Application overview

Federal STEM Policy & Advocacy: An Inside the Beltway Look
October 10-11, 2024
Washington, D.C.
Hosted by the Vanderbilt University Office of Federal Relations in partnership with the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Office of Federal Relations, the BRET Office of Career Development ASPIRE Program, the Vanderbilt GPS at the Career Center, Russell G. Hamilton Graduate Leadership Institute, The Vanderbilt Graduate School and Vanderbilt University Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.

Application deadline: Monday, September 2nd at midnight

This event will provide Vanderbilt University graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), including Social Sciences, an opportunity to learn how federal STEM policy is made and the role of advocacy in achieving policy goals. For STEM students and postdocs thinking about careers in public policy, this behind the scenes look will provide insights to potential career opportunities.

Eligibility requirements
1. Applicants must be a current Vanderbilt University graduate student or postdoctoral fellow in a STEM field (Science/quantitative Social Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).

------->Students enrolled in an MS/MA degree program granted by the Graduate School must have completed one full year of graduate work at VU by the time of application.
------->PhD students who entered graduate school through the IGP, QCB, CPB, MSTP, or IMSD must have passed their qualifying exams before the application deadline.

2. Applicants must hold U.S. citizenship or dual citizenship between the US and another country.

3. Applicants must be able to attend the full workshop in Washington, DC, on October 10-11, 2024; this will require departure from Nashville on October 9.
To complete your online application, you will need to upload the following items as PDFs:
1) a current CV or resume highlighting academic accomplishments, leadership and service, and other experiences relevant to this event,
2) a letter of interest (300-400 words) describing your interest in the role of science in policy-making and advocacy, and what you hope to gain from such an experience, and
3) a brief description (300-400 words) of your graduate or postdoctoral research, as you would describe it to a lay audience; for example, if you were going to describe it to a lawmaker.

Your application is not complete without these items. The deadline to complete this online form and upload these documents is Monday, September 2nd at midnight.

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