Date:
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Time:
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location:
Henry B. González Convention Center, Room 008B
Sponsors:
TMS Education Committee and TMS Public & Governmental Affairs Committee
Organizers:
Kathleen Chou, Ashley M. Hilmas, Peter Meisenheimer, Max Powers, and Brian Tobelmann, University of Michigan
Explore the relationship between materials scientists and the science policy community at this one-day symposium that provides real-world examples and first-hand experiences from program managers, administrators, academic researchers, industry professionals, former congressional science and engineering fellows, and congressional consultants working in science policy.
This symposium will focus on the interconnection between the scientific community and science policies, the common obstacles that should be addressed in order to move forward with future research, and how science policy decisions affect the various scientific and engineering communities.
Featured Speakers:
Iver Anderson, Ames Laboratory
Presentation Title: "Advocating the Vital Importance of Support for Materials Research and Engineering Education"
About the Presentation
A solid case can be made that materials discovery and development truly enables new high-technology manufacturing enterprises and enduring economic growth. The satisfying high-paying jobs that result from these new industries will help sustain our prosperity and abundant way of life into the future. To encourage expanded investments in this pursuit, we must deliver a clear message to an increasingly technologically challenged group of policy makers. Thus, we face an enormous challenge ahead in shaping that message and delivering it in diverse formats and at many levels of sophistication to targeted audiences at the federal level and, for education funding, at the state level. Importantly, our commitment to this cause cannot be mistaken for any selfish motivation. Instead, it is our duty as materials professionals to show our elected representatives that we advocate this position to make the future brighter for the children and grandchildren of us all.
Edward Herderick, The Ohio State University and 2009-2010 TMS/MRS Congressional Science & Engineering Fellow
Presentation Title: "From the Lab to The Hill: How to Get a Job in Policy and What You’ll Do When You Get There"
About the Presentation
This presentation will include three parts. First, it will discuss how to get a job on Capitol Hill as a staffer and the opportunities for Congressional Fellowships and others. Second, it will look at what it’s like to work as a staffer on The Hill with anecdotes on how legislation and policy is made. Third, this presentation will offer thoughts on Advocacy for the Minerals, Metals, and Materials Community. This will emphasize practical experiences from serving as a Congressional Fellow, leadership in Public and Government Affairs, and as an outside technical expert serving the public through Congressional testimony and advocacy.
Scott Litzelman, 2017-2018 TMS/MRS Congressional Science & Engineering Fellow
Presentation Title: "How Science Policy Really Gets Done in Congress"
About the Presentation
Formulating and implementing science policy is a complex process. The TMS/MRS Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship is an opportunity for scientists to see this process up close by working on the staff of a member of Congress or committee for one year. In this presentation, the process by which science policy is developed in Congress will be described, as will the interplay between members of Congress and their staffs with outside interest groups. To develop sound policy, scientists need to engage with Congress. This presentation will include suggestions for how they can effectively do so. Examples of bipartisan policy successes, such as the 2018 Senate Farm Bill, will be highlighted.
Alexis Lewis, National Science Foundation
Presentation Title: "Opportunities and Trends in Materials Engineering Research Funding at the National Science Foundation"
About the Presentation
This presentation will address two topics: (1) Current funding opportunities in Materials Science and Engineering and (2) Trends and future directions for research funding at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Core programs and current solicitations relevant to the materials community will be presented, as well as NSF's new focus areas related to the NSF "Ten Big Ideas" for future investment. Finally, proposal review will be discussed, with an emphasis on the decision-making process and what makes a successful NSF proposal. The presentation will be targeted for a broad audience from early-career to senior investigators.
John Vetrano, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Department of Energy
Presentation Title: "Program Management in a Federal Agency"
About the Presentation
Federal program managers are called upon to set and communicate research priorities, evaluate university- and national lab-led proposals for funding, manage current projects to assess progress and impact, and implement science policy. This presentation will illustrate the processes involved in prioritizing investments and managing research in a mission-focused agency and projects that span from small, single-investigator grants at a university to large, multi-institutional teams. The objective of the presentation is to more fully communicate these processes to the research community to facilitate better focus for the proposal writing process and to create stronger interactions between program managers and principal investigators.
Alan Taub, Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT) and University of Michigan
Presentation Title: "Role of Public- Private Initiatives in Scientific Research"
About the Presentation
The rapid pace of technology development is driving the research and development community to devise new ways to innovate faster and more efficiently. In that context, it is important to recognize that the R&D ecosystem is complex, incorporating the work of universities, government, and not-for-profit laboratories, and small to large companies. In addition, these efforts are funded by multiple sources, including federal and state governments, private foundations, and industry. In certain sectors, public-private partnerships have proven to be of value in coordinating and accelerating the deployment of the research. It is important to go beyond early-stage research to ensure that a new technology progresses smoothly from invention to product development to manufacturing. This talk will describe aspects of two of these partnerships - the Manufacturing USA Institutes and the US Drive program.
Charles Ward, Air Force Research Laboratory
Presentation Title: "The Interplay of Materials Research, Advocacy, and Policy Development"
About the Presentation
There is a strong symbiosis between the activities of materials research, advocacy, and the development of policy. The three must inform, evolve, and grow together to advance technology and economic development in the public’s interest. This talk will discuss the evolution of materials research policy with a particular emphasis on the creation of the Materials Genome Initiative as an exemplar.
James Warren, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Presentation Title: "The MGI and Materials Research Policy"
About the Presentation
The Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) has been the primary vehicle for innovative materials science policy in the United States since its roll-out in 2011. Now having transitioned to the current administration, the MGI follows in the tradition of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, the Human Genome Initiative, and numerous other science initiatives in remaining largely above the political fray. This presentation will discuss the intersection of technical science training, the importance of messaging, and the challenge of creating meaningful policy that can actually affect how and why science and engineering is done. A discussion of how policy and funding intersect will provide a useful framework for understanding some of the subtler aspects of science policy work.
A panel discussion with the speakers will follow these presentations.