2012 Washington Symposium
and Capitol Hill Poster Session
Preparing for Capitol Hill Meetings
The following information is meant to help you prepare for your meeting with a senator, representative, or staff member. We have compiled the tips and information from former and current Capitol Hill staffers, American Chemical Society Congressional Fellows, and past Washington Symposium participants.
What to Expect
- The unexpected! You may not end up meeting with the person you were supposed to meet with. This is not an indication of their level of interest in you or your project, more a fact of Congressional life in that last minute changes take place, emergency meetings happen, and votes are called with little to no notice.
- You may meet with a staff member instead of your representative or senator. Remember that staff members are bright, enthusiastic, and important members of a Congressional office, and the opportunity to present your project to any member of an office is a valuable one. Staff members also present the results of any meetings with constituents to their member, and are the people to follow up with in the future.
- The person you meet with may or may not be familiar with your exact discipline. Direct your materials for someone who is bright and interested in what you have to say, but who is not necessarily a specialist in a scientific field. The more accessible you can make your information, the better.
- A 10-15 minute meeting. Some meetings may be longer, but on average, you’ll have just enough time to give a short summary of your project and answer a few questions. We advise you to arrive at least 5 minutes before your scheduled meeting time at to allot 15 minutes to go through building security.
The Meeting Itself
You may wind up meeting in the lobby of the office, or in a more private area. Congressional offices are typically busy and cramped, so don’t be surprised if there are several distractions. The person may or may not be familiar with your specific project, but will be interested in what you have to say. These are the fun meetings for staffers and members of Congress - when they get to find out about some of the great things their constituents are doing.
A typical meeting
Briefly introduce yourself and any colleagues
Get to the point: State the purpose of your visit and give a 3-5 minute summary of your project.
- Prepare talking points but not a script! Avoid jargon: distill your project down to the most important points in a way that a bright person who is not necessarily familiar with the particulars of your work will understand.
- You should note if you’re there just to give them an update on something great happening in their district or if you’re asking for something.
- Please remember, we are setting up these meetings so that you can share some of what you are working on, and so that they can see what some of the support they’ve given to the NSF is helping to develop. SENCER cannot lobby and these meetings are not meant for you to do so on our behalf. Of course, you can mention SENCER in relation to your project and/or note that their support of the NSF contributed to your project. We just want to emphasize that the point of these meetings is to showcase your work and make connections for your institution, not to advocate for us.
Several people have also asked for some information on SENCER to leave to better clarify their projects. We will provide a viewbook on NCSCE and SENCER to you at on-site registration.
If you’d like, invite him/her or a member of the district-based staff to come to your campus.
Leave something behind
- It’s always good to leave something people can reference later. A one-page non-scientific summary of your project that easily readable and not overcrowded is ideal. Some people also choose to leave a letter-sized copy of their poster.
- Make sure to include contact information on the sheet.
If your meeting occurs before the Poster Session, invite them to attend. The poster session and lunch reception will be held from 11:30 - 3:00 in Rayburn House Office Building (set up begins at 11:00 am for participants).
Exchange business cards if you haven’t already; make sure you get their contact information.
After the Meeting
Email the person you met with when you get back to campus. Remind them of your meeting, thank them for their time, and offer to do something for them. Some examples are:
- Serve as a resource, offer future information and updates
- Extend an open invitation to he/she or a member of the local district staff to a class, field trip, or event on campus
- Offer to do demonstrations for the staff or congressional member, if applicable to your project
Tips for "Leave-Behinds"
Length: one page.
Make the prose brief - try to not get bogged down with details. Instead, consider the main, general points that are important to get across.
Use non-technical language.
Include your contact information.
Summary Tips
- Be flexible.
- Don’t be nervous: have fun, be confident, and enjoy the conversation. Remember, these are the enjoyable meetings for members of Congress and their staffs.
- Try not to be confrontational or to put people on the spot in a way that might embarrass them: for example, by asking them if they’ve read a certain part of a specific report. Ask more general questions, or refer to the issue itself instead of a line item in one of the many reports/laws that are dealt with each day.
- Be brief! Aim your summary for someone who is intelligent but not necessarily a scientist.
- Leave something behind: a one-page summary is perfect (with your contact information of course!)
- Bring a digital camera if you’d like a picture: unfortunately, we won’t be able to come around to every meeting. There may be a photographer around the office, but to be sure, bring your own camera (and please email copies of those photos to NCSCE!).
Photograph of 2011 participants from the University of Hawaii (Manoa) with Senator Inouye