Science Policy/Law

What is science policy?

Science policy is a field of public policy that focuses on the funding, understanding, and utilization of scientific research in the pursuit of furthering nation policy goals
Science policy can be considered the process of taking discoveries being made on lab benches and translating into information that can be used by or for the public

Many people who are involved in science policy are attorneys and politicians. These individuals have experience in making and implementing public policy, but often have little idea what scientific lab work actually is like. This creates a need for scientists who can comprehend scientific information and translate it into informed policy recommendations and decisions
Many individuals who work in science policy having come from a scientific background have either a master’s degree or a PhD in a relevant field of science

While science policy seems to be a relatively new and evolving field, there appears to be three main pathways into a science policy career:
- Government and Politics/Public Policy - by taking both science and policy courses and completing relevant internships, an individual can build a resume that can help them apply for science policy jobs
- Law School - a student could attend law school and specialize in emerging scientific and technological advancements, and then pursue a career in science law and policy
- Graduate school - an interested student could attend graduate school and obtain a master’s degree or PhD and then transfer into fields of science policy
  - Several graduate schools are beginning to develop programs that focus on the intersection of science and public policy, which were described in this article in the Science magazine
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) offers a Science and Technology Policy Fellowship that is a year-long program for scientists and engineers to offer their expertise in different branches of government and gain experience working in science policy. Details about the program can be found on the fellowship description page of the AAAS website

The costs associated with science policy closely mirror that of applying to professional school depending on the pathway an individual decides to take
Another pathway to science policy/law can be through law school. The UMD pre-law advising office website can provide greater detail about the process of applying to law school

Chris Pickett describes his career path and current job as a science policy analyst in an interview that can be found here
An article published in Science that describes both the transition from lab work to science policy and how the field of science policy is evolving can be found here