S&T Opportunities
Special Off-cycle STPP (Science, Technology and Public Policy) Fellowship
The Harvard Kennedy School's Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) Program of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is seeking two postdoctoral fellows to conduct advanced research on Science and Technology (S&T) policy. Particular areas of focus may be Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Energy, and Water Policy. The S&T Policy research fellows will work with the Director of the STPP Program. They will do research on the development and adoption of novel technologies, and the role of the government and the private sectors in facilitating and shaping their deployment.
Required Education, Experience, and Skills
Applications for the S&T Policy fellowships are welcome from recent Ph.D. recipients. The ideal candidates will have a background in physics/engineering, materials science, or computer science, and (preferably) some experience in private sector innovation. In addition, the ideal candidate should have either experience or a strong interest in technology policy, strategic planning for research and development, and/or technology access issues. Candidates will also have excellent skills in presenting complex material to a wide range of audiences. Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in engineering or the physical sciences. Candidates with strong undergraduate degrees in the physical sciences or engineering who have focused on other aspects of technology policy in their doctoral work and hold a Ph.D. in public policy, economics, political science, or a related field, with a clear focus on technology policy (in particular in ICT, energy, and water), or those holding technical Master's degrees and have extensive experience, will be considered.
About the STPP Program
The STPP Program engages in research, teaching, and outreach on how: (a) science and technology (S&T) influence public policy; (b) public policy influences the evolution of S&T; (c) the outcomes of these interactions affect well-being in the United States and worldwide; and (d) the processes involved can be made more effective and their outcomes more beneficial (at present and in the future). With this broad backdrop, STPP activities will center around a number of thematic areas where public policy plays an important role, with a particular emphasis on their international implications: S&T, Energy, and the Environment, S&T and Security, Emerging Technology Clusters (which include ICT, Biotechnology/Medical Technologies, and Nanotechnologies), and S&T and the Economy. More information.
Application procedures
Each applicant should submit as one complete packet:
- A completed one page application (application PDF).
- A 3 to 5 page double-spaced statement that proposes a major research project or dissertation prospectus, including its relevance to the research interests of one of the Center's programs or projects; the statement should clearly indicate at the top of the page the specific Belfer Center program or project to which the application is being directed and whether or not you are applying for funding.
- A curriculum vitae;
- 3 sealed letters of recommendation (not emails) attesting to the applicant's professional competence;
- A short writing sample pertinent to the application (No more than 50 pages; please do not send books or lengthy manuscripts);
- Pre-doctoral candidates must also provide a sealed graduate school transcript.
The steps above constitute the application process. The applicant is responsible for collecting all materials, including letters of recommendation and transcripts and submitting them as one packet:
Karin Vander Schaaf
Harvard Kennedy School
Mailbox 53
79 JFK Street
Cambridge MA, 02138
Materials submitted will not be returned to the applicant. Emailed materials will not be accepted.
The Rightful Place of Science
Mission Palms Hotel | Tempe, Arizona
May 16-19, 2010
The Rightful Place of Science will address the challenges facing a society that is at once utterly dependent on science and technology and yet equally unprepared to govern the implications of that dependence. In his inaugural address, President Obama promised to “restore science to its rightful place” in U.S. society, but that location is far from obvious. How can we understand this provocative formulation in the context of the complexity, uncertainty, and political, social and cultural diversity that mark our world?
In this conference – amid art, music, literature, media, humor and more – we will explore the place of science in society and how science and technology can most effectively contribute to an improved quality of life for all. The transformative potential of science and technology challenges our ability to understand and shape our common destiny. What inquiries, communities, networks, and institutions can improve our ability to effectively engage this challenge?
The conference program will include a mix of:
- keynote speakers to catalyze our thinking
- “exemplars” of innovative approaches to managing the promises and complexities of science and technology
- participant-led roundtables that will broaden our agenda
- the next generation of scholars, decision makers, and communicators who will take our ideas forward
Among the outcomes of the conference will be a strengthened community of science and technology policy scholars and practitioners and a more developed research, education and outreach agenda to enhance linkages between scientific and technological research and beneficial societal outcomes – a well-centered place for science, in the midst of an engaged society.
For more information or to register see the Conference website.
