The AAI Public Policy Fellowship Program (PPFP) provides early-career researchers with the opportunity to learn about and participate in the public policy and legislative activities of AAI. Ahead of applications for 2025-26 Fellows opening, we spoke to previous Fellow, Dr Emma Hornick from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Iowa, about her experience.
Applications for the 2025-26 PPFP are open through January 22, 2025. Public Policy Fellows serve from May 1st of their selection year to April 30th of the following year. Visit our website for more information on the program, eligibility and how to apply.
What inspired you to apply for the Public Policy Fellowship Program?
Around the time I began my postdoctoral work, the cavalier treatment of facts—scientific and not—in the media and in public discourse was becoming more concerning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was further frustrated by growing distrust and misunderstanding of science as life-saving vaccines were developed with unprecedented speed thanks to years of NIH-funded biomedical research. I felt strongly that I had a responsibility to get involved somehow. The AAI PPFP was recommended to me as a way of pairing policy and scientific expertise to become an effective advocate for biomedical research.
What did you gain from being part of the Public Policy Fellowship Program?
Everything I had hoped to gain and more! I learned an incredible amount about how funds are allocated by our government, including how continuing resolutions affect the NIH, and all the roadblocks the process can encounter. I have a much better understanding of the structure of the NIH and distribution of funding among the institutes thanks to the insights from AAI staff and former NIAID principal deputy director Hugh Auchincloss. In addition to the knowledge gained, I met some talented and dedicated people!
What was the biggest highlight from being a Fellow?
Hill Day was fantastic! From the welcome dinner through to the last meeting of the day, it was exciting to put everything we learned as a Fellow into action. The AAI staff put an enormous amount of work into scheduling all the meetings and choreographing everyone’s movements throughout the day. The monthly meetings were also a highlight. The presentations were thoughtfully prepared, and the staff facilitated excellent discussions. I had a lot of respect for AAI as an organization going into the program, and that only increased as I learned more about AAI’s public policy work.
What was the biggest challenge you faced?
The meetings on Hill Day were challenging, but not in the way I expected them to be. I had anticipated being overwhelmed by the amount of information we were to convey, but the AAI staff prepared us so well that it was second nature by the time we had our meetings. The excellent training taught us to remain calm and focus on delivering our message professionally.
What piece of advice would you give to any new Fellows?
Dive in! Learn as much as you can, make a habit of reading about what is happening in congress, and familiarize yourself with the people working in your elected officials’ offices. You may find something in common, hometown or alma mater for example, that you can use to connect with them in your meetings. Making a personal connection will make you and your message more memorable. Finally, make sure you let AAI staff know how much you appreciate their hard work!
