Journal of Science Policy & Governance
Volume 20, Issue 03 | August 22, 2022

Paper Competition Second Place Winner
Policy Memo: Advance U.S. International Diplomacy Efforts by Expanding Eligibility in the Embassy Science Fellows Program

Rami Major (1), JP Flores (2), Rachel Cherney (1) 
  1. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Chapel Hill,  NC, USA
  2. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Chapel Hill,  NC, USA
​
​Corresponding author: ramim@live.unc.edu​
Keywords: Congress; science diplomacy; science policy; foreign policy; collaboration; international diplomacy
https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG200303

Executive Summary

Science has a unique ability to transcend borders in pursuit of common knowledge for the betterment of humanity. To increase technological and innovative progress, international collaboration is necessary and can be leveraged to advance foreign policy relationships. The United States (U.S.) Department of State’s (DoS) Embassy Science Fellows Program (ESFP) has a proven track record of advancing international diplomacy interests of the U.S. through scientific collaboration, yet the program is sorely underutilized despite the high demand for qualified science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) experts by embassies around the world. To address the demand for STEM experts willing to serve DoS interests, we propose broadening ESFP eligibility to non-federal scientists. With this change, the DoS can recruit from a larger pool of experts and increase the probability that embassy needs for science diplomats can be met, augmenting the impact of the ESFP on U.S. diplomacy initiatives.

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Background header image courtesy of  George C. Marshall Europe
Rami Major is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interests lie in the use of gene editing to treat disease from both a technical and ethical perspective. Beyond the bench, she is involved in many science policy, communication, and outreach initiatives, including as Treasurer for the Science Policy and Advocacy Group (SPAG) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

​JP Flores (he/him) is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Bioinformatics & Computational Biology curriculum at UNC Chapel Hill. He is in the lab of Doug Phanstiel studying how 3D chromatin structure affects gene regulation and transcription, cellular identity, and disease phenotypes. Specifically, he is interested in studying phase separation-driven chromatin looping. Outside of science, he is passionate about improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM and believes an important part of that lies in science policy.

Rachel Cherney is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research aims to understand how RNA regulates gene expression. Outside of lab, Rachel is involved in science and media communication initiatives and loves to travel.

Acknowledgements 
The authors would like to acknowledge the diligent efforts of Dr. McLaughlin and colleagues to develop a publicly available review on a longstanding government program. Their research was crucial to understanding how the ESFP has historically worked. The authors would also like to thank their editors, Tara Shankar and Rebecca Van Hoeck, for their helpful comments and suggestions on earlier versions of the manuscript.

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