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Government Affairs and Public Policy

GSA HOSTS FIRST-EVER VIRTUAL Your Society is an active member of legislation and programs, and helped
GEOSCIENCE CONGRESSIONAL coalitions that submit testimony and develop resources for GSA members to
VISITS DAY letters in support of these and other geo- engage in policy.
GSA provides opportunities for its mem- science agencies, including the Coalition
bers to meet with members of Congress for National Science Funding, the GSA-USGS CONGRESSIONAL SCIENCE
and their staff by holding Geoscience Coalition for Aerospace and Science, FELLOW
Congressional Visits Days (GeoCVDs) the USGS Coalition, the Energy Sciences Each year, GSA and the
and associated training sessions. Coalition, and the Task Force on USGS jointly sponsor a
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Innovation, during both the geoscientist to spend a
annual GeoCVD was held virtually for regular appropriations process and year working in the office
the first time. On 15–16 September 2020, response to COVID-19. of a member of Congress
more than 85 previous GeoCVD attendees GSA submitted letters to policymakers or congressional committee. Charles
responded to invitations to attend two on topics such as Gertler began a one-year term in the office
webinars that provided legislative and • priorities for the transition team; of Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) as the
budget updates and best practices for vir- • open access of scientific publications; GSA-USGS Congressional Science Fellow
tual meetings. Overall, GSA received posi- • climate change research needs; and in September 2020. Gertler earned his
tive feedback on its first virtual GeoCVD, • visa and immigration policy. Ph.D. at MIT, where his doctoral work
with one of the participants reflecting, “I focused on the extratropical storm tracks
enjoyed getting fellow scientists involved “Becoming a member of GSA and their response to climate changes.
for the first time and was fascinated to get changed my life. From field camp Gertler wrote, “My time on Capitol Hill so
a bit of the behind-the-scenes look at what to the halls of the U.S. Capitol, far has been spent entirely on Zoom, save
is going on with some bills.” my journey as a professional one in-person press conference. In all this
earth scientist was made possible time, I have nonetheless drawn deeply on
GSA PROVIDES NEW RESOURCES TO by the opportunities and the lessons, skills, and ways of thinking I
HELP MEMBERS ENGAGE WITH the people of GSA.” developed while training to become a sci-
POLICYMAKERS entist—understanding uncertainty, proj-
GSA and other geoscience societies held GSA SCIENCE POLICY FELLOW ect iteration, navigating complexity, and
a series of webinars to help members Despite the COVID-19 structured analysis, to name a few—to
effectively engage in policy remotely: pandemic, GSA continued contribute to the policy-making process.”
• New Year, New Congress! What You Need its commitment to its sci-
to Know about Getting Involved. ence policy fellowship GSA ADOPTS SEVEN NEW AND
• Concise & Memorable: Creating an program and welcomed UPDATED POSITION STATEMENTS
Effective Policy One-Pager. Connor Dacey to begin a one-year term as Over the past year, GSA Council
GSA also launched a new members-only the “in-house” Fellow in August 2020, adopted one new position statement:
online toolkit featuring the webinars, working as part of GSA’s Washington, D.C., U.S. Flood Risk Management. Minor
short videos, and other resources to help office. Connor worked remotely through- revisions to the following six position
members start their involvement in policy: out the entirety of his fellowship term, but statements were also approved: Public
https://www.geosociety.org/policy-toolkit. that did not stop him from helping to bring Investment in Earth Science Research;
science and scientists into the policy pro- Role of Government in Energy and
GSA LETTERS AND TESTIMONY cess. Connor helped organize and partici- Mineral Resources Research; Visas
GSA submitted testimony requesting pate in the first virtual GeoCVD, worked for Foreign Scientists and Students;
increased funding for the U.S. Geological with GSA’s Geology and Public Policy Importance of Teaching Earth Science;
Survey (USGS), National Science Foundation Committee, represented GSA at virtual Expanding and Improving Geoscience
(NSF), and National Aeronautics and Space coalition meetings, attended nearly 30 in Higher Education; and Diversity in
Administration (NASA) for fiscal year 2022. virtual hearings on relevant geoscience the Geosciences Community.

FY21 HIGHLIGHTS:

• Geoscience Congressional Visits Days was held • An online toolkit was created to help members
virtually for the first time start their involvement in policy

• Two webinars were held to make policy more • GSA adopted seven new and updated Position
accessible remotely Statements

22 FY21 Annual Program Report