Linda Foit, a postdoctoral student in the Bardwell Lab, together with three other graduate students have founded InSPIRE, Interdisciplinary Science and Policy Initiative for Research Engagement, an interdisciplinary workshop.

Along with Foit, Ethan Hyland, Ph.D. Candidate in Earth and Environmental Sciences, Hua Cai, Ph.D .Pre-Candidate in Resource Policy and Behavior (SNRE), and Kathleen Dumas, Ph.D. Candidate, Cellular & Molecular Biology created the InSPIRE, which has received fudning from Rackham Graduate School. This workshop is designed to bring together students from policy, lab, business, science and engineering to discuss policy issues related to science, health, and technology.

The workshop is multifaceted and designed to:

  • encourage an interdisciplinary dialog between students from different fields promoting exchange of ideas, academic tools, view-points and perspectives
  • create opportunities to establish interdisciplinary research projects
  • create awareness among science and engineering students for the policy implications of their research
  • bridge the communication gap between policy makers and scientists.

InSPIRE is also a great opportunity for graduate and master students interested in science and health policy to:

  • meet experts in the field of public policy
  • learn to communicate the importance of their research to an audience with substantially different backgrounds
  • gain diverse perspectives on major policy topics like health care, sciences, climate change, communications technology, energy, and environment
  • improve their communication and presentation skills
  • practice networking with peers

To view the workshop's schedule and learn more, please visit the InSPIRE Website.