Posted on No Comments on August 2022 Newsletter

August 2022 Newsletter

SPOT August 2022 Newsletter

Hi SPOT!

We hope everyone’s had a great summer, and are ready for the start of a new academic year! We have plenty of exciting events lined up for the upcoming year. Read on to find out about a few, and stay tuned for more to come in the coming months.

 

SPOT News and Events

  • Welcome to our New Board Members!

We’re excited to welcome six SPOT members to the leadership team! Visit our website to read about the current board members. 

 

  • Stay Connected to the SPOT Network

Have you joined our SPOT Slack and LinkedIn group? Join our Slack workspace to connect with current members, hear about science policy opportunities, and stay updated on SPOT news and events. Join our LinkedIn group to connect with the SPOT alumni network. Email spotforcenu@gmail.com and we will add you.

 

  • Book Club Discussion

If you are interested in joining our regularly occurring hybrid Science Policy Book Club, please fill out this form. This month, we’re reading Black, Brown, Bruised: How Racialized STEM Education Stifles Innovation by Ebony Omotola McGee (2020). Join the #book-club channel on our Slack if you’d like to share the book of the month to reduce purchasing/library reservations.

 

Other Opportunities

  • Campaign Volunteering

Northwestern Chemistry alumna, Dr. Marianne Lalonde, is running for Alderman in the 46th Ward for the February 2023 election. She won the primary for the same position in 2019 and ended up losing to the incumbent by 25/14000 votes. If you’re interested in learning more about her campaign, you can look at her 2019 platform here. You can also volunteer for her campaign if you wish by signing up here!

 

  • Evanston Participatory Budgeting

Want to make an immediate impact helping Evanston residents develop and pass local policies? Looking for opportunities this summer to make policy impact while directly engaging with the local community? We need your help to support Evanston’s very first participatory budgeting effort. This is an unprecedented $3 million opportunity for Evanston residents to fund policy ideas they propose themselves, and it can only happen with the help of enthusiastic volunteers passionate about local policy. Learn more and sign up today at https://pbevanston.nationbuilder.com/volunteer, or e-mail colleenoaposbrien2024@u.northwestern.edu if you have any questions.

 

  • City of Evanston Public Comments

Want to learn about and contribute to policies affecting our local community of Evanston? Attend and participate in an Evanston City Council meeting, held every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month. Submit a public comment to be given in person, via video, or via phone here! Find the meeting agenda here to learn when to tune in.

 

In the News

  • The James Webb Space Telescope released its first images, letting us peer into the universe’s distant past. This marks the culmination of a decades-long project set to succeed the established Hubble Space Telescope. While the Hubble looked at the stars primarily in visible light and ultraviolet, the Webb telescope will gaze at the early universe in infrared, allowing us to see previously invisible details in the birth of galaxies.

 

  • The Senate has passed the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, a bureaucratic evolution of Biden’s ambitious Build Back Better Bill. The legislative branch of the US government has failed to pass any significant action against the threat since its political beginnings in 1988, making this piece of legislation a major shift in Congress’ approach to climate change. The bill promises around $400 billion in tax credits over the next decade, aiming to steer the country towards a greener future. Boosts to Medicare negotiation power over prescription drugs and extensions of pandemic-era expanded subsidies are also included.

 

  • Not to be overlooked by its larger cousin, Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law. While the bill was primarily aimed at revitalizing the US’ semiconductor industry, a quarter of its funding will be used to accelerate the growth of zero-carbon industries and climate research in federal labs. The bill received strong bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress.

 

Get Involved with SPOT

  • Looking for a fun way to help people in our local Chicago community understand your science? SPOT’s outreach program, Science with Seniors, needs more volunteers for 2022! You’ll have the opportunity to present science topics of your choosing to elderly residents in both Evanston and Chicago, and practice your science communication skills along the way. Engaging with our local communities helps fight science misinformation and build public trust and appreciation of research, so we need YOU! Email meaganolsen2026@u.northwestern.edu to sign up.

