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Global Policy & Affairs
Facilitating policies in support of optics and photonics worldwide.
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Congressional Fellowship Program
Application are now open. Deadline to apply is 05 January 2024.
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Careers for Scientists and Engineers in Policy
Watch the webinar to gain insights from a panel of Ph.D. scientists and engineers who have harnessed their scientific and technical expertise for policy.
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Global Environmental Measurement and Monitoring Initiative (GEMM)
Engaging experts at institutions worldwide to form multidisciplinary regional centers that create and share new measurement technologies and climate models.
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Chips Initiatives
Optica is tracking two major semiconductor investments in the United States and in the EU
Learn more about Chips acts
Advocate of Optics
Recognizing an outstanding public official from any country who demonstrates leadership and support for the advancement of optics and photonics.
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Coalitions
Partnering with scientific, university and business organizations to achieve common goals.
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US Public Affairs Programs
Providing Congressional Fellowships, Capitol Hill and District Visits and other resources to advance optics and photonics policy within the United States.
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Policy Issue Positions
Statements from the Optica Public Policy Council and Board of Directors on critical issues worldwide.
Find out where we stand on the issuesPublic Affairs
Optica Leads Multisociety Letter to White House and Congress Urging Action to Assist Ukrainians
“The undersigned organizations write to condemn the invasion of Ukraine and express our deep concern and strong support for the Ukrainian people during this time of crisis. We also urge quick Executive and Congressional action on immigration rules and research programs to aid Ukrainian students and researchers and their families in fleeing the country and establishing themselves elsewhere…”
Public Affairs
Scientific Societies Support Additional Visas for Students with STEM Degrees
Scientific societies, including Optica (formerly The Optical Society), signed onto a letter supporting increasing the number of EB (employment-based) visas for international students who earn, or previously earned, advanced STEM degrees in the United States. The letter also requests that these individuals be exempt from any per-country cap.
Public Affairs
An open letter from Russian scientists and science journalists against the war with Ukraine
“We, Russian scientists and scientific journalists, declare a strong protest against the hostilities launched by the armed forces of our country on the territory of Ukraine. This fatal step leads to huge human losses and undermines the foundations of the established system of international security. The responsibility for unleashing a new war in Europe lies entirely with Russia..."
Public-Affairs
Coalition asks White House to Support STEM Community in Afghanistan
Science societies including Optica (formerly The Optical Society) signed onto a letter to Dr. Eric Lander, the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to extend assistance to engineers, scientists, and other educated professionals in Afghanistan. The letter also asks them to assist women in STEM in their exodus from Afghanistan.
