“To really understand science policy, you have to step outside the lab and see it in action,” says Jack Fletcher, an MIT PhD scholar in nuclear science and engineering and chair of the 15th annual Executive Visit Days (ExVD).
Inspired by this mindset, ExVD — collectively organized by the MIT Science Policy Initiative (SPI) and the MIT Washington Office — convened a delegation of 21 MIT associates, together with undergraduates, graduate college students, and postdocs, in Washington Oct. 27-28.
Although the federal government shutdown prevented the delegation’s common visits to government companies, individuals met with consultants throughout the federal science and expertise coverage ecosystem. These discussions constructed connections within the nation’s capital, displayed how proof interacts with political realities, and demonstrated how scientists, engineers, and enterprise leaders can pursue impactful careers in public service.
A recurring theme throughout conferences was that political realities and institutional constraints, not simply proof and evaluation, form coverage outcomes. As Mykyta Kliapets, a PhD scholar at KU Leuven (Belgium) and a visiting scholar on the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, mirrored, “It was really helpful to hear how rarely straightforward policy environments are — sometimes, a solution that makes the most sense technically is not always politically feasible.”
The group additionally heard how political forces immediately affect science, from disruptions throughout authorities shutdowns to current reductions in federal analysis assist. Speakers underscored that efficient science coverage requires mixed fluency in proof, techniques, and incentives.
For the primary time, ExVD visited the Delegation of the European Union to the United States to fulfill with Francesco Maria Graziani, local weather and power counselor. He described E.U.-U.S. cooperation on power and local weather as “active and vital, but complex,” noting that the E.U. can wrestle to navigate a various, multilevel, and variable U.S. coverage panorama. “The E.U. and the U.S. share many goals, but we often operate on different timelines and with different tools,” mentioned Graziani. He recognized nuclear energy, geothermal power, and provide chain safety as areas of continued E.U. and U.S. collaboration.
Graziani additionally mentioned ongoing collaborations just like the Destination Earth challenge, which improves international local weather fashions utilizing U.S. state-level information. “As a European, hearing differences in how the U.S. navigates science policy gave me a new lens on how two advanced democracies balance innovation, regulation, and the urgency of scientific challenges,” mentioned Sofia Karagianni, an MBA scholar on the MIT Sloan School of Management.
The ExVD delegation additionally met with three MIT alumni on the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI). A federally funded analysis and growth heart, STPI supplies technical and analytical assist on science and expertise points to tell coverage choices by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and different federal sponsors. Recently, STPI’s analysis stories have centered on various subjects together with quantum computing, biotechnology, and synthetic intelligence. The dialogue at STPI emphasised the significance of conducting goal analyses which have relevance for policymakers. Director Asha Balakrishnan defined how it’s usually helpful to supply “options” of their stories, moderately than “recommendations,” as a result of policymakers profit from understanding the benefits and drawbacks of potential coverage actions.
Participants discovered the audio system’ reflections on profession growth and fellowships significantly beneficial. Several audio system mentioned their experiences with the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship, which locations scientists and engineers in federal companies and congressional workplaces for a 12 months.
“In speaking with former fellows, I learned just how transformative these fellowships can be for scientists seeking to apply their academic research backgrounds to a wide range of careers at the intersection of science and policy,” mentioned Amanda Hornick, a current doctoral graduate of the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology. Eli Duggan, a graduate scholar in MIT’s Technology and Policy Program, added that “seeing how the speakers’ work makes a real impact got me excited to apply my technical and policy background for the public good.”
The classes from these conversations replicate the broader mission of the MIT Science Policy Initiative: to assist the MIT group perceive and have interaction with the policymaking course of. SPI is a student- and postdoc-led group devoted to strengthening dialogue between MIT and the broader coverage ecosystem. Each 12 months, SPI organizes a number of journeys to Washington, giving members the prospect to fulfill immediately with federal companies and policymakers whereas exploring careers on the intersection of science, expertise, and coverage. These journeys additionally spark connections and conversations that individuals convey again to campus, enriching coverage dialogue throughout the MIT group.
SPI is grateful to the people and organizations who shared their time and insights at this 12 months’s ExVD, giving individuals a basis to attract on as they discover profession alternatives and the various methods technical experience can form public decision-making.