In the Media

Chandler Sachs and Martha Christino, PhD students at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), have been awarded grants from the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Science for Public Good Fund. The fund supports projects focused on advocating for policy grounded in science and advocacy of scientific knowledge and practice in policies and regulations. The Union of Concerned Scientists prioritizes projects that engage with and support community engagement and environmental justice. 

Sachs and Christino are affiliated with the Center for Sustainable Systems (CSS) at SEAS. Their funding will be used to engage other CSS students and staff in decision-making processes related to scientific research and policy. The work funded by this award will also help CSS students, staff, and faculty develop communication skills to form connections between policy and science audiences. 

Each award includes up to $1,500 of support for advocacy and engagement outlined in the project proposal. The funds are used to advance equitable science-based policy with an emphasis on local communities and impacts, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. The fund has been active for seven years and has supported a range of projects relating to science policy and communication across the United States.