Recently, I got really involved in keeping up with the recent federal election and topics around the impact of science on society. So much so that I am now super fired up about using my research expertise to influence decision making at a government level!
I am currently a PhD student at a research institution, and I would really like to know more about how I can get some experience in science policy before making any serious life-changing career decisions. How do I turn my passion into reality?
From,
Wanting To Make an Impact
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A
So glad to hear that you are trying to follow your passion! It is a great idea to try to get some experience in the space you are interested in before making a commitment. The science policy sector is so important and would be a great opportunity to contribute towards shaping policy and decision-making. Encouraging researchers from diverse STEM backgrounds to bring fresh perspective and analytical skills to this space sounds like a win-win!
There are a couple of great opportunities to get a taste of life in science policy. These include:
The Australian Science Policy Fellowship Program is an initiative of the Office of the Chief Scientist. The aim of the program is to grow the diversity of expertise in the Australian Public Service (APS) workforce. These are 12-month fellowships and are paid at the APS 6 level (~$85-92k per annum). These fellowships are based physically in Canberra, which is great for people who already live there or are keen to make a physical move, but perhaps isn’t so accessible for everyone. It is a great program, though! You can read more about it in this newsletter. For more details, including participating APS department and agencies, visit their website. This opportunity usually opens and closes in the first quarter of the year.
The Australian Academy of Science (which we are part of!) has a Science Policy Internship open to PhD students. These are four-month internships and include a stipend of $15,000. You get to work with the awesome AAS policy team, and maybe even with the EMCR Forum! There are also opportunities for interns to work remotely. For more information, including potential research projects and selection criteria, check out our website. This opportunity also usually opens and closes in the first quarter of the year.
For researchers in the planetary health and biodiversity space, the Wentworth Group has Science Program Scholarships that fund attendance at Master Classes aiming to bridge the gap between science and public policy. This program is open only to PhD students and opens later this year. For more information, see their website, or chat with Dr Rowan Trebilco (he/him), one of the EMCR Forum Exec members and a former scholar in this program.
There are also other ways to get your foot in the door without committing to an internship. For example:
Professional scientific societies or bodies such as the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR), the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP), or the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI), often make policy submissions or respond to targeted consultation on relevant issues. If you are a member of a scientific society, one option is to get in touch with one of the executive team and ask to help out when submissions are required.
Every year, Science and Technology Australia (STA) hosts Science Meets Parliament (SMP), an event that seeks to generate engagement between the STEM sector and policymakers. SMP usually consists of a multi-day conference and a gala dinner, as well as an opportunity for delegates to meet in small groups with Parliamentarians. The conference includes talks by STEM leaders, media experts, diversity advocates, members of parliament and leaders of federal departments working in STEM. There is a significant cost associated with attending SMP, but there are scholarships available. If you can attend the gala dinner (there is one in every capital city), this is a great opportunity to rub shoulders with people who work directly in science policy who might be able to offer some interesting opportunities! Check out their website for more information.
Last but not least, the EMCR Forum Executive Committee (the Exec) often works with the Academy of Science policy team to contribute to submissions to government. You could one day apply to be part of the Exec!
