Decoding the recently published insights from UC Irvine’s Certificate Program in Science Policy

Adriana Bankston and Amy Ralston, two of the four authors of a new publication titled “Development and Outcomes of an International Certificate Program in Science Policy and Advocacy for STEM PhD Students and Postdocs,” discuss the insights from the paper including the following: development of the program; how the program equips participants with practical skills for policy and advocacy, and the impact it has had on participants’ career paths. Additional points of discussion include the specific skills developed through the program, its role in facilitating transitions into science policy and advocacy roles, future directions of the program, advice for aspiring participants, and insights on replicating this model in other institutions.

Civic Science Media Lab

CSML's mission is to document the diverse practices of civic science to inform, educate, and inspire current and the next generation of practitioners in the field, and the broader publics. Through the practice of ethnographic civic science journalism, the lab offers practitioners a sandbox for experimentation—using video, digital publishing, and audio—to surface and make sense of the knowledge, lived experiences, behaviors, motivations, and responsibilities that shape civic science.