10:00–11:15 am
Zoom
17
As experts in their fields, faculty members are uniquely positioned to influence policy by sharing their knowledge, experience, and evidence with policymakers. A wide range of opportunities exist for faculty to engage in this work, including Congressional or executive branch briefings, Hill advocacy days with professional societies, independent meetings with policymakers, and Congressional testimony. Success is largely dependent on the ability to communicate complicated ideas in language that is easily understood by non-scientists.
This session will outline the many ways in which faculty can engage in policy work and highlight best practices for connecting with lawmakers and other policy influencers. It will also provide tips and strategies for effectively communicating to these audiences, including how to distill your work into engaging, accessible language without sacrificing accuracy; how to sequence your description to capture and keep listeners’ attention; and the three words you should never use when describing your research to policymakers.
The session will be led by Trudy Vincent and Mark Bayer. Trudy is Senior Associate Vice President for Federal Relations at UChicago; she started her 26-year career in the Senate as a Congressional Science Fellow. Mark Bayer, President of Bayer Strategic Consulting, previously served as a Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives during a 20-year career as a Congressional staff member.