Science and policy exist symbiotically: science informs the government, which funds science to continue innovating and producing new information. While it is true that few policymakers are themselves scientists, it is thanks to scientists that the United States put a person on the moon and the Surgeon General puts warning labels on alcohol and tobacco products. Similarly, science as we know it could not be conducted without policy and support from decision makers. The government continually spends vast sums of money on fundamental and applied research at universities and laboratories because policymakers know how important continued innovation is to our world.

When the authors were navigating their grad school experience, and figuring out what to do next, the same question kept coming up: how does someone actually get into science policy? The reason the answer to that question seemed so out-of-reach is because there is no one way to get involved in policy as a scientist. There are actually myriad ways for scientists to get involved in policy, regardless of research experience, background, interests, or career stage. Not only does this book outline some of these avenues, it also serves as a sort of “Civics 100” to help scientists who are new to policy understand how things work in local, state, and federal government.