 

  • Do you think legislators could benefit from learning more about your research or scientific interests? We are currently looking for people interested in writing briefs for local representatives about scientific topics as part of our Legislative Outreach Team. Email margaretwickerson2025@u.northwestern.edu if you are interested!

 

  • Interested in contributing to local policy? SPOT is collaborating with Indivisible Northwestern and the Center for Civic Engagement to develop policy recommendations for the allocation of Evanston’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for COVID-19 relief. Opportunities to contribute include taking part in community assemblies and writing memos and policies on areas such as climate change and health care. This is a great opportunity to practice your policy-related writing skills and contribute to local policy! Email colleenoaposbrien2024@u.northwestern.edu if you are interested!

 

  • Passionate about effective science communication? Looking to gain experience in media production? Come join SPOT’s In The Spotlight podcast team! We are looking for producers and editors to help research and produce episodes. No prior podcast experience is necessary, but welcome! Email emilyschafer2023@u.northwestern.edu if interested.


  • Do you have any news/events/opportunities related to science policy that might be worth sharing? We welcome any items to add to the newsletter! Email spotforcenu@gmail.com if you want to share anything.

 

Find us on Twitter and Instagram for more scipol news and updates!



Posted on No Comments on Symposium 2021

Symposium 2021

Bridging the Gap:
From Science to Policy

Thank you to everyone who attended our symposium this year! If you missed any of the talks or panels or if you would like to see them again, you can find links to the recordings below. Stay tuned for next year’s 2022 SPOT symposium!

As scientists we often think that our results speak for themselves, but if we want our research to impact policy, we need to think beyond the lab. Building relationships and trust with legislators, policymakers, and the public are critical for the implementation of effective science-based policies. At SPOT’s 3rd Annual SciPol Symposium, learn how scientists can better bridge the gap between science and policy to ensure that research insights positively impact communities.

 

Keynote address: A talk on the history of science policy (Recording)

Speaker: Tobin Smith (Vice President for Policy, Association of American Universities)

Keynote lecture on the history of science policy. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions in this Zoom webinar format lecture.

Panel: Insights from the social sciences: What scientists should know about policy and public engagement (Recording)

Panelists:
Dr. Tabitha Bonilla (Assistant Professor, Northwestern Institute for Policy Research)
Dr. Susan Thistle (Associate Professor, Northwestern Department of Sociology)

A moderator-led panel discussion where attendees have the ability to ask questions via the Zoom webinar format.

Panel: Paths to Science Policy: There Isn’t Just One (Recording)

Panelists:
Dr. Jessica Creery (AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at NIH Office of Science Policy)
Dr. Jeffrey Margolis (Founder and President, Innovation Strategies Inc.)
Dr. Nancy Goroff (Professor, Stony Brook University Department of Chemistry)
Dr. Olga Lyandres (Senior Specialist, Delta Institute)

A moderator-led panel discussion where attendees have the ability to ask questions via the Zoom webinar format.

Lecture: A talk on law, the environment, policy, and science (Recording)

Speaker: Susan Mudd (Senior Policy Advocate, Environmental Law & Policy Center)

Lecture on the intersection of law, the environment, policy, and science. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions in this Zoom webinar format lecture.

Posted on No Comments on January 2022 Newsletter

January 2022 Newsletter

Hi SPOT,

Welcome to 2022! We’re back with plenty of opportunities to get involved this winter. Read on to learn more about what’s happening in the world of NU science policy.

 

SPOT News and Events

  • SPOT Slack

Have you joined our SPOT Slack? Join to hear about science policy opportunities, share wins, and be in the know for all things SPOT! Email spotforcenu@gmail.com and we will add you.

 

  • Don’t Look Up Lunch Discussion

Are you interested in discussing topics related to science communication and policy in a casual setting? We are resuming SPOT lunch discussions on Friday, February 4th from 1-2 pm with a discussion of the Netflix film Don’t Look Up! Watch the film (if you haven’t already) and join other students for a conversation about its portrayal of science. Although the discussion will take place over Zoom, we are offering lunch for pickup on the Evanston campus at 1 pm. Please register here. 

