Practical Skills for Policy Engagement: The STEM Research Process and Policy Relevance

How do fundamental STEM research results feed into policy? How does cutting-edge science go from the laboratory bench to meaningful legislation? When and how do we start thinking about the relevance of the research questions we’re asking in the policy domain?

In this workshop, two experts will discuss specific aspects of their experience translating fundamental STEM research on topics like mercury oxidation and transport or nuclear resonance into meaningful policy outputs on issues like climate change air pollutant goals, and nuclear warhead verification. Dr. Ruaridh Macdonald of the MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Security and Policy and Professor Noelle Selin, Director of TPP at MIT and Associate Professor in the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society and the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, will lead breakout discussions on various aspects of scientific research: framing research questions, writing and obtaining grants, designing experiments for maximum impact, and publishing + communicating results–and how to consider policymaking and influence at these junctures of the process. A reception will follow the discussions in E18-304.