Projects

Led several projects on research policy, advocacy, training and resource development. This work seeks to empower universities, non-profits and scientific societies to develop a better future of research and build a robust STEM workforce through policy change across the science, technology and innovation ecosystem.

 

Contributions Include

• Performing research and landscape analysis to advance policy entrepreneurship to assist the federal government in fostering innovation and U.S. competitiveness;
• Developing online platforms and tools to facilitate societal impacts of research;
• Assisting with policy pitches on enhancing university research innovation and commercialization;
• Designing science policy and advocacy training programs for STEM graduate students and postdocs;
• Giving educational talks and workshops on policy and advocacy;
• Reviewing and judging STEM fellowship proposals and symposia.

 

Several efforts included trainees from California, including UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UCSD and Scripps Research Institute, and involved early career scientists in research advocacy with Congressional staff including Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and House Science Committee.

 

 

Selected Projects

 

Federation of American Scientists: Worked on a project advancing policy entrepreneurship to assist the federal government in fostering innovation and U.S. competitiveness through first-ever Day One Project research and report.

 

Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society: Examined science policy engagement using an online platform, and assisted with policy pitches including on enhancing university research innovation and commercialization.

 

Advancing Research Impact in Society: Developed InterSECT Job Sim on science policy course and padlet toolkit for program expansion based on original curriculum with UC Irvine education and workforce professional.

 

Coalition for National Science Funding: Worked on one pager, slides and language on how NSF impacts the US workforce, including information on DEI and commercialization programs as part of a working group to support the CNSF mission.

 

Cambridge University Science and Policy Exchange: Contributed to collaborative project and write-up on the representation of women of color in STEM academia in the UK on systemic barriers and policy solutions to tackle these issues with CUSPE.

 

Universities Research Association: Worked on inaugural science policy and advocacy competition series with graduate students in STEM, including student advocacy with Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and House Science Committee.

 

Graduate Career Consortium: Contributed to Imagine PhD Advocacy Career Development Content, including example resume, cover letter, and advocacy resources.

 

University of California Irvine: Co-designed and executed the Science Policy and Advocacy Certificate Program for STEM Scientists for UC Irvine’s GPS-STEM Program, with trainees from several UC campuses including UC Irvine.

 

Arizona State University: Co-designed Scientific Solutions for Society (SS4S) Certificate Program concept part of ‘The Future Substance of STEM Education’ with UC Irvine education and workforce professional.

Testimonials

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Adriana was a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Adriana for their exceptional dedication, professionalism, and collaborative spirit. With their strong work ethic and positive attitude, Adriana was able to deliver insightful results for our growing organization. I appreciated her proactive and collaborative approach to work!” – Irene Ngun, Associate Director of Science Policy, Federation of American Scientists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Dr. Adriana Bankston is an exceptional science policy expert and consultant, demonstrating unparalleled professionalism and reliability. Her ability to lead projects while building stakeholder networks is commendable, consistently delivering results that surpass expectations. Her collaborative spirit enriches every endeavor, making her an invaluable asset to any team. These skills were critical to the successful completion of a project for my organization.” – Jamie L. Vernon, Executive Director and CEO of Sigma Xi, and Publisher of American Scientist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Dr. Adriana Bankston’s commitment to developing the next generation of policy leaders, her outstanding leadership skills, her ability to finalize projects while fostering collaboration, her innovative thinking and ability to create new directions and programs, and her exceptional presentation abilities make her an invaluable asset in the field of science policy consulting.” – Larisa K. Schelkin, CEO, President & Founder, Global STEM Education Center, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I especially admire Adriana’s openness to innovative collaborations on a multitude of projects and her ability to bring in the voices of early career researchers in all spaces. Drawing upon years of experience and invaluable skills, Adriana brings invaluable expertise in writing and communicating scientific insights to policymakers, ensuring our voices are heard and understood at every level.” – Ona Ambrozaite, Ph.D. Candidate, Johns Hopkins University.