Although science communication is an increasingly important practice that researchers engage in, the role this can play in science policy is rarely discussed.
As we have seen through the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence-based research can heavily impact policy, and conversely, policies ultimately affect research funding and future research projects. Scientists, however, are not often trained to present their work to the public or policymakers.
So how do we effectively communicate our research to both the public and policymakers?
If you are interested in creating impact through science policy, understanding more about the topic and how it affects you, or discovering which careers are available in science policy, catch up on the recording of this webinar.
You can view the webinar slides here.
Due to the large interest from the ECR community in science policy, we have organised a follow-up event on the topic of “Science policy in action”, which will take place on September 26 at 3pm BST. Panellists will include Naomi Wallace, PhD, Manager of Impact Initiatives, Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), Emily Myers, PhD student in Political Science at Duke University and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, Shannon Kozlovich, PhD, Science and Policy Consultant, World Health Organization and Hana Janebar, PhD, co-founder and CEO at Juno Bio. The session will be chaired by Nick Pokorzynski, postdoctoral researcher at the Yale School of Medicine, and speakers will discuss further real world applications of science policy and science policy related projects in detail.
Chair:
Nick Pokorzynski, PhD is a current eLife Community Ambassador and postdoctoral researcher at the Yale School of Medicine. He studies how bacterial pathogens respond and adapt to host-mediated stresses. Nick has had a long-standing interest in science policy, helping to found both the Washington Science Policy Network (WASPN) and the Washington State University Graduate and Professional Student Science Policy Initiative (WSU-GPSSPI).
Panellists:
Vid Nukala, PhD is the inaugural Senior Community Engagement Officer at EMBO. Previously, he worked as Senior Advisor with the Office of Global Affairs, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Embassy; Grants Adviser & Policy Officer at the Wellcome Trust / DBT India Alliance in India; Intern with the Institute for Alternative Futures; and Fellow at the Indo-US Science & Technology Forum in the USA. With 15 years of experience spanning academia, not-for-profit, philanthropy, and government sectors, Vid works at the intersection of Biomedical Science, Technology & Innovation, Global Health, Ethics, Policy, Diplomacy and Community Engagement. He holds a BSc in Genetics, PhD in Neurobiology and MA in International Science & Technology Policy.
Adriana Bankston, PhD is the Chief Executive Officer & Managing Publisher of the Journal of Science Policy & Governance. By day, Adriana is a Principal Legislative Analyst at the University of California Office of Federal Governmental Relations in Washington, DC. Prior to this position, Adriana was a Policy & Advocacy Fellow at the Society for Neuroscience. She is also a Fellow with Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS), a Biomedical Workforce & Policy Research Investigator at the STEM Advocacy Institute, as well as a member of the Engaging Scientists and Engineers in Policy (ESEP) Coalition Steering Committee. Adriana earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology from Emory University. Adriana is online at https://adrianabankston.com/, and background and opportunities with the Journal of Science Policy and Governance can be found here.
Luisa F. Echeverría King, PhD. Luisa F. Echeverría-King holds a PhD in Education from Universidad de Murcia (Spain) and is a researcher at Corporación Universitaria del Caribe (CECAR) in Colombia and and internationalization advisor at Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA). Researcher on issues related to international higher education, science diplomacy and the development of science, technology and innovation capacities in Latin America. She also undertakes consultancies and projects at the interface of science, diplomacy and public policy. She studied Translation, Linguistics and Cultural Studies at the Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Germany. Executive Director of Diplocientifica. Vice-President of the Colombian National Chapter of the Organization for Women in Science in the Developing World from UNESCO (OWSD). She is currently working as a consultant for the generation of the first policy for the internationalization of STI and science diplomacy in Colombia.
Nimita Pandey, PhD is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, supported by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. She is currently hosted at UNESCO New Delhi Cluster office and serves as the National officer - Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, with responsibility for Women in Science initiatives. She has also been involved in the making of India's forthcoming 5th STI national Policy and led the development of the chapter on Equity and Inclusion. A master’s in Business Administration, she holds a Ph.D. in Science Policy from the Center for Studies in Science Policy (CSSP), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Nimita has worked on various projects in the area of Science Policy, Technology Foresight, Responsible Research and Innovation and Science Diplomacy supported by national and international organizations. Her research interests include Gender and Science, Science Diplomacy and STI for Sustainable Development, to name a few.
The ECR Wednesday webinar series is produced by eLife staff and guided by the eLife Early-Career Advisory Group, with the aim to support ECRs to raise and discuss issues of importance to them. The series does not involve editorial oversight by eLife the journal.
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Interested in our full selection of #ECRWednesday webinars, on topics such as preprints, finding funding and more? Take a look at the collection of past reports and recordings.
