Uncertainty around support for science has spawned fear, overwhelm and paralysis in many of us as to how to advocate for research. When Mary Munson suggested in an email to ASCB membership to invite our congress people to our lab, it felt like just the right kind of action for these times. When I announced at our lab meeting that we were going to open the doors of our lab to our representatives, I felt a zing of excitement and hope bounce through the room. I think we all saw this as a concrete action and a chance to share our world and our dreams with people who can influence the outcomes. It also was opportunity for us as a lab to reflect on the essence of what we do, why we do it and how it impacts the world. We just had our first visit from a staffer from one our representatives and found it to be a rejuvenating day for us all.
I began this process by writing the government liason office of my university and they knew just what staffers to contact and helped coordinate a visit. Then, we laid out a schedule for the 45 minute visit and picked what was the most accessible and charismatic examples of our work that we could share. We planned in advance using a joint document what key points we wanted to make and what each person would share in terms of their background, their science and their motivations. When the staffer arrived, I gave a 10 minute overview of the problems we study and then we started a tour through stations in the lab, each one populated by a subgroup of trainees and staff. Our stations included microscopes where the visitor could watch cytoplasmic streaming live, look through eyepieces at human organoids being coaxed to life, and hold petri dishes with giant fungal cells creeping along the surface. A major goal of the visit was to not only showcase the science but also for each trainee to explain the real world impact of their work and share their dreams for a career in science. We also pointed out all the equipment and facilities that are supported by indirect costs which was really helpful for this staffer. We talked about how research labs are small businesses that are run by research grants, with products being both new knowledge and also a highly trained workforce. At the end, the staffer said the visit transformed her understanding of how science is done and the human-side of doing research. We all felt renewed and empowered by communicating the wonder and impact of science in these challenging days.
It is difficult to demonstrate how motivated and excited we are about our work from behind a screen. The career aspirations and scientific passions of first year graduate students to seasoned postdoctoral trainees are powerful motivators and best felt in person. Similarly, the trepidation and confusion the scientific community is feeling in response to the abrupt policy changes is impactful in direct conversations with our elected officials. We hope more representatives will take interest in meeting scientists and see for themselves what support from government grants looks like in action. Additionally, it takes institutional support to make these visits as impactful as possible, help from our government liason office has been invaluable.
About the Author:
Amy Gladfelter is a Professor of Cell Biology at Duke University
Ellysa Vot is a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
