Coordinator of the 'PhD Program in Plant Sciences and Policy': Dr. Andrea Pfisterer (andreapf@ethz.ch)
The PSC PhD Program in Plant Sciences and Policy is open to talented young scientists that are motivated to carry out excellent research in plant sciences and to take responsibility at the interface between policy, public and research. It started in September 2010.
Applications are welcome!
Our decision to set up a PhD program that combines plant sciences and policy-work is based on the need to train young scientists in their role as interpreters of scientific progress towards policy and the public. This reflects our view that scientific progress requires not only specialization – which is usually provided within the context of a research group – but also the ability to interact and collaborate with our society. It is essential that the next generation of scientists is comfortable with the idea of opening themselves as experts in a certain field (e.g. the introduction of GMO organism or the conservation of biodiversity). The program is aimed at PhD students from plant sciences, but also from other scientific fields, with a strong interest in policy-work.
The PhD program lasts 3 years. Tools and skills for policy-work are introduced in five block courses and applied in various case studies. Each block course is organized as a series of lectures, literature studies, study groups and workshops. Each course is rounded up by the students’ presentations of the case studies and roundtable discussions with senior scientists, external experts, policy-makers and politicians.
In addition, the students will take part in at least one of the Research Skills and Techniques courses offered by the general PSC PhD Program in Plant Sciences or participate in the PSC Colloquium "Challenges in Plant Sciences"..
Networking will be a central criterion within the training program. The students attend at least one national or international conference addressing policy topics in plant sciences and will have the opportunity to organize a panel on the interface of plant sciences and policy in our PSC PhD-Symposium
Supported by the SNSF ProDoc (grant nr. PDAMP3-127227/1) to Ueli Grossniklaus, Manuela Dahinden, Melanie Paschke
More project details:
http://www.plantscience.ethz.ch/education/science_policy/details
