Events

Join the Science Policy Initiative (SPI) and PhD Plus for a free science policy-focused professional development event designed for graduate students and postdocs. The 3-day event includes a Science Policy 101 overview led by Toby Smith, sessions centered on transitions in government, conversations about hot-button topics such as governance around Artificial Intelligence featuring Victoria Rubin, a science policy-focused workshop taught by Jackie Goodrum, and more. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn from and network with professionals who have a wide range of experience in science-, health-, and technology-policy.Access the 2025 Bootcamp webpage by clicking here.  \All interested participants should register before 12:00 noon on Friday, January 3. This will help ensure the coordinators have an accurate list of all dietary restrictions and that all participants receive information on how to participate prior to the start of the event. REGISTER HERE 

Join the Science Policy Initiative (SPI) and PhD Plus for a free science policy-focused professional development event designed for graduate students and postdocs. The 3-day event includes a Science Policy 101 overview led by Toby Smith, sessions centered on transitions in government, conversations about hot-button topics such as governance around Artificial Intelligence featuring Victoria Rubin, a science policy-focused workshop taught by Jackie Goodrum, and more. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn from and network with professionals who have a wide range of experience in science-, health-, and technology-policy.Access the 2025 Bootcamp webpage by clicking here.  \All interested participants should register before 12:00 noon on Friday, January 3. This will help ensure the coordinators have an accurate list of all dietary restrictions and that all participants receive information on how to participate prior to the start of the event. REGISTER HERE 

Join the Science Policy Initiative (SPI) and PhD Plus for a free science policy-focused professional development event designed for graduate students and postdocs. OVERVIEWThe 3-day event includes a Science Policy 101 overview led by Toby Smith, sessions centered on transitions in government, conversations about hot-button topics such as governance around Artificial Intelligence featuring Victoria Rubin, a science policy-focused workshop taught by Jackie Goodrum, and more. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn from and network with professionals who have a wide range of experience in science-, health-, and technology-policy.All interested participants should register before 12:00 noon on Friday, January 3. This will help ensure the coordinators have an accurate list of all dietary restrictions and that all participants receive information on how to participate prior to the start of the event. REGISTER HERE HOW TO PARTICIPATEThis hybrid event will be held in person in the Language Commons (New Cabell Hall, Suite 298). Snacks and beverages will be provided for in-person attendees. If you are unable to make it in person, you are welcome to join us by Zoom. All interested participants must register to receive the Zoom link and instructions on how to join prior to the event. BRIEF AGENDAWednesday, Jan. 8 Welcome & Introduction to the BootcampScience Policy 101 Federal Transitions & University Federal RelationsWays to Engage in Science PolicyThursday, Jan. 9 Welcome - Recap of Day 1 & Goals for Day 2State-level TransitionsPanel: Short- to Medium-Term Transitions: Insights from Federal Agencies and OfficesLong-term Transitions: Changes to Legal Precedents Science Policy Opportunities - Networking Event (NCH, Conference Room 236)*Friday, Jan. 10 Welcome - Recap of Day 2 & Goals for Day 3Governance Around Artificial Intelligence Science Policy Communication Workshop  FEATURED PRESENTERS & PANELISTS PhD Plus and SPI at UVA will be announcing and sharing more information on all of the invited speakers, panelists, and moderators leading up to the event. Below is a short list of some of the speakers who will be leading sessions during the event. Jacqueline (Jackie) Goodrum, JD | Lecturer in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia; and Conservation Policy Associate at Wild VirginiaChris Hayes, PhD | Legislative Affairs Specialist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationErik Olson, JD | Senior Strategic Director, Health & Food at Natural Resources Defense CouncilVictoria Rubin, PhD | Senior Professional Staff Member with the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Research and TechnologyJulia Smith | Executive Director for Federal Relations and Special Assistant to the President at the University of VirginiaTobin (Toby) Smith | Senior Vice President for Government Relations and Public Policy at the Association of American UniversitiesDavid Toscano, JD | Former Mayor of Charlottesville (1994-1996), Minority Leader in the Virginia House of Delegates (2011-2018), and Representative for the 57th District of Virginia (2006-2020); and current Attorney at Buck, Toscano, and Tereskerz.  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe 2025 Science Policy Bootcamp is co-hosted and supported by SPI at UVA and the PhD Plus program. We would like to offer our appreciation to the leaders of the Planning Committee for their effort in organizing this year's event, including (alphabetical order): SPI at UVACarreen de Cardenas, Zach Dawson, Kenn Dela Cruz, Savannah Lynn, Olivia Morren, and Mark SchwartzOffice of Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs, PhD PlusEniola Afolayan, Amy Garrou, Sam Lake, and Melanie Sinche SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS Science Policy Initiative at UVASPI is a student-led organization empowering scientists and engineers to be more informed and involved in science policy. We seek to enhance awareness about fellowship and career opportunities, provide support and professional development events to prepare students and postdocs for careers in science policy; and facilitate community outreach that supports evidence-based policies.PhD PlusPhD Plus is a university-wide initiative to prepare graduate students and postdocs across all disciplines for long-term career success. Our goal is to enable versatile academics who are deeply engaged with society’s needs to become influential professionals in every sector.     

