Goals

Catalysts for Science Policy (CaSP) has three main goals:

Educate

Educate graduate students and postdocs about science policy and emphasize the importance of increasing scientist participation in science policy issues, both local and national.

Engage

Increase graduate student and postdoc awareness of various science policy careers and provide opportunities to help them become better candidates for these positions.

Advocate

Communicate relevant science topics to government and funding agencies, and to the non-scientist community in Madison.

Recent CaSP Activities

Takeaways from the 2021 La Follette Climate Policy Forum

By Chris Unterberger The second annual La Follette Forum hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Public Policy featured local, state, and national leaders...
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Parkland: Lessons in Activism

By Chris Unterberger The tragedy that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine's Day 2018, was horrific, dark, and seemingly...
Read More "Parkland: Lessons in Activism"

AAAS Annual Meeting 2021 Recap

By Chris Unterberger Though the AAAS Annual Meeting touches on many different areas of science—advancement, policy, diplomacy—the underscore of it all is communication. This year’s...
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AAAS 2020 meeting CaSP reflections

In February 2020 members of CaSP traveled to Seattle, WA for the 2020 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting. The theme...
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2019 National Science Policy Symposium: Reflections

Article compiled by CaSP Communications Chair April MacIntyre This November, the National Science Policy Network (NSPN) and Catalysts for Science Policy (CaSP) teamed up to...
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From Pipettes to Policy

By Edna Chiang (Microbiology PhD Student, CaSP Member) (Views expressed here are my own and do not represent those of FASEB.) This summer, I traded...
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Journal Club Review

Parkland: Lessons in Activism

By Chris Unterberger The tragedy that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine's Day 2018, was horrific, dark, and seemingly...
Read More "Parkland: Lessons in Activism"

July Journal Club Review: How Students Cope with Racism in Academia

July's journal club was led by Sam Anderson. Amanda Hurley wrote the journal club review. In the wake of recent events, including the high profile...
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Open science through the lens of COVID-19

April journal club was led by Laura Borth. Journal Club review was written by Aaron Lowenstein. The scientific community is driven by scientific societies, whose...
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Pain Management: Issues, Ironies, and Possible Solutions to the Opioid Epidemic

February journal club was led by Shannon Walsh. Journal club review was written by Chris Unterberger and April MacIntyre. Necedah (nehSEEduh; /nəˈsiːdə/), a small town...
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An Astronomical Controversy: The Thirty Meter Telescope and the need for indigenous voices in science

January journal club review by Amanda Hurley, journal club led by Grant Hisao On July 17th 2019, over thirty people, including Native Hawaiian elders, were...
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December Journal Club Review: Incentivizing a Healthy Diet for Recipients of Nutrition Assistance

December’s journal club was led by Ben Rush (Graduate Student in Nutrition). Journal club review was written by Grant Hisao (Postdoc in Biochemistry).   It is...
Read More "December Journal Club Review: Incentivizing a Healthy Diet for Recipients of Nutrition Assistance"

Takeaways from the 2021 La Follette Climate Policy Forum

By Chris Unterberger The second annual La Follette Forum hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Public Policy featured local, state, and national leaders...
Read More "Takeaways from the 2021 La Follette Climate Policy Forum"

The Endless Frontier Act

By Chris Unterberger and Chris Dade Introduction Investment from the federal government in scientific and technological advancement is imperative for the US to continue to...
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The Graduate Handbook Project: Mental Health & Policy Changes to Support Students

Content warning: suicide This project was completed by Sarah Alexander, Samantha Anderson, Jennifer Bratburd, Alejandra Canales, and Tina Lynch, all current students or recent graduates from...
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Regional Innovation Hubs in the American Jobs Plan

By Chris Unterberger The definition of infrastructure has been hotly debated since  the release of President Biden’s gargantuan infrastructure funding plan this past spring. The...
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Parkland: Lessons in Activism

By Chris Unterberger The tragedy that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine's Day 2018, was horrific, dark, and seemingly...
Read More "Parkland: Lessons in Activism"