This is a program to support for the American Meteorological Society Summer Policy Colloquium. The goal of this program is to build knowledge, experience and leadership capacity in the intersection of science and policy for individual scientists and for the geosciences as a whole. The workshop participants generally consist of 30 early to mid-career researchers and graduate students. The program exposes the participants to variety of issues related to science and science policy, including: 1) reconciling scientific opportunities and national needs in developing research programs; 2) allocating and managing resources for science; 3) incorporating science and knowledge into policy formulation and the national agenda; 4) strengthening their ability to listen to and understand, as well as educate and inspire other scientists, policymakers, users of science and science-based services, and the general public; 5) understanding the special ethical dimensions and demands of scientific research and scientific leadership; and 6) building understanding of the implications of their science for national security. Course instructors are scientists and others with significant policy experience, which is shared with the workshop participants during a 10-day colloquium in Washington, DC.
Facilitating the interaction among researchers and policy analysts and practitioners is a significant benefit to both groups. The focus on early career individuals, especially the graduate students, is also a strength of the project, providing these individuals with the tools they will need to work together to address important societal problems in which scientific research plays a role. The impacts of the AMS Policy Colloquium, which has been serving the research and science policy communities for more than ten years, can be observed in the influential positions that its alumni (now totaling more than 400 individuals) now hold.
