Research and Centers
- 21st Century India Center
- Korea-Pacific Program
- Science Policy Fellows Program
The Science Policy Fellows Program at GPS creates bridges within UC San Diego’s areas of excellence: engineering, medicine, marine and earth sciences, and policy, applied economics, and innovation.
Ph.D. candidates at UC San Diego, including at Jacobs School of Engineering, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and School of Medicine, are paired with a GPS faculty member who guides them out of their technical comfort zones—sans lab goggles, test tubes or thermometers—to explore the policy relevance and implications of their dissertation research.
With an emphasis on interdisciplinary training and closing the gap between physical and social sciences across campus, the Science Policy Fellows Program arms participants with an awareness of the practical applications of their specializations. Ultimately, fellows hone a multidisciplinary perspective to create well-informed responses addressing today’s global challenges.
For one to two years, selected fellows work closely with a faculty mentor from GPS who has expertise in a public policy sector relevant to their dissertation concentration. Each fellow receives a $1,000 stipend annually.
The program kicks off with an intake meeting, where selected fellows discuss their research goals with their mentor(s) and the other fellows. After the initial meeting, fellows consult regularly with their mentors, attend policy-oriented events on campus and begin making contacts in the field.
There are three signature events associated with the program:
Science Policy Roundtable (Fall quarter)
Using research currently being conducted by GPS or other UC San Diego faculty, this roundtable explores the intersection of science and policy with real world situations.
Careers at the Nexus of Science and Policy (Winter quarter)
Bringing together top practitioners who work with both policy and science, this panel discussion explores career opportunities for students.
Fellows' Research Presentations (Spring quarter)
The public is invited to hear the fellows present on their findings.
In addition, fellows are invited to sit in on policy-related seminars, workshops and courses, suggested by their mentor.
Iman Adibnazari
Topic: "Artificial Intelligence techniques allowing robot fish to "watch and learn" from real fish"
GPS Mentor: Liz Lyons
Orion McCarthy
Topic: "Climate change impact on coral reef communities in the Hawaiian Islands"
GPS Mentor: Kate Ricke
Taylor McKie
Topic: "Climate change impact on submesoscale dynamics in the surface layers of salinity-stratified oceans "
GPS Mentor:Kate Ricke
Austin Barnes
Topic: "Political Economy of Sea Level Rise Coastal Impacts Exploration"
GPS Mentor: David Victor
Jennifer Chien
Topic: "Exploring Causal Recourse in a Strategic Environment"
GPS Mentors: John Ahlquist, Brian Libgober
Mia Rosenfeld
Topic: "Investigating policy implications of genomic data privacy laws in relation to bioethics and scientific accessibility"
GPS Mentor: Liz Lyons
Ross E. Turner
Topic: "Defining Directed Energy Systems for a Future in Space"
GPS Mentors: Robert L. Thomas, Tai Ming Cheung
Rachel Astete Vasquez
Topic: "The Waterless Flush: Enhanced Performance of a Wet Onsite Sanitation System for Unhoused and Underserved Communities"
GPS Mentor: Teevrat Garg
Vanessa ZoBell
Topic: "Identifying Standards for the Protection of Great Whales from Commercial Shipping Noise"
GPS Mentor: John Ahlquist
Paul Glick
Topic: "Pathways to Flight – The Impact of NASA’s Small Satellite and Technology Demonstration Missions on Long-term Technology Infusion"
GPS Mentors: Liz Lyons, Michael Davidson
Mike Sierks
Topic: "Assessing the Adequacy of Rule Curve-Based Reservoir Operations in Historically Snowmelt Driven Basins of California Under Future Climate"
GPS Mentor: Kate Ricke
Kara Voss
Topic: "The Role of Research Institutions in Community Resilience to Extreme Weather Events"
GPS Mentor: Kate Ricke
Meredith Fish, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Topic: atmospheric rivers
GPS Mentors: Kate Ricke, Jennifer Burney
Jennifer Le, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Topic: deep-sea ecosystems
GPS Mentors: Liz Lyons, Kate Ricke
Kaitlyn Lowder, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Topic: Ocean acidification and lobster fisheries
GPS Mentors: Gordon McCord, Kate Ricke
Karcher Morris, Jacobs School of Engineering
Topic: 3-D printing of medical devices
GPS Mentors: Liz Lyons, Roger Bohn
Mike Sierks, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Topic: hydroclimate of the American west
