A January 11, 2024 Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) notice (also received via email) makes a special announcement,
Science Meets Parliament BC Applications [in BC, it’s not a provincial Parliament, it’s the Legislative Assembly]
Deadline Extended to Jan 19th, 2024!The SMP-BC application deadline has been extended to Friday, January 19th, 2024, with expanded eligibility!
SMP-BC is an invaluable opportunity for scientists in BC to engage with the legislative process. The non-advocacy program provides researchers with the opportunity to interact with MLAs, attend committee meetings, and delve into political decision-making. The program will be open to three groups of researchers who are working in an academic institution in BC:
- Faculty members within their first 10 years of appointment
- Indigenous researchers
- Postdoctoral fellows and have been directly awarded either a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship or a CIHR [Canadian Institutes of Health Research] / NSERC [Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada] / SSHRC [Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada] Tri-agency Postdoctoral Fellowship
For more information on the program, eligibility, and how to apply, please click the [on the link] below
According to the SMP program webpage, applications for the standard SMP program in Ottawa, which will take place May 6-7, 2024 (see 2024 program brochure, PDF), are closed.
Here’s a little more about this special version of Science Meets Parliament (Legislative Assembly), from the SMP-BC 2024 webpage,
The Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC), with the honourary patronage of the Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Janet Austin, and made possible with the support of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, the Honourable Raj Chouhan, are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the first edition of Science Meets Parliament – British Columbia! This program is scheduled to take place in Victoria in April 22-23, 2024.
Apply now! Deadline Extended: January 19, 2024
Eligibility expanded!
There’s more, from the SMP-BC 2024 webpage,
The objective of the Science Meets Parliament (SMP) – British Columbia program is that scientists in BC learn about the process of policy making at the provincial legislature and become familiar with the provincial parliamentary process. In addition, it serves as an opportunity for BC MLAs [Members of the Legislative Assembly] to explore the application of scientific evidence in policy making.
The program helps to strengthen the connections between Canada’s scientific and political communities, enable a two-way dialogue, and promote mutual understanding. Delegates will gain practical knowledge of the inner workings of political policy making, broaden their professional networks to include influential members of the science and policy communities, enhance their communication skills for new contexts and audiences, and carry their experiences back to share with their home institutions. The program is NOT an advocacy exercise for science or for the scientific community.
The program has been a great success, receiving positive feedback from both Science Meets Parliament delegates and participating Parliamentarians. We are delighted to expand our program to the provincial level with Science Meets Parliament – British Columbia.
This program is funded only through registration fees and sponsorship. We invite interested organizations to consider sponsorship opportunities – please contact sciencemeetsparliament@sciencepolicy.ca for more information.
Good luck!