Editorial: AIBS and the Congressional Science Fellowship Program

February 2000

Judith S. Weis

Scientists often express concern that the scientific viewpoint is underrepresented in public policy decisions. One approach to bringing scientific expertise to bear on Capitol Hill is the Congressional Science Fellowship program, which the American Association for the Advancement of Science has coordinated since the mid-1970s. This program, which AIBS joined in 1984, brings scientists and engineers from academia and industry to the federal government for a year to serve as legislative assistants to members of Congress or congressional committees. Fellows work on a variety of topics, some of which may be related to their area of scientific expertise, and many of which are not. But having someone with scientific training in any field is better than having lawyers make all the policy decisions that relate to science! The Fellows are sponsored by scientific societies in all disciplines, with a particularly high representation of engineering societies. Despite the prevalence of policy issues before Congress relating to biology, relatively few biological societies participate.

Because it is now 15 years that AIBS has been in the program (although Fellows were not sponsored every year), it is a good time to take a look at the subsequent careers of the fellows that AIBS has supported. The first fellow, molecular biologist Rana Quarishi (1984-1985), has joined the corporate world. Ecologist Kathy Saterson (1985-1986), who followed her congressional fellowship with a diplomacy fellowship at the US Agency for International Development, was until recently the director of the Biodiversity Support Program of the World Wildlife Fund. Phytopathologist Charles Delp (1985-1986, cosponsored by the Intersociety Consortium For Plant Protection) is with the Office of International Programs of the American Phytopathological Society. Environmental scientist Lee Hannah (1986-1987) is the Africa Regional Director of Conservation International. Ecologist David Blockstein (1987-1988), cosponsored by the American Society of Zoologists) is Senior Scientist for the Committee for the National Institute for the Environment. Wetland ecologist Curtis Bohlen (1989-1990) spent some years at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and is now on the Environmental Studies faculty of Bates College. Conservation biologist Rosemarie Gnam (1991-1992, cosponsored by ASZ) is Senior Biologist in the Office of Management Authority of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Forest ecologist Richard Pouyat (1996-1997, co-sponsored by Ecological Society of America and the Society for Conservation Biology) has returned to the US Forest Service. The most recent fellow, Laura Lyman Rodriquez (1998-1999, cosponsored by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography), is a public policy analyst at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. The 1999-2000 fellow, botanist Robert Gropp, is serving in the office of Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO).

Looking over this distinguished list, it is clear that AIBS has made a difference. Most AIBS-sponsored fellows have made at least part of their careers in the policy arena within government agencies or nonprofit organizations. AIBS should be extremely proud of this record and should encourage more constituent societies to participate in this valuable program.

A recurring question that needs to be repeatedly and constantly dealt with is “what do we (the sponsoring societies) get out of the fellowship program?” The answer is that the sponsoring society does not benefit directly or immediately from supporting fellows. It should view this expenditure as a public service. Societies do not question why they have meetings or publish journals. These activities are viewed as integral to the organization, and there is no need for “getting something out” of expenditures for these activities. Supporting a fellow should be viewed in the same lightnot as something we should get direct payback from, but as a service to Congress, the country, the individual selected, members of the society, and the general public.

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