A high premium is placed on the ability to write and speak well to a general audience and to work to a deadline. "People" skills are critical along with an ability to work with a diverse set of viewpoints. My job also requires management skills in order to maximize the productivity not only of myself but of those working with me. I still use many of the computer skills acquired through osmosis during graduate school, if not the computer languages themselves. Those skills are useful for coordinating our web site, navigating contracts with Internet service providers, and coding and designing web pages.
Where do you acquire these skills? Many come directly from one's scientific training, although the ability to write clearly and persuasively about technical issues for a general audience is sadly not a common component of scientific training at the undergraduate or graduate level.
Other skills may be acquired from unexpected sources or avocations. Some of my most valuable experience came from working on and eventually running a newspaper in college. In contrast to the semester-long gestation periods for term papers or the even longer timescale for research projects, the experience of having to get a finished product out the door each week taught me about writing under pressure, editing and fact-checking, working as part of a group, managing scarce time, and a host of other skills that upon reflection have served me well in later life.
Practice writing for a general audience in a school newspaper or write letters to the editor of the local paper. Learn to work to a deadline, and learn to work hard. One skill, however, can only be acquired once you have arrived in Washington, and that is a high tolerance for acronyms (to match the high tolerance for ambiguity mentioned earlier). Maybe military training would help.
For the job applicant, it is important to realize that policy jobs are outside the research/academic sphere. A curriculum vitae is handy to have in reserve, but the resume is the active tool for job-seeking. There are a number of excellent discussions about building resumes for nonacademic jobs such as Peter Fiske's To Boldly Go (Fiske, 1995). As suggested above, one's nonscientific experiences may prove as useful as accomplishments in the lab, and the resume should reflect expertise in computers, writing, and other skills with broad applicability.
Apart from specific skills and resume techniques, the scientist seeking a career in science policy must approach this new field with humility and the sense that they are there as much to learn as they are to teach. As much as you have to offer in technical expertise, the policymakers and lawyers with whom you will work can offer in policy experience and political savvy.
Internships
For those at the bachelor's or master's level, there are many summer internship opportunities in Washington (both paid and unpaid) to work for Congress, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, think tanks, interest groups, and other Washington entities. In the case of congressional ones, they will not likely involve science-related issues but will provide an education in how Congress and politics in general work. A number of scientific societies, including my own organization, offer summer and semester-long internships in science and public policy. Some of these internships are paid and can represent a summer job. Many colleges also grant course credits for internships. State and local governments also have intern opportunities closer to home for many people.
Volunteering
Volunteering for a political campaign is another very different way to establish a network of contacts-when they need a scientist, they will think of you. A fellow grad student at MIT became involved in Democratic politics in Massachusetts, worked for the Clinton/Gore campaign in 1992, and ended up as a senior appointee to the AmeriCorps national service program and several other posts. For those who do not feel comfortable with politics in its undiluted form, there are opportunities to volunteer with advocacy groups and science organizations that have more of an issue focus.
More School!
Because most science policy jobs require a master's degree or higher, acquiring the necessary skills may mean going back to school for an advanced degree in science or in science policy. For those already in an advanced degree program in science, consider adding a component to your thesis that addresses policy implications for your research. For example, a graduate student in hydrology looking at groundwater transport could add a chapter on the use of groundwater models in assessing contamination potential at Superfund sites.
A number of universities now have programs in science policy, particularly environmental policy. A master's degree in policy combined with a strong scientific background could make for a very effective and relatively unique combination of skills. Many of these programs are geared toward working professionals, and it is possible to complete them while holding down a regular job. Although I do not want to advocate further proliferation of the legal profession, a science background combined with a law degree is another highly marketable combination in the policy world and elsewhere.
Whether in a policy program or in a straight science program, students with an interest in science policy should maintain a general awareness of what goes on in the world. When I was thinking about taking the Foreign Service exam, the advice I received from a long-time diplomat was to read The New York Terries every day for several years before taking the test, and I would do fine. Similar advice applies here. A general familiarity with the mechanics of government and the issues of the day will limit the amount of nontechnical information on which you will need to get up to speed and will minimize the likelihood of appearing to be a cello in a marching band.
Fellowships
The congressional fellowship program described above is an important source of experience for scientists at a postdoctoral or midcareer level, but there are many more fellowship programs sponsored by AAAS and other organizations. Like their congressional counterparts, these fellowships typically are directed at those with graduate degrees in science or engineering, they last for one year, and they provide scientists with the public policy experience necessary to obtain more permanent jobs. At the same time, they are an opportunity to make practical contributions to the more effective use of scientific and technical knowledge in the U.S. government, and to demonstrate the value of science and technology in solving important societal problems.
Other AAAS-sponsored fellowships include the Science, Engineering, and Diplomacy Fellows Program in which fellows work in international affairs on scientific and technical subjects for one year, either at the U.S. State Department (1 fellowship) or U.S. Agency for International Development (12 fellowships). A Risk Assessment Science and Engineering Fellows Program places scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency (5 fellowships) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (1 fellowship) for a year as special research consultants, assessing the significance of environmental and/or human health problems through application of risk assessment.
Other fellowships include one at the RAND Critical Technologies Institute, providing expertise in research and development, technology transfer, international competitiveness, and related issues. The newest AAAS-sponsored program places scientists in the Department of Defense (5 or more fellowships) for 1 year to work on issues related to defense policy, technology applications, defense systems analysis, and program oversight and management.
Some scientific societies, for example the American Physical Society, offer science policy fellowships that bring young scientists to work with the society's own government affairs program, again intended to provide the necessary policy expertise to complement the person's considerable scientific expertise.
A number of other fellowship opportunities are not specifically for scientists, but may be open to them. Two similar programs on Capitol Hill are the Robert Wood Johnson fellowships for medical doctors and the American Political Science Association fellowships for (you guessed it!) political scientists. Scientists who are employed at federal agencies can participate in the LEGIS/Brookings Institution Fellowship program, which places them in a congressional office for up to 2 years.
The White House Fellowship is another program to consider. Started in the Johnson Administration, the White House Fellowship recruits outstanding up-and-coming professionals from all disciplines to serve for 1 year as a special assistant to the president, the vice president, or one of the Cabinet secretaries. Among more than 500 alumni of the program, only a handful are scientists. Scientists have had a record of outstanding success in the program, but few apply, probably because it is poorly advertised in the scientific community.
The Presidential Management Internship (PMI) is another outstanding opportunity for people right out of school. Every year, PMI takes from 200 to 400 people into a 2-year program that places them in Cabinet agencies, the White House, and Congress on rotational and developmental assignments. The goal of the program is to develop the government administrators and leaders of tomorrow.
At the end of the 2-year program, PMIs automatically are converted to a permanent position in their agency, a unique aspect of the program. Scientists have been very poorly represented in this program as well, but the Office of Personnel Management and particularly the Department of Defense are eager for more applicants from science and engineering schools.
Most people apply right after a master’s degree, but some come in after doctorates as well. The starting salary is on the low side ($31,000), but PMIs receive regular raises during their 2 years and finish the program at around $45,000. Often they move into a higher position after their internship.
