Engaging Early‐Career Scientists in Global Policy‐Making

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 62; no. 34; pp. e202217841 - n/a
• Main Authors: John, Torsten, Cordova, Kyle E., Jackson, Christopher T., Hernández‐Mondragón, Alma C., Davids, Bianca L., Raheja, Lovish, Milić, Jovana V., Borges, João
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 21.08.2023
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Antibiotic resistance; Careers; Climate change; COVID-19; Decision making; Early-Career Scientists; Pandemics; Policies; Policy-Making; Science Diplomacy; Science for Policy Training; Scientific Academies and Networks; Scientists; Policy-Making; Science for Policy Training; Scientific Academies and Networks; Science Diplomacy; Early-Career Scientists
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.202217841

Pressing global challenges, such as climate change, the COVID‐19 pandemic, or antibiotic resistance, require coordinated international responses guided by evidence‐informed decisions. For this purpose, it is critical that scientists engage in providing insights during the decision‐making process. However, the mechanisms for the engagement of scientists in policy‐making are complex and vary internationally, which often poses significant challenges to their involvement. Herein, we address some of the mechanisms and barriers for scientists to engage in policy‐making with a global perspective by early‐career scientists. We highlight the importance of scientific academies, societies, universities, and early‐career networks as stakeholders and how they can adapt their structures to actively contribute to shaping global policies, with representative examples from chemistry‐related disciplines. We showcase the importance of raising awareness, providing resources and training, and leading discussions about connecting emerging scientists with global decision‐makers to address societal challenges through policies. Societal, political, and institutional barriers impede early‐career scientists’ engagement in evidence‐informed policy‐making to address societal challenges. Better training, recognition, and stakeholder reforms could raise awareness and involvement of scientists across disciplines in the policy‐making process.