# 2017 Harvard Science Policy Group Trip to Washington, D.C. ![The White House](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/sciencepolicy/files/whitehouse_group.jpg?itok=aSuNhLbx) The Harvard Science Policy Group met with over a dozen government agencies including the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, the Department of State, NASA, the Department of Homeland Security and more. We also met with think tanks like Pew and the National Academies. The goal of this trip was to learn how science informs policy in Washington and about career opportunities for PhD-level scientists. Overall, there is great optimism about the future of science in the federal government and lots of opportunities to get involved. - We learned about the [AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship](http://www.aaas.org/program/science-technology-policy-fellowships), which is a great way to work in the federal government for up to two years after you earn your PhD. Also, many of the people we met with great government positions were also AAAS fellows at one point. Despite the hiring freeze, many fellows felt confident that they could obtain jobs in government through this fellowship opportunity. - We also learned about the [Mirzayan Fellowship](http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/policyfellows/) at the National Academies. Here, you can be a graduate student and work for three months, paid, in different areas of science policy. Sort**Check out our** [**trip report**](/file_url/152) **that includes detailed information about what we learned about each agency we visited.** Also, check out an op-ed written by the D.C. trip co-organizer, Cory Gerlach, and published in STAT News: ["Science isn’t dead in Washington. At least not yet"](https://www.statnews.com/2017/05/01/science-washington-trump/) Email for more information and please apply in 2018! ## Latest from our Blog [### Something in the Sewage: What watching our wastewater can tell us about infectious diseases ](/blog/something-sewage-what-watching-our-wastewater-can-tell-us-about-infectious) March 09, 2023 [### United Nations Report Highlights Opportunities to Improve Global Air Quality ](/blog/united-nations-report-highlights-opportunities-improve-global-air-quality) September 21, 2022 [### Competing Visions of Science Funding in Congress ](/blog/competing-visions-science-funding-congress) September 21, 2022 [### Real World Evidence: A new approach to approve medical products for children ](/blog/real-world-evidence-new-approach-approve-medical-products-children) September 21, 2022 [### Green Energy Needs Green Storage ](/blog/october-2021) December 03, 2021 [### Racism and Exploitation in Phase I Clinical Trials ](/blog/racism-and-exploitation-phase-i-clinical-trials) October 24, 2020 [ More arrow\_circle\_right ](/blog) --- Attachments- [ image day1.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/day1.jpg) - [ image nasa.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/nasa.jpg) - [ image housescience.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/housescience.jpg) - [ image jeffreymervis.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/jeffreymervis.jpg) - [ image state.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/state.jpg) - [ image day2.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/day2.jpg) - [ image nas.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/nas.jpg) - [ image nas\_group.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/nas_group.jpg) - [ image smi.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/smi.jpg) - [ image nih.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/nih.jpg) - [ image pew.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/pew.jpg) - [ image day3.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/day3.jpg) - [ image ostp.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/ostp.jpg) - [ image ed.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/ed.jpg) - [ image barda.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/barda.jpg) - [ image gao.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/gao.jpg) - [ image capitol\_group.jpg ](/sites/g/files/omnuum9646/files/sciencepolicy/files/capitol_group.jpg) ---