JSPG and the National Science Policy Network launch second call for submissions

“The breadth and depth of science and technology policy issues have grown significantly in recent years. The JSPG-NSPN Policy Memo Competition is a great way for student groups to collaboratively write compelling policy solutions addressing a wide range of salient topics around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and recent national elections.” 

– Deborah Stine, JSPG Governing Board member; Former Executive Director of White House President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST); Former Specialist in Science and Technology Policy, Congressional Research Services

Following a successful inaugural contest in 2019, the Journal of Science Policy and Governance and the National Science Policy Network are excited to launch the second international policy memo writing competition! ​​

Background: One of the main obstacles that scientists face when venturing into policy research, outreach or advocacy is the lack of training in non-scientific communication modalities.  Scientists can invest a significant amount of time and energy developing thoughtful, evidence-driven policy solutions only to communicate them in a way that’s inaccessible to those outside of the academic setting.

Of particular importance in policy and diplomacy is the preparation of memos (memorandums).
Memo writing is a distinct style that requires distilling complex concepts to a minimal space, while competing for the assured limited attention span of the reader. They are used to convey considerations, implications and actions on a topic of interest.

About the competition: The competition is open to early-career science policy groups worldwide. These groups may be formal organizations of students or postdocs on university campuses or unaffiliated collaborations among students and postdocs. Groups of science policy fellows are also eligible to submit to the competition. The memos (2000-word limit) must be submitted at least 3 individuals. 

The deadline to submit memos is April 1st, 2020. 
Complete details may be found linked here.

Lectures on memo writing:
– JSPG Governing Board member Erin Heath, AAAS – “Communicating Science Through Policy Briefs”
– NSPN Board member Kumar Garg, Schmidt Futures – “Getting Things Done”