Events

Science, Technology & Engineering Policy Group

White Paper Competition

Science Policy Symposium

2008 Events
Date and Location	Event
September 23 4:00 - 5:00 pm 621 Stanley Hall	Inaugural STEP Science Policy Journal Club Although many graduate students are well-versed in purely scientific literature and have some experience in research-driven debate, the journals describing science-related policy decisions are usually unknown to graduate students. In the meetings, students will present (as individuals or as teams) an article in the scientific policy literature to the other students, provide handouts and summaries of the relevant background to understand the work, and lead a discussion on the background, issues, and arguments raised by the authors. If you are interested in leading a discussion, contact Natasha Keith.
October 23 4:00 - 5:00 pm 621 Stanley Hall	Dean Wilkening Director, Science Program at Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University
October 28 4:00 - 5:00 pm 621 Stanley Hall	STEP Science Policy Journal Club
November 11 4:00 - 5:00 pm 621 Stanley Hall	STEP Science Policy Journal Club
February 29, 2008 12:00 - 1:00 pm 621 Stanley Hall	Raymond Jeanloz Professor of Earth and Planetary Science and of Astronomy, UCB Chair, NAS Committee on International Security and Arms Control Beyond Research: Adressing Societal Issues from a Technical Perspective Abstract: Scientists, engineers and other technically-trained researchers have a special opportunity to address issues of broad societal concern, from resources and the environment to national and international security. Not only does technical expertise play an important role in understanding - let alone evaluating - modern policy options, but the research community has mechanisms allowing special levels of communication unavailable to politicians, diplomats and other policy makers.
April 2, 2008 4:00 - 6:00 pm 521 Stanley	White Paper Competition Info Session Come eat free pizza and learn about the STEP White Paper Competition from STEP organizers and a panel of the previous year's finalists. Panel will be followed by an organized brainstorming session to help generate new ideas and meet potential teammates.
April 15, 2008 3:30 - 4:30 pm 521 Stanley	Ken Dill Professor of Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco Politics 101 for Scientists: Bridging the Sciences in Washington Abstract: Are you a scientist interested in achieving some particular public policy goal in Washington? Don't have any experience? I didn't either. I will describe an initiative called "Bridging the Sciences", aimed at getting new research funding across disciplines, from the life sciences to the physical sciences, and aimed at new programs for deep innovation. I will tell you what I learned along the way. Join Ken after the seminar for coffee, pastries, and additional discussion.
May 9, 2008	White Paper Competition Intent to Submit Deadline
May 27, 2008 4:00-5:00 pm 621 Stanley Hall	Science Policy Career Panel Audrey Lee, PhD Economist, Office of Policy and International Affairs, U.S. Dept of Energy Colin McCormick, PhD Former Staff Member, House Science Committee Refreshments will be served.
June 5, 2008 3:00 - 4:00 pm Brewed Awakenings	White Paper Competition Coffee, Tea and Cookie Hour Come join us for a well-deserved coffee break one week before the White Paper submission deadline! Ask any burning questions about the competition or about STEP in general.
June 12, 2008 5 pm	White Paper Competition Submission Deadline
June 24, 2008 4:00 - 5:00 pm 521 Stanley Hall	STEP Open Meeting Interested in learning more about STEP or helping to organize an event? Have some ideas or suggestions for events for next year? Stop by our open meeting and help us plan our calendar for next year!
July 18, 2008	White Paper Competition Finalists Announced
August 14, 2008 5:00 - 7:00 pm 106 Stanley Hall	White Paper Competition Finalists Presentations and Awards Ceremony Four chosen finalists will present their proposals and be competing for $5000.00 in cash prizes.

2007 Events
Date and Location	Event
January 24, 2007 7 - 9 PM Berkeley Rep Rhoda Theater	Fred Friendly seminar on nanotechnology titled "The Power of Small". Join a panel of experts wrestle the critical issues that the invention of nanomaterials has raised. The seminar will be aired on PBS. Doors open at 6 and audience members must be seated by 6:45 PM.
January 31, 2007 5:30 - 6:30 PM 597 Evans	White Paper Competition Info Session Come eat free pizza and learn about the STEP White Paper Competition from STEP organizers and a panel of the previous year's finalists.
February 7, 2007 5 - 6 PM 458 Evans Hall	Robert Barr , Executive Director, Berkeley Center for Law and Technology (BCLT) Patent Reform: Is US Patent Policy out of STEP? The purpose of the patent system is to promote the progress of science and the useful arts. In recent years, the system has come under attack for failing to fulfill that mission, and major changes have been proposed. The biotech and pharmaceutical industries have very different perspectives on patent policy than the software, semiconductor and telecommunications industries. Our speaker will discuss how the role of patents in different industries affects their view of the proposed policy changes and the prospects for patent reform in Congress, the courts and the Patent Office. Robert is a graduate of MIT in electrical engineering and has practiced intellectual property law for over 20 years. Before joining the BCLT, he led Cisco's patent efforts as Vice President of Intellectual Property. Robert will be joining the group for pizza following the seminar.
February 15, 2007 5 PM	Intent to submit deadline for White Paper Competition.
February 28, 2007 5:30 - 6:30 PM 385 LeConte	David Winickoff , Professor of Bioethics and Kris Saha, 2006 STEP White Paper Winner Enabling Stem Cell Research The broad expansion of public funding for stem cell research at federal and state levels promises real opportunities for advancing public health. However, the emergent technical, proprietary, and regulatory environment surrounding stem cell research has real potential to create a logjam, resulting from the convergence of closed information, congested entitlements, regulatory complexity, and political stalemate. We will discuss an institutional approach that would help mitigate these problems and open new avenues of coordinating the governance and conduct of human stem cell research. Join David and Kris after the seminar for pizza.
March 11, 2007 5 PM	Submission deadline for White Paper Competition ( instructions )
March 23, 2007	White Paper Competition finalists announced
April 25th, 2007 5:30 -7:30 PM 290 Hearst Mining	White Paper Competition finalist presentations. View more details on the white paper competition page
May 1, 2007 4-5 PM Brewed Awakenings	STEP Cafe / Info Session. Come for a drink on us and more information on how you can get involved in STEP for the coming year. We would love ideas on how to make the group even stronger.

