The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) and the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA) are pleased to announce that Anna Rader Groves has been selected for the 2025 AIBS & SURA Public Policy Fellowship. This professional development opportunity provides young scientists with valuable first-hand experience in science policy.
Anna Rader Groves, graduate student from Georgia State University, selected for the AIBS & SURA Public Policy Fellowship. Credit: Hannah Sturgeon
Anna Rader Groves is a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience at Georgia State University, where she studies the structural and functional development of context processing during adolescence and its relevance to schizophrenia. Passionate about science policy advocacy, she has gained extensive experience through the National Science Policy Network (NSPN), including completing an internship at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, serving on the NSPN Science Communication Committee, working as an editor for the blog SciPolBites, and serving as an NSPN Science Policy Scholar-in-Residence. In addition, Rader Groves co-founded and chaired the Service, Neuroscience, and Policy (SNP) Journal Club at Georgia State University and worked as a graduate student advisor for NeuWrite ATL, where she developed science communication resources for Atlanta’s neuroscience community.
Ms. Rader Groves applied for this fellowship because it provides an opportunity “to engage with federal science policy as a graduate student in a direct, hands-on way.” She contends that public policy is “a critical outlet” for scientific research and “without scientists engaging in policy, science fails to live up to its full impact in society.” She firmly believes that “scientists have a responsibility to inform and work with policymakers in a manner that maximizes public trust and understanding and integrates scientific knowledge into American governance.”
Ms. Rader Groves will work closely with AIBS and SURA policy staff in Washington, DC, this summer to gain first-hand experience with science policy and advocacy efforts that inform federal decision-making.
“AIBS is excited to provide this valuable professional development opportunity in science policy in partnership with SURA,” said AIBS Chief Executive Officer Scott Glisson. “We look forward to working with Ms. Rader Groves, who has demonstrated great promise for leadership at the intersection of science and policy.”
“SURA is proud to support this fellowship, which empowers young scientists like Anna Rader Groves to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and public policy,” said SURA President and Chief Executive Officer Sean Hearne. “Her dedication to neuroscience research and science advocacy exemplifies the kind of leadership needed to ensure that scientific knowledge plays a vital role in shaping policy decisions.”
The AIBS & SURA Public Policy Fellowship is financially supported by AIBS and SURA. SURA is a national consortium of over 50 universities dedicated to advancing collaborative research and education and to strengthen the scientific capabilities of its members and the nation. AIBS is a nonprofit scientific association dedicated to advancing the biological sciences for the benefit of science and society.
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