Brown University, discussed cyber-security issues (March 2011).

Daniel Hastings, MIT Dean and Aero-Astro Professor,provided insight about his former role as US Air Force chief scientist (February 2011).

Robert Jaffe, MIT Professor of Physics, spoke on his recent

Energy-Critical Materials study (February 2011).

Bina Venkataraman, Senior Policy Advisor at the Broad Institute, described her science journalism career and her recent work with PCAST (November 2010).

Lisabeth Gronlund, Global Security Program, Union of Concerned Scientists, discussed the current state of nuclear




SCIENCE POLICY BOOTCAMPCONNECTING POLICY AND INNOVATION

Science Policy Bootcamp bridges the gap between research-focused graduate education and the underlying policy framework that supports it by educating students about how policy shapes the science and technology innovation system.

MIT SCIENCE POLICY INITIATIVE 2011

What is Bootcamp?Science Policy Bootcamp is a

week-long IAP course that introduces

students to the development and practice of federal science policy.

Several lectures and student-led

discussions cover the organizing principles and drivers of innovation systems, including growth economics, the policy-making behind US science

agencies, and current challenges for the science and technology innovation systems. This compact and intensive

course fills a gap in the formal graduate curriculum and provides an accessible means for graduate students

to reflect upon broad issues of science in society. The course is taught by Bill Bonvillian, director of the MIT Washington DC office.

Panel discussionBootcamp concludes with an

interactive panel discussion focused on a current issue in federal science policy. In 2011, the panel explored the role of universi t ies in commercial izing

technology and was chaired by Vice

President for Research and Associate Provost Claude Canizares wi th representatives from MIT’s Deshpande Center, Entrepreneurship Center, and

Technology Licensing Office.

Participation

Bootcamp targets students in science or engineering who have limited science policy backgrounds.

Since its inception in 2006, nearly

200 participants—undergraduate and graduate students and post-docs from a diverse cross-section of MIT’s academic

programs—have attended.

In January 2011, SPI Bootcamp expanded to include 44 participants (35

graduate, 4 undergraduate, 2 alumni, 1 post-doc, and 2 from other area schools) from 17 academic disciplines.

ImpactBootcamp plays a crucial role in

fil l ing a gap in the for malized

education. Students say Bootcamp is:

“…extremely useful in particular for those who haven't had much policy exposure to the implications of their research”

“…exceptional at explaining the thought process behind the research systems in the U.S.”

Many participants join SPI after

the Bootcamp course to continue their engagement in science policy issues—Bootcamp remains our primary tool

for recruiting new members.

Beyond MITBootcamp was recently introduced

on MIT OpenCourseWare. In the future, we hope to add video of Bootcamp class lectures to OCW.

Student policy groups at the Univers i ty of Washington and University of Colorado have expressed

strong interest in developing similar cour se s , u s ing Sc ience Po l i cy Bootcamp at MIT as a model.

FundingSPI has received a Graduate

Student Life Grant through ODGE and

Dean Christine Ortiz for $1,900 annually to fund Bootcamp for 45 students.




Advocating for Science on Capitol HillDuring Congressional Visits Day (CVD), a network of

industrial and academic research associations and

professional scientists and engineers convene in Washington, DC to discuss science and technology policy issues with their Senators and Representatives.

SPI participants receive training from both MIT DC office staff and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) on how to effectively advocate for science. Students then meet with

Congressional members and staffers to advocate for the importance of science funding, discuss our research at MIT, and establish ongoing discussions with the Representatives

and Senators from their home districts.

HistorySPI has attended CVD annually since 2006, enabling 60

MIT students so far to advocate for science funding on the Hill. SPI’s delegation to CVD is unique. While most groups are professional societies or academic administrators, we

are the only self-organized group comprised entirely of students from a wide variety of geographic backgrounds. This allows us to meet with far more congressional offices

and to change our pool each year.

Since 2009, SPI’s delegation has grown from 12 to 20 students, and the number of meetings held during our visit has increased from 13 to 34.

Also since 2009, SPI has engaged the offices of 55 members from 19 states on science and technology policy issues and science advocacy. From each chamber, we seek

to meet with both Republican (42%) and Democratic (58%) members.

Impact on the Hill

We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the staffers we have met with in the past. Staffers often remark that hearing from student researchers helps them

better understand the importance of federally-funded science.

SPI strives to develop relationships and an ongoing dialogue with targeted members of Congress. In Spring

2011, SPI students initiated repeated advocacy measures to push for Senator Scott Brown’s support of America COMPETES. This focused advocacy effort was inspired

directly by a congressional meeting on the Hill, and it showed engaged students that they could make a difference.

