Who We Are and What We Do

The Science Policy Group at Berkeley (SPG) is a group of graduate student scientists on UC Berkeley’s campus who are interested in the intersection of policy and science. As we globally attempt to tackle issues such as climate change and disease and locally deal with wildfires and water shortages, it is evident that scientists cannot be on the sidelines in the implementation of policy. However, our training, by nature, does not include an emphasis on civic engagement. SPG is a group of young scientists finding opportunities to affect policy and to learn about policies beyond our scientific expertise.

We have numerous projects that seek to educate our members about policy-making and how to be influential in that process in addition to projects that aim to educate the UC Berkeley community about important issues. Specifically, we have sent students to Sacramento to advocate for legislation at the Capitol, and we have sent students to Washington D.C. to meet with federal lawmakers and understand the federal policy-making process. Additionally, we recently held a “Science Meets Science” speaker series in which we invited experts in a field to discuss wildfires, GMOs, and artificial intelligence from multiple perspectives. A donation to SPG would aid our group in continuing the education of our members and the public.

Specifically, we are looking for donations to help fund the NSPN symposium, which will be hosted at UC Berkeley in the fall of 2020, and our STEMvotes initiative which seeks to improve voting and civic engagement in STEM students.

NSPN Symposium:

The National Science Policy Network (NSPN) is a network of young scientists across the United States of America who are collectively interested in policy-making and encouraging scientists to be involved in government. Each year, NSPN hosts a symposium that brings together professionals and students in a conference-like setting to network, learn from each other, and discuss complicated problems that face our policy-makers. This symposium is an excellent opportunity for students to make connections with other scientists and to engage in methods to affect change in government. 

UC Berkeley, in a joint bid with UCSF, has been selected to host the 2020 NSPN Symposium on October 9-11, 2020. The theme of this year's symposium is From Plants to Privacy: Science Ethics for the Modern Era. In order to provide student scholarships, accommodations for visiting scholars and attendees, networking events and workshops, significant funding needs to be raised by our group (>$10,000). We are well on our way to securing donations through numerous initiatives on our campus, but a donation to our group through this campaign will go a long way in aiding this project. The donations acquired here will be specifically earmarked for workshops in which advocacy techniques are discussed and networking events that allow students to connect with other students from across the country.

STEMvotes:

The STEMvotes initiative aims to improve voter turnout and voter literacy among STEM students. In the past, the initiative has mostly focused on educational opportunities to encourage voters to understand what is on their ballot and why it may be important. In 2018, there were numerous ballot propositions, many of which had consequences that were not immediately obvious. STEMvotes held an information night where one SPG member discussed in detail each proposition, providing descriptions of what a “yes” or “no” vote would mean for each proposition.

As the 2020 election approaches, many people are focused on the presidential race, but there are numerous local and state elections that our campus community will be involved in, and it’s crucial to educate our campus community about what these are and what they could mean for our community. A donation to STEMvotes would allow us to continue to host information nights specifically through providing refreshments and a venue.

Budget:

    Fundraising Goal: $1750

Additionally funding will go towards student scholarships to allow students to attend the symposium. The scholarships would aid students in the travel and accommodations involved in traveling to the symposium.

Thank You!

By supporting the Science Policy Group at Berkeley with a donation, you are helping to educate and train young scientists in the field of advocacy. We thank you for this support! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Twitter. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at execs@sciencepolicy.berkeley.edu or calscipol@gmail.com.Thank you for your support!

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