Each year the AAS brings members to Washington, DC, for Congressional Visits Day (CVD). This event, organized by the Science-Engineering-Technology Working Group (SETWG), gathers scientists, engineers, researchers, educators, and technology executives in the nation’s capital to raise visibility and support for science, engineering, and technology. Volunteers will travel to Washington, DC, to participate in an all-day seminar on how to communicate effectively with policymakers, followed by a full day of meetings with Capitol Hill and/or White House staff. The AAS policy staff will augment the group activities with several pre-briefing webinars during the weeks leading up to the event and in-person trainings in Washington. The pre-briefings and trainings will cover both astronomy-specific and more general science-policy issues.
This year CVD will be held Tuesday-Wednesday, 17-18 March 2015, with both days requiring full-day commitments, about 8 am to 6 pm. There may be an optional additional training session on the Monday afternoon (16 March 2015) prior to the event. Business attire is required. AAS will cover the majority of travel expenses for volunteers selected to participate, as our budget allows.
Sign-ups are now closed; thank you to those who volunteered! We aim to select at least 15 volunteers who balance the program by location, career stage, experience, and science focus area; We especially encourage graduate students to volunteer. Selected members will be notified by 10 February 2015.
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