 

  • **New project** Collab with Citizens’ Greener Evanston

We are partnering with Citizens’ Greener Evanston to help educate our local community on climate change mitigation strategies. The product will be a series of one-pagers about topics like decarbonizing buildings including information on how residents can implement available tools in their own homes. To make these accessible, we will also convert information into infographics. Join this initiative here if you want to make an impact locally and gain skills on succinctly and thoroughly communicating science! This is the first phase of a potentially longer project to advise on policies in Evanston.

 

  • Book Club Discussion

If you are interested in joining our regularly occurring Science Policy Book Club, please fill out this form. We meet bimonthly, starting in March to discuss Fatal Invention by Dorothy Roberts (2011)! Also, new this year, join the #book-club channel on our Slack if you’d like to share the book of the month to reduce purchasing/library reservations.

 

  • Member Highlight

Starting this February, we will feature one exemplary SPOT member each month on our Twitter and Instagram. If you know a SPOT member with a recent accomplishment in the world of science policy or who deserves to be featured, you can nominate them using this form. Self-nominations and anonymous nominations are welcome!

 

Other Opportunities

  • Volunteer Opportunity – Science Gallery Youth Symposium

The Youth Symposium is a four-day event that brings together young people across the globe to connect, exchange ideas and share knowledge. The theme is HOT AND BOTHERED – climate action. They are looking for proposals for workshops and sessions to contribute to the event. Learn more here!

 

  • Internship Opportunity – Dept. of Energy ARPA-E Summer Scholar

The Dept. of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy is seeking applicants for the Technology-to-Market Summer Scholars program. Read the job postings and submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample by the January 31st application deadline. 

 

  • City of Evanston Public Comments

Want to learn about and contribute to policies affecting our local community of Evanston? Attend and participate in an Evanston City Council meeting, held every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month. Submit a public comment to be given in person, via video, or via phone here! Find the meeting agenda here to learn when to tune in.

 

In the News

  • NASA has completed deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope! The primary mirror is now fully deployed on the $10 billion telescope, which should reach its destination 1 million miles from Earth in the next few days. Once it has arrived and been aligned, the telescope will be used to study some of the oldest and most distant objects in the universe. You can read more about the deployment and the JWST here.

 

  • The Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization (PERRO) is calling on the city of Chicago to deny a new permit for a metal shredder due to possible violation of air pollution laws. The plant would be located less than a mile from three schools. Read more about this ongoing situation here.

 

  • New York City Council bans natural gas in all newly constructed buildings. In an effort to cut carbon emissions, New York City follows cities like San Francisco and San Diego in a push towards electrification. Read more about the ban and proposed state legislation here.

 

Get Involved with SPOT

  • Looking for a fun way to help people in our local Chicago community understand your science? SPOT’s outreach program, Science with Seniors, needs more volunteers for 2022! You’ll have the opportunity to present science topics of your choosing to elderly residents in both Evanston and Chicago, and practice your science communication skills along the way. Engaging with our local communities helps fight science misinformation and build public trust and appreciation of research, so we need YOU! Email emilyschafer2023@u.northwestern.edu to sign up.

 

  • Do you think legislators could benefit from learning more about your research or scientific interests? We are currently looking for people interested in writing briefs for local representatives about scientific topics as part of our Legislative Outreach Team. Email kchintam@u.northwestern.edu if you are interested!

 

  • Interested in contributing to local policy? SPOT is collaborating with Indivisible Northwestern and the Center for Civic Engagement to develop policy recommendations for the allocation of Evanston’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for COVID-19 relief. Opportunities to contribute include taking part in community assemblies and writing memos and policies on areas such as climate change and health care. This is a great opportunity to practice your policy-related writing skills and contribute to local policy! Email colleenoaposbrien2024@u.northwestern.edu if you are interested!

 

  • Do you have any news/events/opportunities related to science policy that might be worth sharing? We welcome any items to add to the newsletter! Email spotforcenu@gmail.com if you want to share anything.

 

Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more scipol news and updates!