The Harvard Science Policy Group met with over a dozen government agencies including the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, the Department of State, NASA, the Department of Homeland Security and more. We also met with think tanks like Pew and the National Academies. The goal of this trip was to learn how science informs policy in Washington and about career opportunities for PhD-level scientists. Overall, there is great optimism about the future of science in the federal government and lots of opportunities to get involved. 

• We learned about the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship, which is a great way to work in the federal government for up to two years after you earn your PhD. Also, many of the people we met with great government positions were also AAAS fellows at one point. Despite the hiring freeze, many fellows felt confident that they could obtain jobs in government through this fellowship opportunity. 
• We also learned about the Mirzayan Fellowship at the National Academies. Here, you can be a graduate student and work for three months, paid, in different areas of science policy.

Also, check out an op-ed written by the D.C. trip co-organizer, Cory Gerlach, and published in STAT News: "Science isn’t dead in Washington. At least not yet"

Email gsasscipol@gmail.com for more information and please apply in 2018!