GPS Mentors: Kate Ricke, Jennifer Burney
Kara Voss, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Topic: the role of research institutions in community resilience to extreme weather events
GPS Mentors: Kate Ricke, Jennifer Burney
Meredith Fish, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Topic: atmospheric rivers
GPS Mentors: Kate Ricke, Jennifer Burney
Kaitlyn Lowder, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Topic: Ocean acidification and lobster fisheries
GPS Mentors: Gordon McCord, Kate Ricke
Karcher Morris, Jacobs School of Engineering
Topic: 3-D printing of medical devices
GPS Mentors: Liz Lyons, Roger Bohn
Osinachi Ajoku, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Second year of fellowship; topic: Biomass burning in Sub-Saharan Africa
GPS Mentor: Jennifer Burney
Osinachi Ajoku, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Topic: Biomass burning in Sub-Saharan Africa
GPS Mentor: Jennifer Burney
Mridu Sinha, Jacobs School of Engineering
Topic: Healthcare decision support tool adoption
GPS Mentor: Roger Bohn
Devesh Vashishtha, School of Medicine
Topic: Health implications of heat waves
GPS Mentor: Gordon McCord
Gavin Cornwell, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Topic: boundary layer geo-engineering
GPS Mentor: John Ahlquist
Claudia Rafful, School of Medicine
Topic: Human rights implications of involuntary drug treatment
GPS Mentor: Emilie Hafner Burton
Naila Seale, Jacobs School of Engineering
Topic: regulation of disruptive healthcare therapies
GPS Mentors: Liz Lyons, Joshua Graff Zivin, Roger Bohn
Lynn Waterhouse, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Topic: Fisheries stock assessments
GPS Mentor: John Ahlquist
Negin Nazarian, Jacobs School of Engineering
Topic: urban climate modeling
GPS Mentor: David Victor
Hermes Taylor-Weiner, Jacobs School of Engineering
Topic: regenerative medicine regulation
GPS Mentor: Joshua Graff Zivin
Candidates must be a Ph.D. student from UC San Diego’s STEM-related Ph.D. programs such as
Applications are closed
Natural Variability, Trends and the Future of Western U.S. Aridity and Forest Fires
March 17, 2023
On March 17, we welcomed David Battisti, who studies natural and forced variability in the climate system, to deliver the inaugural lecture in GPS's new Science & Policy speaker series. In this candid conversation, Battisti discussed his research on how the interactions between the ocean, atmosphere, land and sea ice lead to variability in climate on time scales from seasonal to decades, plus how climate change (including El Nino) affects food production.
Decarbonizing the U.S. Energy System: A Science Policy Fellows Event
Dec. 4, 2019
At UC San Diego, we are tackling the interrelated policy and technology challenges that must be addressed to get to zero global carbon emissions in a world where costs matter. What will it take, and how do we get there? Can the U.S. be a global leader, paving the way for other developed economies to follow? A panel of School of Global Policy and Strategy professors discussed the feasibility of the U.S. removing carbon from its energy system, as well as explored what strategies and organizational infrastructure needs to be in place.
Science and Politics: A GPS Science Policy Fellows Roundtable Event
Oct. 30, 2018
Should scientists try and influence policy? Should policymakers and elected officials be required to share their science platform during their campaigns? How can science really make the most impact on policy outcomes? Join us as we bring together scientists and policymakers to discuss these questions and more.
Fighting wildfires with web based imagery
Dec. 6, 2017
Ten of the top 20 most destructive California wildfires, according to Cal Fire, have occurred in the last decade. Are wildfires on the rise? What’s being done to prevent wildfires? What can we do to protect ourselves? An interdisciplinary expert panel of UC San Diego researchers and county officials explored answers to these critical questions.
Water in the West: A Science Policy Roundtable
Dec. 8, 2016
Presented by the School of Global Policy and Strategy’s Science Policy Fellows Program and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Science Policy Discussion Group, this roundtable explored the sources of California’s water supply, how it is used throughout the state and best practices for optimal regulation of its use.
Listen to Jennifer Burney and Marty Ralph featured Dec. 8, 2016 on KPBS, “San Diego Climate Scientists Strive To Better Impact Public Policy” (audio)
Read a recap of the event "Variability biggest bane of water in the West"
Watch the video