Ep 48: Advocating for Science and Research - The Work

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In this episode, we explore policy for science with Dr. Adriana Bankston Founder and CEO, Bankston Policy Consulting LLC. As an advocate for science and research, Adriana shares the outcomes of research with members of Congress to support the continued support of federally funded research by policymakers. The funding that science gets every year is greatly impacted by what happens in Washington DC, specifically by political factors such as who is elected and general pro-science sentiments. As an entrepreneur and founder of her own policy consulting firm, Adriana has been excited to delve into different projects for her clients. One of the challenges of working for herself, however, which she has to balance, is constantly searching for work and opportunities and understanding how best to place value on her expertise when billing clients based on what others are willing to pay. In the course of her current work, she has found many connections between working at the lab bench and working in policy, especially in how to manage multiple projects and work with multiple partners toward common goals. Adriana admits that shifting her career focus away from bench work has been a steep learning curve. “You are starting from the bottom; you have to be ok with not knowing how things work,” she explains regarding the challenge of how to get comfortable learning how to become a professional in a new world. Even with this, however, Adriana loves following her passion with her work. To hear more about what it means to promote policy for science, listen to Adriana’s story. And, to dive deeper into the complex world of science policy, read Adriana's blog post at welovesciencepodcast.com

Reach out to Adriana:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianabankston/

Website: https://adrianabankston.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdrianaBankston

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to also check out:

Ep 4: FORE Advocating Change - Part 1

Ep 6: STEMLand Future of Science - The Work

Ep 18: The Truth about Food - The Work

Support the Podcast: WeLoveSciencePodcast.com
Reach out to Fatu:
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Twitter: @thee_fatu_b
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1. Ep 48: Advocating for Science and Research - The Work (00:00:00)

2. Food Science Warm-up - What is the best thing you ate this weekend? (00:01:45)

3. Guest Introduction (00:05:00)

4. What is Science Policy and what do you do as an advocate for science and research (00:06:21)

5. How has the funding landscape for science changed over time? (00:08:40)

6. Examples of how scientific discoveries affect policies and a federal policy that affects scientific research (00:09:38)

7. What did you find easy, hard, and surprising about starting your own company? (00:12:10)

8. How does your PhD training contribute to your career in science policy? (00:15:18)

9. How did your fellowships prepare you for your role? (00:17:51)

10. What do you enjoy most about advocating for science? (00:20:48)

11. What challenges have you faced in the transition from research to science policy? (00:22:06)

12. Hosts on the Hot Seat! - Science Policy mini quiz (00:25:56)