Since 2016, Adriana has engaged in policy change to improve the future of science.

 

Selected policy contributions:

• NPA Advocacy Committee: Co-wrote Policy Statement on the FLSA and postdocs, and a proposal for a publicly-available, opt-in repository of postdoc policies and practices from NPA member institutions.
• ASCB Public Policy Committee: Co-wrote several Policy Statements on NGRI and the bioeconomy to educate Congress and the Administration about the importance of basic biomedical funding and policy.
• Future of Research: Contributed to FLSA and Postdocs resource on monitoring institutional compliance with the FLSA, and to synthesizing mentoring climate guidelines for institutions.
• Society for Neuroscience: Drafted a Congressional testimony in support of NIH & NSF Funding (FY20), as well as Policy Responses on reducing administrative burden and improving the BRAIN Initiative.
• University of California Office of Federal Governmental Relations:
  • Contributed to priority documents and letters on research and graduate education and developed language related to Pell grants for graduate students.
  • Written letters to support legislation on research and the STEM workforce on behalf of UC.
  • Contributed to sections of community letters including:
    • Racial Equity and Diversifying the STEM Workforce (AAU’s response to NSF).
    • STEM education and innovation for equity for a letter to the Biden Administration on FY23 (CNSF’s letter to OMB and OSTP).
    • Detailing the needs of graduate and professional students in a letter to CA Senators asking them to defend the research funding in the reconciliation package.
  • Drafted social media language on the importance of graduate students for the research enterprise to support the launch of the Congressional GRAD Caucus.
  • Drafted Congressional testimony for a hearing on the NSF for the Future Act, including sections on DEI and workforce development.
  • Led Capitol Hill Advocacy Days and Hill meetings in support of research funding and workforce development, including for the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching (CARET) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).
    • A number of these events were focused on early career researchers, including the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) Advocacy Days and a Congressional briefing focused on Impacts of COVID-19 ​on UC’s Early Career Researchers​ taking place in 2021.
  • Drafted a STEM pipeline amendment to include postdoctoral researchers as eligible recipients of the professional development supplement, which was included in NSF for the Future Act in 2021.
    • The bill as a whole passed the House by a vote of 345-67 in June 2021. Subsequently, NSF for the Future Act was incorporated into the America COMPETES Act of 2022, which passed the House by a vote of 222-210 in January 2022.
    • Then, it was incorporated into the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which passed the House by a vote of 243-187, and the Senate by a vote of 64-33.
    • In August 2022, the legislation was signed into law by President Biden, which was highlighted in The Hill and other media outlets.
  • In a working group with several other universities, participated in meetings, performed research, followed legislation and drafted talking points for UC in relation to NSF budget percent set-asides for Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) programs in related legislation.
    • Sent Hill note to the CA Delegation to include signers on the EPSCoR letter which was drafted by the group and obtained a total 95 signatures, in May 2022.
    • The letter was highlighted in several articles and press releases in the media.
• The Science Coalition:
  • Helped with planning and organizing a panel discussion on Building the U.S. Research Workforce: The Role of Federal Research Investment.
  • Led the UC System’s nomination for Senator Feinstein’s 2023 Champion of Science Award.
• Sigma Xi: Developing a digital platform to connect policy players, showcase policy-engaged organizations, highlight training opportunities, and empower individuals from diverse backgrounds to successfully pursue their civic goals through policy engagement at the state level.
• Federation of American Scientists: Working on a project focused on policy entrepreneurship.