Are you a graduate student or postdoc in a STEM-related field who is interested in different governmental agency career paths at the interface of health and policy? The Science Policy Initiative (SPI) and PhD Plus program will be hosting a virtual panel discussion with three UVA-grads-turned federal agency leaders at the FDA and NIH, with backgrounds in biomedical engineering, immunology, and biochemistry. The panel will span perspectives from people who are working across the health policy spectrum, from “in-the-weeds” policy analysts at the NIH to people who are working more closely in the medical products/device regulatory side of an agency to ensure the safety of the public’s health through federal review and guidelines at the FDA. The discussion will begin with a few questions centered on the panelists’ paths in health or biomedical policy, followed by an audience Q&A session.Featured Panelists:Dr. Isaah Vincent (PhD), Program Officer at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)Dr. Isaah Vincent is a Program Officer and Training Director for the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). There he manages NIAMS training portfolio, from predoctoral training up to early career scientist awards. Prior to coming to NIAMS, Dr. Vincent was a Science Review Officer at the National Institute of General Medical Science (NIGMS) reviewing applications from R01 for interventions to enhance STEMM education, K99s, individual and institutional capacity building awards, as well as managed the standing review panel for NIGMS' NRSA Institutional Predoctoral Training Grants (T32s). Prior to NIGMS, Dr. Vincent was an AAAS S&T policy fellow in the Office of Disease Prevention at the NIH where he supported prevention focused portfolio analyses, trans-NIH working groups, as well as NIH collaborations with other agencies such as AHRQ and the CDC.Dr. Vincent received his B.S from Iowa State and his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. In his graduate and post-doctoral research, he focused on immunoregulation of various immune subsets by adenosine receptor signaling in the tissue microenvironment as well as the regulation of fibrosis within the kidney by NK cells.  Dr. Lydia Glaw (PhD), Assistant Director at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)As Assistant Director at the FDA, Dr. Glaw serves as the head of the Coronary Interventional Devices Team in the FDA Silver Spring, Maryland campus. In this role, Lydia supervises and manages the interdisciplinary team responsible for the total product lifecycle review of cardiovascular medical devices and combination products, including coronary drug-eluting stents, guide catheters, and guidewires. She previously served as Senior Lead Reviewer in reviewing regulatory submissions regarding devices in the Interventional Cardiology Devices Branch of the Division of Cardiovascular Devices at the FDA and has experience working as a Principle Medical Writer at Custom Learning Designs and editor at American Journal Experts. Dr. Glaw holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia and a B.S.E in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University. Her PhD work focused on the investigation of bone marrow cells and their involvement in blood vessel remodeling, and the construction of a computational model of signaling pathways in Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Mia Rochelle Lowden (PhD), Chief Diversity Officer at the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)Dr. Lowden is a federal thought leader who skillfully turns promising ideas into significant outcomes. She collaborates across National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutes and Centers and other federal agencies to create, manage, and optimize diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts. As the driver of NINR’s commitment to DEIA, Mia Rochelle collaborates with nursing research organizations and NINR partners to develop initiatives that promote a diverse and inclusive nursing research workforce, crucial for advancing health equity. Before her tenure at NINR, Dr. Lowden contributed substantially as a Health Scientist within the NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP). There, she was instrumental in managing and enhancing the HIV/AIDS Scholars Program and devising a communications strategy that broadened ORIP's social media outreach. Before that, she coordinated strategic planning activities for the NIH Alzheimer’s disease research portfolio while serving at the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Her strategic recommendations have improved policy, practice, and programs across NIH. Lowden's dedication to DEIA has been recognized with numerous accolades, including an HHS Departmental Award, five NIH Director’s awards, and four IC Director’s awards from NINR and NIA, underscoring her meaningful contributions. Dr. Lowden's academic journey began with a PhD in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, focusing on the genomic dynamics of early-stage cancer cells. Following a postdoctoral fellowship in endocrinology at the University of Virginia, she transitioned from the non-profit sector to the federal sector through the Science & Technology Policy Fellowships. This event will be hosted in a hybrid format—please consider joining us in person in New Cabell Hall, Conference Room 552 to view the panel discussion together, with free snacks and drinks! All interested students should register before 12:00 noon on Wednesday, December 4, to make sure you receive a calendar invitation, including a location reminder and Zoom link prior to the event. REGISTER HERE 