Impact on Students

CVD is a critical embodiment of SPI’s mission and helps to increase the membership of SPI by providing Bootcamp participants with practical experience in science policy.

Many CVD participants have become leaders of the SPI community.

“I left feeling energized, informed—a little more cynical—and

thinking that this was by far the most important thing I could have been doing.” Nicholas MacFarlane, G1 Biological Oceanography

“…[B]y thinking about how to communicate my work to people

with little knowledge of what I do, I am reminded of the wide-ranging implications of our research work, both technologically as well as societally. CVD is an eye-opening experience.”

Hiro Miyake, G4 Physics

CONGRESSIONALVISITS DAYSHARING INSIGHTS AND GAINING EXPERIENCE IN COMMUNICATING SCIENCE

SPI members take part in the Congressional Visits Day (CVD) program to engage directly in the policy-making process by conveying the importance of science and technology funding to elected representatives.

Students get valuable first-hand experience in relaying their understanding of their work and the process of scientific research to an interested lay audience. The ability to communicate the value of scientific research effectively is key to positively influencing policy decisions.





Communication & Outreach

Orientation: Reaching Incoming StudentsAs graduate students enter MIT to pursue new frontiers

of scientific research, we want them to be inspired about

their potential for impact beyond the lab. Many students learn about options for policy involvement during their third year or later. In Fall 2011, SPI, made a concerted

effort to reach new students, and increased its membership by 75%.

MIT faculty members spoke on their involvement in policy as scientists and engineers, and SPI and other policy-

related student groups introduced policy-related activities at MIT. An annual SPI orientation event will continue to draw on fresh interest each fall.

Science Communication Workshops

Since 2010, SPI has held two annual workshops to help

science and engineering students improve their ability to communicate science with policy-makers and the public. Ahead of our congressional visits, the Union of Concerned

Scientists (UCS) hosted SPI members for a crash course in science communication to policy-makers.

Open to the MIT community, SPI-organized Science

Writing Workshops improve the communication skills of scientists and engineers. Past workshop directors have been Knight Journalism Fellow Chris Mooney and Professor Tom Levenson of MIT’s Science Writing Program. The

Science Writing Program has recently expressed a desire to turn the workshop into a regular IAP course offering. We hope to make these workshops more frequently available to

serve a larger portion of the MIT community.

Cross-Departmental Outreach

SPI is comprised of members from across the Institute, consistent with our mission to understand and address interdisciplinary challenges. To bring events to the MIT

community, we collaborate with departments and programs—including the Career Center, TPP, PSC, and EAPS. In turn, this practice allows SPI to expand its visibility on campus.

Science, Technology, and Policy Crossroads

SPI is dedicated to enhancing the connections among

Boston-area science policy groups. Science, Technology, and Policy Crossroads is composed of representatives from SPI, TPP, and STS at MIT, and various organizations and

programs at Harvard, Tufts, and Boston Universities.

The second annual Crossroads Symposium was held in March 2011 at the Broad Institute, with a focus on biotechnology policy. A faculty panel and breakout sessions

were followed by a networking session. Crossroads hopes to gradually grow the symposium to a national conference, and SPI is proud to be involved in its efforts.

National Science Policy ConferencesTo extend our reach beyond Boston, six SPI members

attended the 2011 AAAS Annual Meeting and presented a

poster on the mission, activities, and structure of SPI as a model for student organizations at other institutions. Conference attendance served as a new avenue for

networking nationally with students with similar interests.

We introduced SPI to many in the science policy community and thereby showcased MIT as a strong

supporter of students’ engagement in society and policy. We hope to continue sending members to national conferences to advance the mission of SPI and raise visibility for MIT’s commitment to sound science policy.

MIT Science Policy Initiative as a model

SPI can serve as a model to other institutions, exemplifying MIT’s support for scientists engaged in society. To date, SPI has been consulted for advice on group formation at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School,

Cornell University, and Chapman College.

Additionally, SPI is in communication with the Forum on Science Ethics & Policy and the American Association

of Universities to establish a nationwide network of student science advocates. SPI is poised to be a nationwide leader in the engagement of students in science policy.

INVESTOR NEWSLETTER ISSUE N°3 FALL 2009MIT SCIENCE POLICY INITIATIVE JULY 2011MIT SCIENCE POLICY INITIATIVE 2011

A range of communication and outreach activities foster citizen scientists at MIT and across the US.



