Interested in science policy?

The program will involve matching an early career scientist (graduate student or postdoc) with a policymaker representing New York City, where a member of the staff will serve as the point of contact. The student and the staff member will work to develop a tangible, manageable project, which the student will carry out over the course of the internship. In addition, a pre-selected advisory group, consisting of 2-3 experts with credentials in science, science policy and/or general policy, will provide ongoing support and guidance directly to the selected graduate student. 

 

The program is directed at students and easy career professionals who may want to pursue a career in science policy and/or politics. Generally, the early career scientist should:

• Have an interest in applying their technical expertise to issues of policy mainly through their problem-solving skills, but also, though less so, through their direct scientific knowledge

• Be self-starters who can effectively navigate potentially vague projects with "real world" challenges and applications without becoming easily discouraged.

• Flexible and open-minded in their approach, attempting to address issues of specific concern to policymakers and their constituencies, whenever realistically possible. 

• Ideally, want to learn as much from the policymakers they work with as they hope to provide in technical expertise. 

• Ask for guidance and incorporate feedback from the advisory team, with the goal of creating a positive experience not just for themselves, but also for their City Council Office team.​

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The internship is unpaid and envisioned for an initial six month period, with the student committing approximately 3-5 hours per week of their own time to the effort. In addition, each participating student will be asked to make a short professional profile for themselves that can be used for an online science policy database run by the program.