STEM Public Policy Field Guide

Overview

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) & Public Policy is a policy field focused on the interactions among scientific developments, technological change, social values, and governmental activities at both international and domestic levels. It is concerned with the ways in which citizens and professionals in industry, government, labor, academia, and non-profit organizations understand these interactions and apply their understanding to solve social, environmental, human health and economic problems, as well as promote and manage scientific and technological systems that could serve as solutions. Expertise in science, technology and public policy will be essential to help nations, citizens, and industry recognize their common interdependence, their common problems and to agree on solutions and ways to pay for them.

Career Opportunities

Public sector employers have traditionally hired more science and technology policy graduates than any other employer. In research and consulting organizations that serve the federal government, there is a growing demand for science and technology specialists, especially for those with expertise in the environment, telecommunications, the conversion of defense industries, public health issues, and technology transfer. In the international arena, there is a need for science and technology policy specialists to assist with bilateral negotiations, agreements, research, and grants management, especially around issues such as genetic engineering and its effect on international trade and health policies. Career paths in policy making, policy analysis, and policy research require different kinds of skills and capabilities as well as different types of training and work styles. In addition, career paths leading to similar positions may differ. A research or policy assistant might expect to move to analyst or technical consultant, to project director or senior professional staff, and ultimately to policy making positions such as assistant secretary, executive director, or vice president.

Types of Jobs

IT specialist
Online communications manager
Research analyst
Project manager
Chief information officer
Technology analyst
Information systems analyst

Qualifications + Skills

Strong analytical skills
Knowledge of policy environment
Effective reporting and communication skills
Economics training
Political and persuasive skills
STEM background (usually through a degree)

PRO TIP: With some exceptions, a Ph.D. is usually required for movement to senior levels, and generally the closer the position is to academe or high-level think tanks, the more a Ph.D. is needed.

Sample Employers

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Physical Society
ANSER Corporation
Battelle Memorial Institute
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Central Intelligence Agency
Congressional Research Service
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Energy
Department of the Interior
Department of State
Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Bureau of Investigation
General Accounting Office
House Committee on Science
Lockheed Martin
NASA
National Academy of Sciences
National Institutes of Health
National Science Foundation
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Pew Initiatives
RAND Corporation
Raytheon Company
SRI International
Stockholm Environment Institute
Tellus Institute
World Bank
...And more!

Sample Maxwell Classes

Implementation of Social Policy
Changing American Health Care System
Digital Government
Economics
Networked Governance
Science, Technology & Public Policy
Global Information Technology
The Economics of Science and Technology
Geographic Information Systems
Social Media in the Public Sector
Tax Policy & Politics

Resources

American Chemical Society
American Physical Society
National Academy of Sciences
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

Related Career Guides

Think Tanks
Non-Profit Management
Public Health
State and Local Government