FUTURE INITIATIVES

Expanding Opportunities, Adding Value to Education

Since 2007, the MIT Science Policy Initiative has grown significantly. As we seek to better serve our student members, there are three areas into which we plan to expand while continuing to improve and grow our core programs.

Science Agency VisitsStarting in Fall 2011, SPI will organize and fund a student visit to federal science

agencies. The three-day trip will provide 10–15 students with the opportunity to

learn how the various science agencies are structured, and to explore career possibilities within them. Plans are underway to visit NSF, NIH, DOE, DOD, as well as OSTP and OMB during the inaugural year of the program.

The visit will kick off with a session from the MIT DC office staff, as they provide

background on the agencies and their purviews. Students will then make agency visits in groups of 6–10. During each agency visit, students will receive a briefing from a high-level official and then meet with MIT alumni and/or AAAS fellows

working at the agency for informal questions and discussion.

Such an opportunity is not currently available to science and engineering graduate students. We believe it is crucial for emerging scientists to have a working

knowledge of the federal science policy structure, and providing a means for exploring the agencies is an important step toward that goal.

Alumni Mentoring

SPI will form databases of former SPI members and of MIT alumni currently working in policy-related fields. Established, regular communication with alumni working in policy will provide networking opportunities and a wealth of career

information for our student members.

We have begun developing a mentorship program with the MIT Alumni Association. We plan to match students interested in policy careers with an alumnus working in the students’ interest area for informal mentorship. SPI will facilitate

mentor-mentee interactions by holding networking events during Washington visits.

Science Policy Certificate Program

SPI seeks to demonstrate interest in and promote the establishment of a Science Policy Certificate Program at MIT for science and engineering graduate students. No such program currently exists for PhD students with strong policy interests, though other institutions have notable programs of this kind. SPI leadership will work with

the MIT administration to pursue this option.

THANK YOUSPI gratefully acknowledges support from our generous donors:

Dean of Engineering Dean Ian Waitz

Dean of Science Dean Marc Kastner

Dean of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences Dean Deborah Fitzgerald

MIT Public Service Center

Vice President for Research & Associate Provost Professor Claude Canizares

Dean of Graduate EducationGraduate Student Life GrantDean Christine Ortiz

Dept. of Political ScienceProfessor Richard Locke, Head

Dean for Student Life Dean Chris Colombo

Dean for Undergraduate EducationDean Daniel Hastings

MIT Graduate Student Council

Student Activities Office





Budget Event/Program Attendance Amount

Fall Orientation (NEW)At our fall orientation event incoming students will learn how to get involved in science policy issues at MIT through faculty speakers and student group introductions.

60 – 80 $700

Science Agency Visits (NEW)This exclusive SPI program will allows students to learn about science & technology policy at US government agencies. Students will travel to Washington, DC for briefings about agency

structure, priorities, and career opportunities at NSF, NIH, DOE, DOD, OSTP, and OMB.

8 – 10 $2,500

Science Policy BootcampThis four-day IAP course introduces students and post-doctoral fellows to the fundamental structure and dynamics of science policy.

40 – 50 $1,900

Congressional Visits Day (CVD)SPI joins hundreds of scientists and engineers to advocate for science & engineering research support with our representatives in Congress. SPI prides itself on being the only student-

organized delegation during CVD.

18 – 20 $4,500

Science Writing WorkshopSPI hosts this special workshop to improve communication between the scientific community and the general public.

20 – 30 $400

National Policy ConferenceMembers travel to a national conference on science and technology policy to present SPI as a model for student organizations, giving MIT widespread exposure. We hope to make

conference attendance an annual or biennial event.

5 – 8 $2,500

OutreachSPI hosts social events and special programs aimed at strengthening collaborations between individuals and student groups in the greater Boston area with an interest in science policy.

20 – 30 $500

Lunch Discussion SeriesSPI organizes 1–2 lunches per month where members of the MIT community and the greater Boston area can gather to discuss science and technology policy and related careers. Each

lunch features a special guest and focuses on a general area of discussion.

15 – 20 $2,400

Policy News ChatSPI holds a monthly student-led discussion on science policy topics in the news. Discussions are scheduled with our monthly meetings to encourage new members’ participation.

10 – 15 $500

Administrative CostsSPI’s growth in the last year has prompted changes in our organization and management methods. Costs include membership survey, project management tools, and printing.

— $600

TOTAL: $16,500


Projected Expenses: July 2011—June 2012



spi summary 2011

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