Career Development
Are you interested in sharing your research with legislative staffers, agency managers, and senior policy leaders at our State Capitol? The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is currently seeking graduate students, postdocs, and early-career faculty in California for the CCST Science Translators Showcase on February 5th. Read on to learn more and apply by December 4!
The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is âseeking graduate students, postdocs, and early-career faculty in California for the CCST Science Translators Showcase, held as part of âtheir 2020 Science & Technology Week at the California State Capitol on February 5th!
The chosen translators will get a chance to explain their research to legislative staffers, agency managers, and senior policy leaders during a networking event at the California State Capitol. âCCST is looking for candidates who are eager to learn and practice science communication skills and convey the relevance of their research to public policy questions. The goal of this experience is to improve their skills in offering impartial, nonpartisan advice to decision makers, to meet other amazing researchers, and to proudly represent their home institution.
Applicants must satisfy the following criteria:
- Must be a current masters or PhD student, or a postdoc, in a science or engineering field at a California university or college. Graduate students and postdocs at NASA and U.S. Department of Energy laboratories in California are also eligible. Early-career faculty from California Community Colleges are also invited to apply.
- Must be available to travel to Sacramento for the day-long event on Wednesday, February 5th, 2020. Translators will receive reimbursement for mileage or airfare and ground transportation. They will also participate in four separate hour-long training webinars ahead of the event (scheduled for Thursday Jan. 9th, Jan. 16th, Jan. 23rd, and Jan 30th at 2pm PST).
Showcase applications are due by 11:59 p.m. PST, Wednesday, December 4th, 2019. The application can be found here. If you have trouble accessing the application, please sign in using your Google account.
Note: a critical component of the application process is a 60-second audition video. In it, applicants must explain their research and how it helps inform potential policy solutions in California. This is the applicant's chance to demonstrate their ability to engagingly and concisely translate technical information, tailoring their message and delivery to a senior policymaking audience and staff.
Learn more and read the FAQ here.
About the California Council on Science and Technology:
The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established via the California State Legislature in 1988. CCST engages leading experts in science and technology to advise state decision makers â ensuring that California policy is strengthened and informed by scientific knowledge, research, and innovation.