WASHINGTON — The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced the four recipients of its 2022 Science Policy Fellowship. Beginning today, the fellows will spend one year on the staff of federal and state government agencies, public health departments, and nonprofit organizations across the Gulf of Mexico region.

The GRP’s Science Policy Fellowship helps scientists hone and apply their research skills to policy-related issues for the benefit of Gulf coast communities and ecosystems. Under the guidance of a mentor at their host institution, fellows delve into activities such as policy development and evaluation, restoration planning, grants management, and stakeholder outreach while learning what it takes to make scientific information not just useful, but useable.

During the fellowship, scientists work on projects that could include developing policy recommendations focused on affordable housing and climate resilience; leading community engagement and outreach initiatives regarding water and air quality; researching handicap access or coastal erosion at public beaches; or engaging stakeholders to promote environmentally safe agriculture practices and restoration efforts on private lands.

“The Science Policy Fellowship is an excellent opportunity to connect talented scientists with host organizations that come to this program with a significant challenge to solve,” said Karena Mary Mothershed, senior program manager for the GRP’s Board on Gulf Education and Engagement. “As scientific knowledge changes, policy changes with it, and this connection allows fellows to gain valuable experience applying science in the realm of policymaking, while in turn, policy decision-makers gain access to excellent researchers who help advance evidence-based policy for the benefit of communities in the Gulf.”

Now in its eighth year, the fellowship program has a network of 60 alumni, who have gone on to pursue promising careers at federal, state, and local government agencies, at nonprofit organizations, and as tenure-track professors.

The four recipients of the 2022 Science Policy Fellowship are:

Thomas Moorman
M.S. (Natural Resources), Auburn University
Host Office: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico Region

Erin Oliver
Ph.D. (Ecology), San Diego State University and University of California, Davis
Host Office: Mississippi Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence

Stephanie Piper
Ph.D. Candidate (Plant Biology), University of California, Riverside
Host Office: Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC)

Christen Steele
Ph.D. (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), Tulane University
Host Office: Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council

The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program is an independent, science-based program founded in 2013 as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. It seeks to enhance offshore energy system safety and protect human health and the environment by catalyzing advances in science, practice, and capacity to generate long-term benefits for the Gulf of Mexico region and the nation. The program has $500 million for use over 30 years to fund grants, fellowships, and other activities in the areas of research and development, education and training, and monitoring and synthesis.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.

Contact:
Pete Nelson, Director of Communications
Gulf Research Program
PNelson@nas.edu