SCIENCE POLICY COURSE: “Science Policy & Advocacy for STEM Scientists”

By Lauren Wagner

Over this past summer, I enrolled in a course offered by UC Irvine’s Public Policy Prep (P3) program, entitled Science Policy and Advocacy for STEM Scientists. This 8-week semi-formal course focused on the development of practical skills and concepts for science communication and advocacy, with a certificate awarded upon completion. Every participant was encouraged to pick a specific topic of interest around which to develop deliverables such as an elevator pitch, a power mapping plan, and even an op-ed!

I chose the “Right to Repair” as my topic of choice. This notion refers to the idea that consumers have the right to maintain and repair their mechanical or electronic products, and are entitled to choose the repair technician to perform the job. The Right to Repair philosophy stands in direct opposition to the concept of “planned obsolescence” which drives the business models of so many of today’s tech companies.

Throughout the course assignments, I did quite a bit of research on this topic and wound up with several deliverables, one of which I’m quite proud of as someone without much graphic design and formatting experience. This one-pager is intended to inform California senators about the core problem addressed by the Right to Repair, while quickly and concisely recommending specific actions and explaining their benefits.

As a result of taking this course, I now have an Op-Ed draft on this important topic! Moving forward, I plan to refine the manuscript and submit it for publication with the Journal of Science Policy & Governance for their May 22nd deadline.

Overall, the course was excellently structured and included several skill-building activities that I had never done before. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn more about science communication and advocacy, particularly if you’re interested in learning about a specific topic in the process. For those who are eager to begin learning immediately, recorded lectures from the original course offering in 2020 are still available on the Science Policy and Advocacy for STEM Scientists YouTube channel, and the detailed course syllabus with readings is available on the main course webpage. Happy learning!