Journal of Science Policy & Governance
​Volume 19, Issue 01 | November 01, 2021

White Paper: The Development of Science and Technology Councils for Members of Congress

Lisbet T. Finseth (1,3), Lindsay K. Milliken (2), Tricia White (2), Michael A. Fisher (2)
  1. University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Cell and Developmental Biology, Aurora, CO
  2. The Federation of American Scientists, Washington, DC
  3. The ​​National Science Policy Network, San Francisco, CA

Corresponding authors: Lisbet.Finseth@CUAnschutz.edu and mfisher@fas.org
Keywords: Congress; science council; science and technology; science policy; technical assistance; science and technology policy; S&T policy​

Executive Summary

​Policy decisions should be informed by science, but legislators and their teams have limited capacity to connect with evidence-based resources and the expert community. By strengthening ties between science and policy, these two domains can be more readily integrated when making policy decisions. We established a process for building science and technology councils for Members of Congress, which function as a platform for scientists and legislators to engage. Legislators were selected by gauging the potential for objective, nonpartisan information from scientists to inform their work, as well as their offices’ prioritization of science policy issues. Experts with deep knowledge of these scientific issues were vetted, recruited, and appointed to the councils, and Members of Congress were connected to their designated councils. This bridging of science and policy demonstrates a platform that scientists can utilize to communicate objective, policy-relevant research and analysis as a trusted source of information, leading to more scientifically informed policy decision-making. 

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Background header image made by Saheel Mehta via Canva
​Lisbet Finseth recently earned her Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology from the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus. In addition, she studies oligodendrocytes and myelination in the Macklin lab. She was the President of the science communication and policy group, Project Bridge Colorado. Lisbet was also co-chair for the Western Hub of the National Science Policy Network, and a SciPol Scholar-in-Residence, collaborating with the Federation of American Scientists. She received her BA from Luther College.
 
Lindsay Milliken is a Policy Analyst for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy at the Federation of American Scientists. She supports both the Congressional Science Policy Initiative and the Technology and Innovation Initiative. Previously, she worked as a Legislative Research Assistant at Lewis-Burke Associates, a government relations firm specializing in science policy and higher education. Lindsay received her BA in Political Science with a minor in Physics from American University in Washington, DC.
 
Tricia White is an Intern with the Federation of American Scientists. She supports both the Congressional Science Policy Initiative and the Biological Weapons Convention Project. Tricia obtained her BA in International Affairs from the University of Georgia and is a MA candidate in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
 
Michael A. Fisher, PhD, is a senior fellow with the Federation of American Scientists, working on a range of issues across the science and technology policy landscape. He leads the Congressional Science Policy Initiative, writes for the FAS Science Policy Blog and other outlets, contributes to the Day One Project, and serves on the SciTech Forefront Advisory Board. He also served as a field director with a congressional campaign and has experience with informal STEM education and the development of public-private partnerships. Dr. Fisher earned his B.S. in Biology from The College of New Jersey and his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Princeton University.
 
Acknowledgements
This work was funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. LTF received funding from the National Science Policy Network.

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