The folks at the Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) have just announced a pilot project heavily influenced by a successful Australian initiative matching scientists and lawmakers for a day. This is going to cost the participant money and the application deadline is August 31, 2018.
If you’re still interested, from a July 10, 2018 CSPC announcement (received via email),
The Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC), in partnership with the Chief Science Advisor of Canada [Mona Nember], is launching a new and exciting pilot program: Science Meets Parliament. This is a unique opportunity that invites scientists and engineers of various disciplines to spend one day on the Hill, shadow an MP or senator, explore their role in modern political decision making, and develop an understanding of the parliamentary process.
For more information about the program, eligibility and the application process, please visit the page on the CSPC website.
CSPC is looking for sponsors for this unique and exciting program. We invite all academic institutions to partner with CSPC to support this program. Please check out the sponsorship page.
I found this on the CSPC’s Science Meets Parliament webpage,
Background
…
This program is modeled on the acclaimed program run by Science and Technology Australia, now in its 19th year. You can find more information about the Science and Technology Australia’s Science Meets Parliament event by clicking here. We are grateful to our Australian colleagues for allowing us to adopt the name and model.
Objectives
Scientists and politicians desire a mechanism to build close and resilient connections. Strengthening evidence-informed decision-making requires systematic connectivity between the scientific and legislative communities. This program will help to create an open and ongoing channel between the two communities.
This program aims to facilitate a crucial dialogue between scientists and political leaders. Selected scientists from across the country will have the rare opportunity to spend a full day on Parliament Hill shadowing an MP or Senator, attending House committee meetings and Question Period, and sharing your passion for science with Parliamentarians.
The program includes exercises and teleconference workshops leading up to the event as well as an orientation and training session on the day before, hosted by the Institute on Governance in Ottawa’s Byward Market.
Benefits
For Parliamentarians and Senators:
- Interact with researchers driving science and innovation in Canada
- Build lasting connections with scientists from diverse regions and specialties
- Discuss the intersection of science and decision-making on the Hill
For Scientists:
- Meet with MPs, Senators, their staff, and the Federal political community.
- Showcase their research and discuss the impact of research outcomes for Canadians
- Learn about the organization, rationale, and motivations of decision-making in Parliamentary procedures.
Eligibility
For this pilot year, the program is open to researchers who currently hold a Tier II Canada Research Chair and are affiliated with a Canadian post-secondary institution. [emphases mine]
The researchers should come from diverse range of science and engineering disciplines including all social, medical, and natural Sciences.We expect that 15-20 candidates will be selected. We hope to open the application process to researchers from all career stages in future years.
CSPC will oversee the application process and will base final selection of the Delegates on applicant diversity in terms of geography, language, gender, discipline, and visible minority.
Program
The one day event will include:
- An informative orientation session that includes information about the business of Parliament and exercises that prepare Delegates to speak with politicians
- Meetings with Members of Parliament and Senators, the Chief Science Advisor of Canada, and possibly the Minister of Science (subject to her availability)
- Shadowing a Member of Parliament or Senator during the day
- …
- Networking reception with MPs, Senators, and staff that will include a closing speech by a guest of honour.
The program will be held on the hill on November 6th [2018]. [emphasis mine] The mandatory orientation session will be in the late afternoon of Monday Nov. 5th. Delegates are highly encouraged to stay in Ottawa for the 10th Canadian Science Policy Conference, CSPC 2018, held from Nov. 7-9. In this unique forum, delegates will have the opportunity to discuss the most pressing issues of science and innovation policy in Canada. For more information about the CSPC 2018, please visit the website: www.cspc2018.ca
The detailed event agenda will be made available in the upcoming weeks.
Mandatory requirements
- Registration fee: Accepted delegates will be required to pay $250.00 , which will include breakfast, lunch, the evening networking reception, and admission to the program. All delegates will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs. [emphases mine]
- Scientists who attend this session are required to either present a lecture at their host institution, and/or write an editorial for the CSPC’s editorial page about their experience, interactions with Parliamentarians, and insights they gained during this experience.
For more information on any of the above please contact info@sciencepolicy.ca
If you are a current Tier 2 Canada Research Chair affiliated with a Canadian institution and would like to apply for this program please click here.
Deadline to apply: Friday, August 31, 2018 at 11:59 PM (PST).
For the curious, here’s a definition of a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (from the Canada Research Chair Wikipedia entry),
- Tier 2 Chairs – tenable for five years and renewable once, are for exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field. Nominees for Tier 2 positions are assistant or associate professors (or they possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed at these levels by the nominating university). For each Tier 2 Chair, the university receives $100,000 annually for five years.
Good luck! And, CSPC folks, thank you for giving those of us on the West Coast a midnight deadline!