2006 Events
Date and Location	Event
January 25, 2006 4:00 - 5:00 PM 597 Evans Hall.	Coffee break hosted by STEP - Come for free coffee, tea, and cookies. The STEP organizers will be there to answer questions on our group and the White Paper Competition
February 1, 2006 5:00 - 6:00 PM Location: 3110 Etcheverry Hall	Steve Maurer , Acting Director of the Information Technology and Homeland Security Project at the GSPP, is giving a talk on Open Source Biology.
February 15, 2006 5:00 - 6:00 PM Location: 597 Evans	Interested in joining the STEP White Paper Competition, but still don't know what you're planning to write about? Or just wondering a few things about what a White Paper is? First 15 minutes will be a Q&A session with the competition founders and the rest of the time will be an open forum for idea discussion. We'll provide some policy ideas to get it started, but feel free to bring some of your own so we can all provide feedback. As always, refreshments provided!
March 2 , 2006 4:00 - 5:00 PM Evans Room 87	Dan Kammen , Professor in the Energy Resources Group, is giving a talk titled "Energy Policy in the US: Is Anyone Paying Attention?" Dr. Kammen's research interests include: the science, engineering, management, and dissemination of renewable energy systems. Dr. Kammen advises the U. S. and Swedish Agencies for International Development, the World Bank, and the Presidents Committee on Science and Technology (PCAST), and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
April 5, 2006 5:00 - 6:00 PM Evans Room 597	Coffee Tea and Cookie Hour. Come join us for a well-deserved coffee break four days before the White Paper submission deadline! Ask any burning questions about the competition or just soak in the incredible view of the Golden Gate Bridge and enjoy the company.
April 9, 2006	White Paper Competition submission deadline
April 12, 2006 5:00 - 6:00 PM Etcheverry 3110	Patrick Windham, consultant in technology policy and Lecturer in Public Policy at Stanford, will discuss the recent National Academies report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. The report has influenced both President Bush's new American Competitiveness Initiative and competitiveness proposals in Congress. Windham will ask three questions about the report: What accounts for its unusual political success? How effective will its recommendations be at dealing with America's economic problems? And, related, do some of the very factors that contribute to the report's political success limit its usefulness for responding to these current economic problems?
April 19, 2006	White Paper Competition finalists announced
May 2, 2006 5:00 - 7:00 PM North Gate Room 105	Finalists will present their White Paper proposals in the final round of competition for cash prizes and a visit to Washington DC to meet with congressional policymakers. The keynote speaker will be Marina Gorbis , Director of the Technology Horizons Program at the Institute for the Future and an alumnus of the Goldman School of Public Policy at Berkeley.
October 25, 2006 5-6 PM 597 Evans Hall	Discussing the propositions Come have coffee and tea with STEP and discuss what exactly each of these propositions are. Bring your voter guides and any expertise and opinions you have!
November 1, 2006 5-6 PM 385 LeConte	Devabhaktuni Srikrishna Detecting Special Nuclear Materials In Cities: How Effective Are Available Technologies and Approaches? Devabhaktuni Srikrishna , will speak about current/future nuclear detection architectures that affect homeland security. His publication "Deterrence of nuclear terrorism with mobile radiation detectors" (Nonproliferation Review, Vol. 12, No 3, November 2005. p. 573-614) examines the technical, economic, and operational feasibility of a comprehensive national network incorporating in-vehicle detectors to reliably detect and deter the transport of highly enriched uranium carried inside the vehicle itself.
November 15, 2006 6-7 PM (new time) 385 LeConte	Tom Kalil Science and Technology Policy at the White House From 1993-2001, Thomas Kalil served on the White House National Economic Council, most recently as the Deputy Director and the Deputy Assistant to the President for Technology and Economic Policy. Kalil will discuss a number of these science and technology policy issues that he dealt with, including the "information superhighway" and the National Nanotechnology Initiative. Kalil will also discuss his current policy-related efforts at the state and federal levels.

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