Agenda
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Welcome [180 KB PDF] [Referenced videos - Lazowska | Bartlett | Brooks]
(Fred Schneider, Cornell, Workshop Chair)
Lay out the goals of the workshop: to provide a crash-course in relevant science policy issues and the mechanics of policymaking, including a sense of how federal science policy is crafted, how it's implemented, and where are the opportunities for members of the community to participate in the policy-making process.
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Interacting with Agencies/Creating New Initiatives
(Jeannette Wing, CMU [434 KB PDF]; Milt Corn, NIH [242 KB PDF]; Henry Kelly, DOE)
The agencies are where the science-policy rubber hits the road, where decisions made in both the Administrative and Legislative branches get implemented, and the most common avenue for individuals in the science community to interact with the federal government. Influencing policy decisions at the agency level can require a somewhat different skill set and somewhat different approach than influencing your faculty peers, the Congress, or the White House. Agencies also provide opportunities for individuals in the community to directly shape federal policy in their field, by serving on an agency advisory committee, or by taking a rotation as a program manager, division director, or office director. This session will cover the agency budget process and will discuss opportunities for scientists to advise and engage federal science agencies like NSF, DOE, and NIH. The speakers will discuss the mechanics of how agency new initiatives get started, focusing on the culture and traditions that constitute the lens through which agencies view themselves and are viewed by others. In practical terms, how is success measured? To what extent is outside advice sought and in support of what kinds of activities? What kinds of advice and modes of engagement are unlikely to be effective?
10:30 am - 10:50 am
Break
10:50 am - 12:15 pm
The Role of Advisory Committees
(Edward Lazowska, UW [5.26 MB PDF]; Herb Lin, NAS/CSTB [1.7 MB PDF])
Advisory committees are found at nearly every level of the Federal Government. Some oversee particular programs, others advise offices, directorates, or agencies, and there are a range of Presidentially-appointed panels too. This session will attempt to provide an understanding about those committees—including how they work (in theory and in practice), why they might not work, how their membership is chosen, and whom they are intended to influence and then actually influence. Being effective on one of these committees often requires different strategy and tactics from what works in a university setting. Ed Lazowska, who has served on a multitude of federal committees, will give his thoughts on why it's important to serve and will explain in some detail the dynamics of how issues get raised and vetted, and how outcomes get finalized and disseminated. Herb Lin will talk about the role of the CSTB, how the CSTB and a CSTB study committees do their jobs, and how to be effective as a participant on a CSTB study committee. He will discuss a few of the more influential CSTB studies (e.g., the "tire tracks" and "crypto" reports), discussing the tensions, diversity, and appeal they embody.
12:15 pm - 1:00 pm
Lunch
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
The Federal Budget Process [1.15 KB PDF]
(Kei Koizumi, OSTP)
Former budget "guru" for AAAS, and now R&D budget expert for the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy, Kei Koizumi, will walk through the federal budget process. He will discuss the mechanics of the budget process (including the key milestones and inflection points in the process, and key agencies for the science community), and he will speculate about some of the challenges ahead for the community, including how the overall federal budget situation and political environment are likely to impact science budgets.
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
The Federal Case for Computing [6.7 MB PDF]
(Peter Harsha, CRA)
The computing research portfolio of the federal government is spread across 14 different agencies and accounts for over $4 billion annually. Each year, significant portions of that investment are reassessed by the agencies, the White House, and ultimately Congress, who must decide where taxpayer dollars will be spent. This session will explore the arguments that the computing community has been using to justify receiving taxpayer dollars in support of its research.
2:45 pm - 3:05 pm
Break
3:05 pm - 4:05 pm
Having the Conversation [82 KB PDF]
(Elizabeth Grossman, former Congressional Staff and now Microsoft Policy)
Through role-playing meetings with former congressional staff, this session will provide a first opportunity for participants to start putting into practice some of the things they've learned. Participants will get a sense of how policymakers approach meetings with researchers and how researchers can be best prepared to deliver useful input. Elizabeth Grossman will describe typical interactions with Congressional staff and then provide the opportunity for some participants to role-play through a couple of different scenarios.
4:20 pm - 5:20 pm
Expert Panel - Communicating the Importance of the Field
(Dan Byers and Dahlia Sokolov, majority and minority staff, House Science, Space and Technology Committee)
After the role-playing session, participants will hear from a panel featuring current staff from the House S&T and Senate Commerce committees who understand the unique difficulties of communicating the value of research to policymakers, and the difficulties of prioritizing science investments in the current political climate.
5:20 pm - 5:50 pm
Wrap-up and Post-Workshop Assignment [1.4 MB PDF]
(Fred Schneider)
Post-workshop Reception with Panelists, Workshop Attendees, and Invited Guests
