Empowering
Physical Scientists

The FCC has recently opened comment periods for two satellite systems of interest to the astronomical community: (i) a filing for a single demonstration satellite from Reflect Orbital, which aims to sell sunlight at night, and (ii) a filing for one million orbital data centers by SpaceX. The public has the right to weigh in as the FCC considers whether to grant these and other applications.

Check out this page from the American Astronomical Society for more details on how to submit your comments by early March.

Congressional Visits Day gives you direct access to decision-makers who shape science policy. Your expertise and personal stories help Congress understand how funding, legislation, and public policy decisions impact your field.

The American Geophysical Union is hosting a Congressional Visits Day event on 21-22 April 2026. Learn more on this page and apply by 15 March 2026 to join.

One of the most effective ways to advocate for the sciences is through a constituent appropriations request — essentially, asking your congressional representative to direct funding toward a particular area.

If you would like to see your members of Congress support a vigorous US science enterprise, follow the steps on this page from the American Astronomical Society to submit a constituent appropriations request. Upcoming deadlines are based on your state/house district.

For over two decades, the American Meteorological Society Science Policy Colloquium has offered a career-shaping opportunity for earth and atmospheric scientists and professionals to gain insight into the federal policy process.

Join 30–40 of your peers who will dialog with policy-level officials in the federal agencies and Executive Office of the President, Congressional members and staffers from both parties, and other leaders engaged in the policy process.

The John N. Bahcall Public Policy Fellowship is a full-time one-year postdoctoral level position, renewable for a second year. The salary for this position is like the AIP Congressional Science Fellowship.

Learn more about this fellowship opportunity from the American Astronomical Society and apply by 15 April 2026.

NSF is requesting input on the future of NCAR. The Administration currently intends to dismantle the organization, so this is a critical moment to speak up.

You can share how changes to NCAR affect public safety, jobs, and preparedness close to home through this form provided by the American Geophysical Union. NSF will use the responses to help shape the future of NCAR, so your detailed input is invaluable to preserve the incredible value of the institution.

The American Meteorological Society is deeply concerned by the repeal of EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding, which correctly concluded that greenhouse gas emissions harm health and well-being for current and future generations.

AMS reaffirms key scientific conclusions of climate change that relate to the Endangerment Finding in this statement. You can read the full statement here.

NASA’s science portfolio faces growing structural pressures driven not by technical shortcomings, but by budgetary instability, funding misalignment, and an increasingly compressed execution environment.

Read more about the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics assessment and policy considerations, not as an advocate for any single mission or organizational model, but as a neutral technical convener representing the engineers and scientists responsible for executing NASA’s mission.

After months of advocacy, extensive negotiations, and a record-breaking government shutdown, Congress has at last passed fiscal year 2026 budget appropriations for the agencies covered by the Commerce, Justice, Science and Energy and Water subcommittees. The appropriations bills include DOE, NASA, NIST, and NSF.

Use this page and template from the American Physical Society to submit your message to show Congress that we appreciate their support.

On 8 and 15 January 2026, Congress passed multiple spending bills for Fiscal Year 2026 that largely reject the devastating cuts to our science agencies proposed in the President’s Budget Request. Take a few minutes today to thank your members of Congress for their support of the sciences, and urge them to continue to provide robust and sustained support in the future.

Use this page and template from the American Astronomical Society to submit your message to Congress.

Scientists from dozens of disciplines with deep experience in climate, Earth, and environmental sciences, are denouncing the U.S. withdrawal from global organizations and treaties that support global cooperation on these critical issues.

The American Geophysical Union welcomes the global scientific community to sign on to a letter in opposition of the U.S. withdrawal from organizations and treaties that support global cooperation on climate, Earth, and environmental sciences.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) will be dismantled, according to Administration officials. NCAR provides key weather and climate research and data that is critical for businesses, the public, and advancing research. Its advanced computing allows its to run weather and climate models that help predict severe storms, allows for farmers to prepare for long-term weather patterns, and airlines to fly safely.

Fill out this form from the American Geophysical Union to urge your members of Congress to speak out.

The past year has brought considerable uncertainty and cuts to the United States STEM workforce. This includes federal employees at science agencies such as NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy, as well as students and researchers nationwide.

Use this form from the American Astronomical Society to ask your members of Congress to support the Keep STEM Talent Act

This page from AAPM is regularly updated with new ways to advocate for the physical sciences. We encourage those within the community and those who are supporters of science to visit this page to see how they can take action for causes they care about.

Use this page from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine to keep up to date with different ways you can advocate for the physical sciences community.

This survey by the American Physical Society collects stories showcasing the transformative positive impact of NSF, NIST, DOE, NASA, and DOD-funded research and programs as well as what would be lost if support for basic research evaporates. You can document your experiences and share how recent executive actions have impacted you.

The American Astronomical Society is deeply concerned about reductions in force at federal agencies, the cancellation and/or suspension of federal grants, and rumored deep cuts to science funding. Keep checking, AAS will update resources, information, and actions for AAS members during this challenging time. Request a membership waiver, seek meeting support for AAS 246, and other resources.

Take action! The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering is your public policy advocate. AIMBE outlines actions you can take to advocate for science and engineering. Check out this page for local, state, and federal resources.

The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering surveyed biomedical/biological engineering departments across the country to assess the impact of disruptions to research and training since January 2025.

Check out the survey results and infographics.

The American Meteorological Society has temporarily opened a variety of services to the entire community regardless of membership status. If you have been affected by ongoing cuts to U.S. federal budgets and staffing, please make use of any of these resources that you need.

It is up to you to be persuasive in support of your request or “ask.” That means explicitly showing the policymakers how supporting your ask benefits their and their constituents’ interests and fits with their values. Check out the American Geophysical Union’s worksheet for tips and guidance.

Preparation and purpose are both key to a successful meeting with a policymaker’s office. A well-crafted and practiced message helps your argument be heard and understood. Learn more from the American Physical Society.

With the serious issues the world is facing today, the role of Earth and space science is more vital than ever. It’s never been more important for scientists to make their voices heard. Your advocacy strengthens the voice of science and offers crucial testimony that only you can give.

Use this form from the American Geophysical Union to your representatives quicker, easier, and on the issues you care about most.

Take action for the scientific community by contacting your elected officials about important issues. Learn more about the American Physical Society’s 2025 advocacy priorities. Contact your members of Congress and make your voice heard through the portals on this page.

Creating a good one-pager ensures that legislators and their staff remember you, your science, and the issues you care about. Check out these tips and this template to create your one-pager as part of the American Geophysical Union’s Sharing Science Program.