Chad Jackson
2014-16 Executive Branch Fellow, U.S. Department of State
Ph.D., Molecular Neuropharmacology
After finishing a post doctorate, Chad wanted to pursue a career outside of academia. He applied to become an S&T Policy Fellow upon the suggestion of a good friend. “It was one of the best career decisions I could have made.” The fellowship allowed him to collaborate with “transformative” scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs, and policy wonks, he added.
Today, Chad says he sees his career heading in a direction that includes “helping global innovation by engaging scientists in innovation and entrepreneurship to spark lab-to-market practices.” Currently in the Office of the Science and Technology Advisor to the Secretary of State, he covers emerging technologies, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
His mission is to “understand and translate the landscape of emerging technologies that impact U.S. Government foreign policy to State Department senior leadership, and help build and implement an international science and technology innovation strategy.” Engaged in a number of activities that reflect this mission, he recently helped coordinate a high-level meeting on international brain research cooperation to take place this fall at the United Nations General Assembly.
I hope other governments, domestic and abroad, consider adopting a similar mechanism to the S&T Policy Fellowship to engage science communities – the value is off the charts.
Chad holds the fellowship program in high regard as a “unique opportunity for scientists from all backgrounds to dip their toes into the world of policy.” Moreover, he says that the fellowship is an “agent of change” for the U.S. scientific community. “I hope other governments, domestic and abroad, consider adopting a similar mechanism to the S&T Policy Fellowship to engage science communities – the value is off the charts.”