BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
11
JUNE
2014
choose to devote a year or two of their career to
the government through a rotation at a govern-
ment agency, spending their sabbatical involved
in policy activities, or participating in a science
policy fellowship.
The fellowships, while very competitive, are an
excellent way to make that transition, and they
come in many different forms:
• The AAAS Science and Technology Policy
Fellowships are salaried opportunities for PhD
scientists (or Masters degrees in fields such as
engineering) to get placed at federal agencies or
in a Congressional office for one to two years.
(The Biophysical Society will be sponsoring
its inaugural Congressional fellowship in part-
nership with the AAAS in 2015.)
• The National Academies’ Christine Mirzayan
policy fellowships are an opportunity for gradu-
ate students and recent PhDs to spend twelve
weeks supporting a board or committee at the
National Academies.
• The ORISE fellowship programs include op-
portunities for scientists at all stages to work in
or with federal agencies.
• The Presidential Management Fellowships are
an excellent option for recent graduates who are
ready to fully transition to a position within the
federal government.
• Many states have science policy fellowships,
including the Hellman fellowships at the Ameri-
can Academy of Arts & Sciences in Boston and
the California State Science and Technology
Policy Fellowships.
These are just some of the many opportunities
that provide scientists a foray into science policy.
There are others.
It is important to note that your interest in a
policy career is important—there are multiple
facets of science policy that would benefit from
the involvement of trained scientists. Many
scientists choose to provide their knowledge in
specific scientific disciplines to guide the devel-
opment and implementation of policies such
as engineers and physicists who assist with the
development of climate change policies. This is
often termed “science for policy.” Other sci-
entists recognize the need for policies that can
foster a conducive research environment, essen-
tially developing “policy for science.” Yet other
scientists will choose to get become involved in
the management of federal research programs.
Haim’s best advice to scientists considering
a policy career is to talk to as many scientists
involved in science policy as possible. It will
quickly become clear that each position is very
different. Haim transitioned to a policy position
with experience in both academia and industry
and considers himself fortunate to have found an
excellent fit as a NCI Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) program director. In this capac-
ity, he is involved in the selection and manage-
ment of projects at cancer startups focused on
the development of innovative cancer therapeu-
tics. He also helps lead initiatives such as the
NCI SBIR Investor Forum that are designed
to facilitate partnerships between NCI funded
awardees and the investors and strategic partners
necessary to advance the technology further
towards the clinic.
Need career advice?
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