What if your final class project wasn’t just a paper, but something that could actually change real-world policy? In BME 4440: “Science Policy Bootcamp: Concept to Conclusion,” learning does not always stay inside the classroom — while students study science, they also learn how to use it to shape real-world policy and decisions.
Taught by Prof. Chris Schaffer, biomedical engineering, the “bootcamp” brings together a group of 15-20 undergraduate and graduate students from different STEM backgrounds to explore how science and policy connect in meaningful ways.
The goal is to help students understand that science is closely connected to policy, and that both play a role in shaping the world around them.
“The other side of science is science for policy,” Schaffer said. “The idea is to use the fruits of science, knowledge, data and research to help shape policy decisions around issues that affect all of us.”
Schaffer explained that science policy influences many of today’s challenges, including healthcare, climate change and technologies such as artificial intelligence. Scientific research can help policy-makers make decisions about reducing carbon emissions or regulating AI systems.
Unlike many traditional STEM classes, this course does not focus on heavy exams or memorization. Instead, it prioritizes a semester-long group project in which students identify a real-world issue, research both the science and the policies behind it and develop a solution that could make a real impact.
Throughout the semester, students practice real-world skills that go beyond the normal classroom structure — they write policy memos, draft op-eds, analyze stakeholders and learn how to communicate with policymakers.
The class is structured as a small, collaborative environment where students regularly present their ideas, receive feedback and refine their projects over time. Schaffer believes that this learning model helps students better understand how policy decisions are actually developed and implemented.
“It’s very much a project-based learning class,” Schaffer said. “The main thing that you’re spending significant time on and working on is something that you decided you care enough about to select as a project.”
BME 4440 was inspired by Schaffer’s own path through science and policy. He began his academic career studying physics and went to graduate school working on laser-based technologies. Then, his interest in applying physics to real-world problems led him to shift into biology, training as a neurobiologist and using those same tools to study strokes in the brain, he told The Sun.
After coming to Cornell, Schaffer continued his research while also developing an interest in science policy. During a sabbatical, he was selected for the Science and Technology Policy Fellowship from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which allowed him to work as a science policy advisor for Sen. Ed Markey (D-M.A.) and gain firsthand experience in how policy decisions are made.
That experience inspired Schaffer to create BME 4440 as a way to give students a similar opportunity to understand how science and policy work can come together in the real world.
“The goal, and maybe the idea behind the course, was to try to recreate elements of my experience in D.C. because I felt like I learned a lot about how policymaking really happens,” Schaffer said.
For Sylvana Ross, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate studying entomology, found that the hands-on aspect made the course feel more relevant and engaging.
“A lot of scientists aren’t politicians, and a lot of politicians aren’t scientists, so we don’t really understand each other’s world,” Ross said. “It might be nice to get into a class where I can understand that and then apply it to some of the work that I’m doing.”
In the class, Ross worked on a group project that connected high school students with scientists to study harmful algal blooms, which happen when algae grow rapidly in lakes and can damage water quality in the Finger Lakes area.
Her project focused on collecting data and helping high school students use that data to advocate for changes in their own communities.
Reflecting on the experience, Ross emphasized how meaningful it was to work on something she was passionate about and make a difference that continues today.
“It was nice that we got to do something we cared about,” Ross said. “If you care about the thing that you have to work on outside of class, it makes it way more enjoyable.”
Jarahn Johnson ’25, who also took BME 4440, found the course to be a valuable opportunity to apply what he had been learning.
“I’d been searching for opportunities to build that muscle of being able to communicate complex topics to lay audiences,” Johnson said. “I was always curious about what that might look like from a policy perspective.”
Johnson said that a memorable part of the course was visits from guest speakers. Schaffer brought in professionals with work experience in science policy.
“It felt different than looking things up on Google,” Jarahn said. “We were hearing from people who had real history in making science policy.”
Johnson’s group focused on improving access to stroke care in rural communities through telemedicine. Through this project, he was able to combine his interest in medicine with policy-based problem-solving.
“It’s one thing to see a science concept in a lecture,” Johnson said. “It's another thing when it's used to impact people's daily lives.”
For many students, the impact of the course continues even after it ends. The class has influenced Ross’s current work in her Ph.D. program, where she develops community-based environmental projects and helps students advocate for change in their own neighborhoods.
Johnson plans to attend medical school in Washington, D.C., where he hopes to continue exploring opportunities in science policy, especially given the city’s strong connection to government and policymaking.
Overall, students describe the course as a valuable experience that helps them see science in a new way. Johnson said that the course pushes students out of their comfort zones and encourages them to think about how their work affects real people.
