TLDR: Sign-up for Stance on Science to see where midterm candidates stand on science policy issues. And be on the look out for SNAP in 2026! Next year, you will be able to find us at the AAAS meeting, join our upcoming SciPol Hackathon, or learn more about science policy from our SciPol course modules.

AAAS 2026

At the AAAS Meeting this February, five SNAP members (Miles Arnett, Isako Di Tomassi, JP Flores, Erin Morrow, and Alex Rich) are speaking on a plenary panel discussing the work SNAP has done and is continuing to do. Several members are also presenting their work in the E-poster session, and SNAP is hosting a booth where you can meet members in person to get connected with our initiatives. Stay tuned for a full list of the events we’ll be participating in!

Stance on Science

SNAP will be asking science policy-related questions of candidates running in local, state, and national races during the 2026 elections. We’ll share their responses on our website so voters can better understand where candidates stand on science issues.

SNAP is here to help state leads with organizing and resources! Interested in helping in your state? Fill out this sign-up form, and we will be in touch with more information. The following 33 states still need at least one state lead:

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Mexico
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

SciPol Course

SNAP is developing a modular science policy curriculum covering topics such as What is Science Policy?, How Government Works, Writing for Policymakers, Science Communication & Public Speaking, and Science Diplomacy. These resources are designed to educate students at our home institutions, support emerging university science policy groups, and strengthen early-career engagement nationwide. After an intensive course development phase this fall and winter, we are now entering the final stages of curriculum refinement and implementation, positioning us for a spring rollout and formal launch!

SciPol Hackathon

Our inaugural national Science Policy Hackathon event will launch in Spring 2026! More details coming soon.

Multidisciplinary Writing

SNAP members Rose Alberts and Brendon Davis were invited to join a two-day conference on “The People’s Science” at the Institute of Advanced Studies, where attendees discussed ideas for a new social contract for scientists. Because SNAP demonstrates the ways that early-career scientists can engage in public discourse, it serves as a case study for how to improve science communication during graduate school and beyond. SNAP members are developing a full manuscript for publication on this topic.

Additionally, be on the lookout for the SNAP Substack coming in January 2026!

McClintock Letters

This initiative is a nationwide science communication project in which hundreds of scientists wrote to their local hometown papers to convey the value of federally funded research to a diverse audience. We have had over 200 pieces published across at least 44 states!

Did you write a letter? Thanks to a new partnership between The McClintock Letters and SciTech Forefront, you can now (re)publish your letters on the Forefront platform to increase their visibility, accessibility, and impact. We understand the publication process was difficult for many, so here’s a chance to get your letter out there if you haven’t already, or to publish it again! Email us for more information.

SNAP Visits

As we evaluate the impacts of the Congressional District Visits, one thing is clear: scientists show up for their science! Through this initiative, early-career scientists across 29 states met with over 55 Congressional offices this August and September, sharing stories about their science and the value of research.

  • Are you one of the scientists who participated? Don’t forget to fill out the reflection survey found here!
  • Want to know more about the initiative? Check out a recent article on the SNAP visits in Forbes found below in Highlights and Achievements!
  • Looking to meet with your local office about supporting science? Email us for support!

External Opportunities

✨SNAPper Highlights and Achievements ✨

Check out these recent works by SNAP members and works mentioning SNAP members or initiatives!

  • A team of SNAPers (Emily Selland, Sneha Rao, Emma Scales, David Ramotowski, and Alex Lando) was accepted to give a panel at SCIENCE TALK ‘26 hosted by the Association of Science Communicators.
  • Amanda Finn and SNAP’s Congressional District Visits were featured in a new article in Forbes, “Students Advocate For More Science Funding”.
  • JP Flores’ Fulbright Scholar Award (Milan, Italy) was recommended for funding! If accepted, he will be working in the lab of Dr. Michele Gabriele at the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy from October 2026 - January 2027!
  • Casey Virginia Chan co-authored a policy memo, “Addressing Pesticide Use in California Through Implementation of Healthcare Interventions and Development of Novel Technologies”. In press now in the Journal of Science Policy & Governance.
  • SNAP members Saul Flores, Brendon Davis, and Andrew Mattson connected at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, D.C., during the Science Diplomacy Grid holiday event. The gathering brought together diplomats, researchers, and policy leaders to discuss the evolving role of science diplomacy, including emerging priorities in artificial intelligence and quantum computing infrastructure. The event featured strong representation from science policy groups at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. (Group photo attached!)

Group photo at Science Diplomacy Grid holiday event

  • Kass Fernandez is actively recruiting STEM undergraduate students for their dissertation study on mentorship! Sign-up here or help increase their reach by sharing on BlueSky and LinkedIn. Participants will be entered in a drawing for a $25 gift card!