President Biden to Elevate Presidential Science Advisor to a Cabinet-Level Position

President Biden intends to elevate the position of Presidential Science Advisor to a Cabinet-level position. Dr. Eric Lander, the Presidential Science Advisor-designate and nominee for Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), is expected to fill the position upon being confirmed by the Senate. Dr. Lander is a mathematician by training and was a key figure in the international Human Genome Project in the 1990s.

President Biden has named Kei Koizumi as Chief of Staff of OSTP. Koizumi served 8 years as Assistant Director for Federal Research and Development and Senior Advisor to the Director for the National Science and Technology Council at OSTP during the Obama administration.

Since 1973, ASME has supported Federal Fellowship positions in order to bolster the voices of scientists and engineers in the public policy process. The program enables selected ASME members to devote a year to working in government, providing engineering and technical advice to policy makers in the U.S. Congress, the White House, and federal agencies. ASME’s Federal Fellowships provide a valuable public service to the nation while at the same time providing engineers with a unique opportunity to participate directly in the policy-making process.

ASME placed its first Fellow at the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the White House in 1981, providing ASME Members with an exceptional opportunity to learn how the federal executive branch works while providing a valuable service to the nation. OSTP is provided with much needed engineering expertise, and the fellows gain both an inside view of the Executive Office of the President and first-hand knowledge of how decisions are made at the top level of our government.

About the ASME Federal Fellowship Program

ASME Federal Fellowships are sponsored by ASME Government Relations, the ASME Foundation, the ASME Petroleum Division, and the ASME Bioengineering Division. Applications for 2021-22 ASME Fellowships in Energy, Bioengineering and Advanced Manufacturing are being accepted through Jan. 31, 2021. For more information, including more about current fellows and 2021-22 fellowship opportunities, visit https://www.asme.org/government-relations/federal-fellows-program.

Those interested in making a contribution to the program can do so and learn more by visiting the ASME Foundation’s website at https://www.asmefoundation.org/.