Putting Scientists in Office
The 314 Action non-profit doesn't just advocate for scientifically sound policies, but urges scientists to organize and become politicians themselves. The organization, which offers candidate training community organizing resources "intends to leverage the goals and values of the greater science, technology, engineering and mathematics community to aggressively advocate combating the all-too-common attacks on basic scientific understandings, research funding, and climate change."
Scientific Credibility & Political Advocacy
Do scientists lose professional credibility when they advocate for specific policies? Despite speculation that policy advocacy might have an impact on the perceived objectivity of scientists, a 2017 study published in Environmental Communication suggests otherwise. Using a randomized national survey, researchers found that, in most instances, participants' perception of a fictional climate expert didn't change after they were presented with examples of the expert advocating for specific policy changes.
Most advocacy messages we tested had no significant effect on Dr. Wilson’s credibility or general trust in climate scientists. Therefore, at a minimum, it is a mistake to assume that all normative statements made by scientists are detrimental to their credibility.
Kotcher, J. E., Myers, T. A., Vraga, E. K., Stenhouse, N., & Maibach, E. W. (2017). Does engagement in advocacy hurt the credibility of scientists? Results from a randomized national survey experiment. Environmental Communication, 11(3), 415–429. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2016.1275736
Science Advocacy Groups
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Multidisciplinary scientific society formed in 1848 to "advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people."
- Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)Founded in 1971, CSPI is a consumer advocacy organization that focuses on health and nutrition research. It seeks to provide scientific findings on "food, alcohol, health, the environment, and other issues related to science and technology" to both the public and policymakers, and represent the public's interest before regulatory, judicial, and legislative bodies.
- Federation of American Scientists (FAS)Founded in November 1945, FAS "provides science-based analysis of and solutions to protect against catastrophic threats to national and international security. Specifically, FAS works to reduce the spread and number of nuclear weapons, prevent nuclear and radiological terrorism, promote high standards for nuclear energy’s safety and security, illuminate government secrecy practices, as well as prevent the use of biological and chemical weapons." Staff and fellows include experts in aeronautical engineering, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, environmental science, law, nuclear engineering, physics, and political science
- National Alliance for Broader Impacts (NABI)Community of practice that 'fosters the development of sustainable and scalable institutional capacity and engagement in NSF's broader impacts activity.'
- Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)U.S. non-profit organization, including scientists and others, founded to critically examine policy "where science and technology are of actual or potential significance" and "devise means for turning research applications away from the present emphasis on military technology toward the solution of pressing environmental and social problems".
Science Education & Scholarship Advocacy Groups
- Center for Advancement of Informal Science EducationPortal to "project, research and evaluation resources designed to support and connect the informal STEM education community in museums, media, public programs and a growing variety of learning environments." Site is maintained by the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE), an NSF-funded resource center for the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program.
- Committee of Concerned Scientists (CCS)Independent organization founded in 1972 that monitors human rights and academic freedom violations of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars throughout the world. CSS supports oppressed and imperiled colleagues internationally and seeks to achieve the "[f]reedom of research, inquiry, publication and travel to and from scholarly and scientific meetings."
- National Center for Science Education (NCSE)U.S. organization that "defends the integrity of science education against ideological interference. We work with teachers, parents, scientists, and concerned citizens at the local, state, and national levels to ensure that topics including evolution and climate change are taught accurately, honestly, and confidently."
- Society for Social Studies of Science (4S)"[I]nternational, nonprofit association founded in 1975 that fosters interdisciplinary and engaged scholarship in social studies of science, technology, and medicine (a field often referred to as STS). Comprising researchers and practitioners, the field of STS includes Science and Technology Studies; Science, Technology, and Society; and comparable domains of research, teaching, and practice in many languages." Members include "[p]hysical and life scientists and engineers interested in the social aspects of their fields," as well as scholars in the social sciences and humanities.
- STEM Education CoalitionNon-profit organization whose mission is "to inform federal and state policymakers on the critical role that STEM education plays in U.S. competitiveness and future economic prosperity and to advocate for policies that will improve STEM education at every level."
Environmental Advocacy Groups
- Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (EDGI)International research network of scientists, lawyers, and other information and environmental professionals that tracks and responds to "the undermining of evidence-based environmental governance in the United States." EDGI monitors changes to federal environmental agencies and provides training and other resources for researchers to collaborate and preserve at-risk environmental data.
- Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)Founded in 1970, the NRDC is an international not-for-profit environmental advocacy group that employs over 500 lawyers, scientists, and other policy experts and has more than 2 million members. NRDC supports scientific research to identify problems and propose solutions, advocates for the passage of and enforcement of environmental laws, and works with businesses on sustainability and green initiatives.
- Project_ARCCFounded in 2015, this community of archivists works to protect and preserve archival works from the impact of climate change and promote collections that raise public awareness about climate change.