CCST

Science and technology play a vital role in sustaining California's economy, society, and environment. Many critical issues facing California today - public health, transportation, infrastructure, water, energy, tech innovation, and STEM education programs - are deeply rooted in science. California state legislators are asked to make decisions on these policy areas every day, yet few of them have access to science experts and timely information to help inform decisions in real time.

To help bridge this science-policy gap, the California State Legislature established The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST). CCST is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established via the California State Legislature to provide California leaders with objective analysis and advice on policy issues that involve science and technology. CCST has 30 years of experience serving as a trusted resource and network of expertise to governors, legislators, and state entities.

Our CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellowship is a renowned state program that bridges this science/policy gap. We place fifteen PhD scientists and engineers each year to serve as staff in the California State Legislature and Executive Branch. Lawmakers gain direct access to science-savvy advisers - who apply the lens of scientific thinking when analyzing public policy, not just science. At the same time, our CCST Science Fellows receive a matchless introduction to the world of policy, learning directly from legislators, Governor and Cabinet offices, agencies and advocates.

Our Fellows experience a year of public service and leadership training, and the chance to explore a career in California's policy arena. At the same time, the State benefits from access to highly skilled, science-savvy staff to advise them on policy.

The CCST Science Fellows represent an innovative way of strengthening California's government in service to Californians and secure our national leadership position for science informing policy. With PhDs in neuroscience, soil science, marine ecology, organic chemistry, environmental engineering, and molecular biology - just to name a few - our fellows and alumni bring their scientific intuition and analytical experience to the policy arena.

Mission

CCST's core mission is to engage experts from across the State's research and education institutions, private sector, and non-profit organizations to ensure that California policy is informed by sound scientific understanding from multiple perspectives. To help fulfill this mission, CCST maintains formal partnerships with 11 Partner Institutions. CCST brings value by giving California decision makers broad access to Science & Technology experts from multiple perspectives to inform policy.

Needs

The CCST Science Fellows program recruits a corps of fifteen PhD scientists and engineers, who spend one year in Sacramento, directly serving decision makers within the California State Legislature and Executive Branch. Your support of the Science Fellows program will help pay for the science fellow, their training, career development support, mentoring, and all the program needs related to their support and success. Our Fellows experience a year of public service and leadership training, and the chance to explore a career in California's policy arena. At the same time, the State decision makers benefit from access to highly skilled, science-savvy staff.

Friends of CCST: by joining Friends of CCST your BDOG donation will help fund our spectrum of science services: briefings, reports, Science Fellows, and responding to immediate needs of decision makers needing information. CCST is ready to serve California, your support will help make California's policies stronger with science.

CCST has many trainings and meetings. Sponsors or in-kind donations are needed for catering breakfast or lunch at a meeting or providing a meeting space.

Providing a space for a meeting, various group size depending on meeting: 10-40 people.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

CCST

other names

CCST

Tax id (EIN)

94-3093624

Mission Category

Education

Operating Budget

$1,000,001-$5 million

Organization Need

Funding: Program, Funding: Unrestricted, In-Kind Donations

Address

1130 K St. Suite 280
Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone

916-407-6510

Website

http://ccst.us