In the wake of shifting political attitudes towards science, policymaking and advocacy have become critical in guiding the future of science. The Science Policy and Diplomacy Group at Hopkins is an entirely graduate-student-run group aiming to ensure that science and policy remain connected through advocacy, awareness and action.
Brendon Davis currently serves as the Vice President for Science Policy after his previous role as the group’s Science Policy Coordinator. Davis is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Department of Biology, whose research focuses on using stem cells in Drosophila as a model to study the mechanisms of cell fate determination following DNA replication. Davis described that his involvement with the group has developed his passion for the intersection of science and diplomacy.
“For scientists, I think it is kind of under-appreciated how much expert opinions play a role in policymaking or in diplomacy,“ Davis said. “The goal is to promote those types of initiatives and science-conscious policymaking, and beyond that, help graduate students — and largely the general student body — learn about these fields.”
The organization focuses on advancing science policy and diplomacy by operating through two subdivisions: science policy, which engages with domestic policy initiatives, and science diplomacy, which addresses the international implications of scientific work.
“[The fields of science policy and diplomacy] tend to be underdiscussed, especially when talking about it as a career path. So we help students to recognize that these are valid career paths. And even if it's not a career, it's certainly a space to be involved in if you want to shape how science is used by policymakers,” Davis explained.
The group hosts various events throughout the year, including Congressional Hill Day, where students will develop policy initiatives and schedule meetings with congressional offices to discuss their ideas. Last year, the group’s Hill Day pushed for better pathways for international STEM graduate students to remain in the U.S. after graduation, promoted sustainable agricultural initiatives and advocated for increased funding for women’s health research.
In addition to policy advocacy, they also run memo-writing workshops, organize public outreach efforts through a YouTube channel and a blog, and host embassy visits in Washington, D.C. Their Meetups at the Embassy series has facilitated discussions with science officials from countries such as Rwanda, India and Japan.
When asked about the situation regarding federal research funding cuts, Davis stated that the science-related policy development have been damaging to science and that the group has been discussing the changes and its impacts.
“What we are seeing, including at Hopkins is programs shrinking, acceptance letters for graduate programs being rescinded and labs being worried about their funding and having to close,“ he explained. “When those things happen, you lose scientists, you lose labs, you lose data, you lose model organisms and all of that is incredibly detrimental to the future of science, not just now but 10, 20 or 50 years down the line.
Davis further underscored the importance of being informed and communicating about science persuasively, and shared that the group is focused on helping students get involved in such communication, whether through writing op-eds or just talking with friends and family.
“I think it is more important now than ever that we get involved and are writing statements about how science can be used by the government effectively,“ he stated.
Davis noted that due to the close proximity of Hopkins to the nation’s capital, the group aims to involve itself in many advocacy events in D.C., including the recent Stand Up for Science rally. The rally was held on Friday, March 7 under the Lincoln Memorial and drew thousands of people in protest of the Trump administration’s federal funding cuts. Several members of the Science Policy and Diplomacy Group, including Davis, attended the rally.
When asked about how he felt about attending the rally, Davis was surprised by his own positivity towards the situation.
“It was positive in the sense that it felt like we can still cheer for science, we can talk about science, we can have this hope of what science can bring and love what science and research can do for us. Obviously there's the negative undertone of all of that is going away right now, but it's nice to see the appreciation for it,” Davis recalled.
Davis further highlighted that a sense of community truly defined the rally on Friday and provided hope about the future of science, despite the uncertainty.
“From a personal level, listening to all the people talking about their own experiences and others, who are very excited about their own research — clearly worried — but also really passionate about what they do, is hopeful. It inspires me to be even more involved, just for the sake of community and being able to push science forward together,” he said.
For students interested in getting involved with the Science Policy and Diplomacy Group, Davis suggests staying informed, engaging in advocacy efforts and joining the mailing list to be notified about events. Upcoming events the group plans on hosting include informational workshops on the situation at the National Institutes of Health, a Congressional Hill Visit Day and a visit to the Australian Embassy. Davis also recommended interested students visit the Science Diplomacy Hub based in the Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C for a Science Diplomacy Summit on April 14 and 15.
Davis stressed the importance of those in the scientific community as well as all individuals continuing to speak about and acknowledge the current political developments, rather than being quiet.
“The important thing as a science student or a person not involved in science [is to] be aware of what's happening and developing and sharing opinions with others, because public opinion is ultimately what sways politics,“ David stated. “We should keep talking about all of these things and keep the conversation going. We live in a crazy news cycle that is constantly evolving: the NIH has laid off new employees, the NIH is rescinding grants, data is being scrubbed off government websites. All these things, don’t let them die in silence.”
Samhi Boppana contributed writing to this article.
