Science Communication & Policy Impact Workshops

In collaboration with the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology; the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society; and the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) Day One Project, the CITRIS Policy Lab is hosting a four-part Science Communication and Tech Policy Workshop Series that will equip you with the essential skills to effectively communicate your research to the general public, policymakers, and funders. 

 

The groundbreaking research conducted at the University of California can help shape evidence-based policy strategies in both the public and private sectors. Our workshops empower participants to articulate the broader policy impacts of their research to the public, in grant proposals (Federal funding agencies (e.g., NSF, NIH) include “public policy impact” as part of broader impacts), and through impactful engagement with lawmakers and regulators. 

 

Participants will receive hands-on training on how to create impactful policy deliverables that provide effective guidance to policymakers and federal and state agencies. Participants will be invited to submit a policy memo proposal to the FAS Day One Project. Those selected to publish a policy memo via the FAS Day One Project will receive additional training and writing assistance.

WORKSHOPS

Workshop 1: Communicating Scientific Research to the Public

Fri., Oct. 4 | 10 am – 11 am PT | ZOOM

Tiffany Lohwater, Asst. Dean, Communications, CDSS, will share techniques on how to make research accessible and engaging to a general audience. This includes mastering storytelling, using visual aids, and leveraging social media to broaden their reach. Lohwater founded the Communicating Science program at AAAS, which provided communication and media training for more than 18,000 scientists and engineers and reached thousands more scientists via online resources.

Tiffany Lohwater is Assistant Dean for Communications at the UC Berkeley College of Computing, Data Science, and Society. Prior to joining Berkeley in 2021, she led communications at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington, DC. With more than 20 years of experience in science communication, she has designed, implemented, and evaluated numerous strategic communication plans, developed thousands of collaborative relationships at the individual and institutional level, and secured accurate media coverage for innovative scientific research. Lohwater also has expertise in policy, philanthropy, and public engagement and a deep understanding of issues at the intersection of science, technology, higher education, and society.

 

Lohwater founded the Communicating Science program at AAAS, which provided communication and media training for more than 18,000 scientists and engineers and reached thousands more scientists via online resources. She has also worked in communications at the Johns Hopkins University Institute for NanoBioTechnology and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Workshop 2: Leveraging Your Research for Policy Impact – Writing a Day One Policy Memo

Fri., Oct. 11 | 10 am – 11:30 am PT | ZOOM

This session will focus on helping researchers identify and communicate the public policy impacts of their work. Attendees will learn how to integrate these aspects into the broader impacts sections of federal grant proposals and into impactful policy deliverables for lawmakers. This session is co-hosted with the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology; College of Computing, Data Science, and Society;  and the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). Participants will learn about the FAS Day One Project and will be invited to submit a policy memo proposal to the Day One Project.

ABOUT | FAS DAY ONE PROJECT

In 2019, we came together with an idea to arm the next presidential administration in January 2020 with 100 implementation-ready policy proposals crowdsourced from the science, technology and innovation community. Not only was our call for ideas met with an overwhelming response, but along the way we honed a vision for policy entrepreneurship: how anyone can convert a merely promising idea into real movement.

 

Since then, we have helped a growing community of contributors develop promising policy ideas — an amazing number of which have already become policy. Together we have inspired over $2.6 billion in federal investment across key science and technology priorities, eight new cross-cutting federal initiatives, four executive actions, and more.

Workshop 3: Pitching the President – Providing Effective Guidance to Policymakers & Writing Workshop

Fri., Nov. 8 | 10 – 12:00 pm PT | ZOOM

Participants will gain skills to offer clear and actionable guidance to policymakers in both public and private sectors. This includes understanding the policymaking process, crafting policy briefs, and delivering impactful presentations. Individuals selected to submit a policy memo to the FAS Day One Project will participate in a one-hour writing workshop where they will receive training on how to write an effective policy memo. 

Workshop 4: Engaging with Legislative and Regulatory Processes

Fri., Nov. 15 | 10 – 11 am PT | ZOOM

This session will prepare faculty to respond to agency requests for information, requests for comments on bills, notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRMs), and other governmental strategies. Attendees will learn how to provide informed and constructive feedback that can directly shape evidence-based policymaking

PARTNERS