Student Policy Resources

Engage with the Experts

AIMBE Public Policy Institute

AIMBE hosts a 2-day Public Policy Institute for Rising Leaders every fall to inform students about the policy landscape shaping medical and biological engineering. This training workshop has included sessions by White House officials, industry executives, and public policy experts in the medical device and innovation sector. Learn more.

Former White House Official Robbie Barbero, Ph.D., Assistant Director for Biological Innovation for the Office of Science and Technology Policy address the White House Role in Science Policymaking.

Participants network with Philip Desjardins, J.D., Vice President of Global Regulatory Affairs & Intelligence for Medical Devices at Johnson & Johnson.

The AIMBE FDA Scholars discuss regulatory policy with Patricia Shrader, J.D., Former Vice President of Global Regulatory Affairs for Medtronic.

Learn about Science Policy Careers

Careers for PhD’s and Researchers in Public Policy

Explore the backgrounds of scientists working in public policy, as well as skills needed to success in various policies industries, below. Source linked here.

Most identified their main motivations to work in S&T policy as “influencing policy and regulation” and “bringing science to society.” The first answer squares with a more traditional interpretation of what it means to work in public policy, and the second shows a somewhat deeper engagement with the evolution of the relationship between science and society

The most common pathways to science policy careers were through “university research” and “working at a federal or state agency.”

The two most frequently selected typical work activities in science policy careers were “communicating science for policy” and “policy analysis.”.

Trapani, Josh, and Katherine Santos Pavez. “Who Does Science and Technology Policy?” Issues in Science and Technology 41, no. 1 (Fall 2024): 21–27. https://doi.org/10.58875/DCNN6752

Post-grad Opportunities

Science Policy Fellowships

Below is a short list of some of the most popular opportunities. Additional fellowship opportunities are identified here.

• AAAS Catalyzing Advocacy for Science and Engineering (CASE) Workshop: Organized to educate graduate students who are interested in learning about the role of science in policy-making, to introduce them to the federal policy-making process, and to empower them with ways to become a voice for basic research throughout their careers. More info
• AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship: Provides opportunities to outstanding scientists and engineers to learn first-hand about policymaking while contributing their knowledge and analytical skills to the federal policymaking process in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government in Washington. More info
• Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program: Provides early career individuals with the opportunity to spend 12 weeks at the Academies in Washington, DC learning about science and technology policy and the role that scientists and engineers play in advising the nation. More info

Track the Issues

Follow AIMBE on Twitter and LinkedIn

Join the AIMBE LinkedIn group and follow AIMBE on Twitter to stay connected.

Twitter is a great resource for keeping-up with science policy. Start by following #scipol, #scicomm, and #scipoljobs, and explore the resources below: