Policy & Research Administration
Use scientific information and analysis to inform laws and regulations | Provide operational management and support to the research community
Example job titles
Policy Advisor/Coordinator/Officer/Analyst/Fellow | Public/government affairs officer/specialist |Director of Diversity Issues | Grant/Proposal/Contract Manager/Administrator | Research Integrity Officer | Administrator/Manager/Director of Research/Sponsored Programs | Research Development Associate/Specialist/Coordinator | IRB (Internal Review Board) Manager/Administrator | IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use) Coordinator | Dean of research | Research/Program administrator | Academic affairs officer | Student affairs officer | Corporate/academic relations officer
Additional keywords to find more information or job postings
Science Policy | Academic Affairs | Science, Technology & Society
Read more about these careers at myIDP
myIDP > Career Exploration > Read about Careers > Choose "Science policy," "Research Administration"
Get experience
- Respond to public requests for comment on science policy issues (or even better organize a group of students, postdocs, and faculty to do so)
- Check out the AIBS (American Institute of Biological Sciences) curated listing of notices from the Federal Register announcing requests for comment, public meetings, etc.
- Take/audit a course on science policy offered by the UMass Chan Masters of Public Health Program
- Participate in a “Hill Visit” program – offered by the scientific societies that you or your research advisor is affiliated with – to speak to your elected representatives and their staff in Washington DC
- Interested in the field of Science, Techonology & Society (STS)? Consider joining the STSGrad Google group and subscribing to their announcements. Don't know what STS is? Read more here.
Additional training opportunities
- US Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) internship program for current students (US citizenship required)
- Science policy fellowships (some of the best known programs are listed below, but there are many additional options)
- MIT Science Policy Bootcamp course materials