Need time to work on your fellowship or faculty application, or anything else? Do you like to write in a group setting? Join our Mini-Writing Retreats! Each session will start with a brief welcome and some helpful tips, but the focus of each session will be on writing—turning your ideas and draft materials into a final application.  REGISTER HERE Each retreat will be held in-person in New Cabell Hall, in Conference Room 552. Snacks and beverages will be provided for attendees. Additionally, Sam Lake and Kelly Oman, PhD Plus' Assistant Directors of Research Communication, will be there to answer questions and provide feedback on your draft materials. UPCOMING WRITING RETREAT DATESWe will continue to announce and share additional events during the spring semester in the coming months. Oct. 23 (Wednesday) from 3:00 - 5:00 PM Oct. 29 (Tuesday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMNov. 08 (Friday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMNov. 12 (Tuesday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMNov. 19 (Tuesday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMDec. 04 (Wednesday) from 2:00 - 4:00 PM  

Need time to work on your fellowship or faculty application, or anything else? Do you like to write in a group setting? Join our Mini-Writing Retreats! Each session will start with a brief welcome and some helpful tips, but the focus of each session will be on writing—turning your ideas and draft materials into a final application.  REGISTER HERE Each retreat will be held in-person in New Cabell Hall, in Conference Room 548. Snacks and beverages will be provided for attendees. Additionally, Sam Lake and Kelly Oman, PhD Plus' Assistant Directors of Research Communication, will be there to answer questions and provide feedback on your draft materials. UPCOMING WRITING RETREAT DATESWe will continue to announce and share additional events during the spring semester in the coming months. Oct. 29 (Tuesday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMNov. 08 (Friday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMNov. 12 (Tuesday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMNov. 19 (Tuesday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMDec. 04 (Wednesday) from 2:00 - 4:00 PM  

Need time to work on your fellowship or faculty application, or anything else? Do you like to write in a group setting? Join our Mini-Writing Retreats! Each session will start with a brief welcome and some helpful tips, but the focus of each session will be on writing—turning your ideas and draft materials into a final application.  REGISTER HERE Each retreat will be held in-person in New Cabell Hall, in Conference Room 552. Snacks and beverages will be provided for attendees. Additionally, Sam Lake and Kelly Oman, PhD Plus' Assistant Directors of Research Communication, will be there to answer questions and provide feedback on your draft materials. UPCOMING WRITING RETREAT DATESWe will continue to announce and share additional events during the spring semester in the coming months. Nov. 08 (Friday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMNov. 12 (Tuesday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMNov. 19 (Tuesday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMDec. 04 (Wednesday) from 2:00 - 4:00 PM  

Need time to work on your fellowship or faculty application, or anything else? Do you like to write in a group setting? Join our Mini-Writing Retreats! Each session will start with a brief welcome and some helpful tips, but the focus of each session will be on writing—turning your ideas and draft materials into a final application.  REGISTER HERE Each retreat will be held in-person in New Cabell Hall, in Conference Room 548. Snacks and beverages will be provided for attendees. Additionally, Sam Lake and Kelly Oman, PhD Plus' Assistant Directors of Research Communication, will be there to answer questions and provide feedback on your draft materials. UPCOMING WRITING RETREAT DATESWe will continue to announce and share additional events during the spring semester in the coming months. Nov. 12 (Tuesday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMNov. 19 (Tuesday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMDec. 04 (Wednesday) from 2:00 - 4:00 PM  

Need time to work on your fellowship or faculty application, or anything else? Do you like to write in a group setting? Join our Mini-Writing Retreats! Each session will start with a brief welcome and some helpful tips, but the focus of each session will be on writing—turning your ideas and draft materials into a final application.  REGISTER HERE Each retreat will be held in-person in New Cabell Hall, in Conference Room 552. Snacks and beverages will be provided for attendees. Additionally, Sam Lake and Kelly Oman, PhD Plus' Assistant Directors of Research Communication, will be there to answer questions and provide feedback on your draft materials. UPCOMING WRITING RETREAT DATESWe will continue to announce and share additional events during the spring semester in the coming months. Nov. 19 (Tuesday) from 1:00 - 4:00 PMDec. 04 (Wednesday) from 2:00 - 4:00 PM