One of the main goals of the MOST Policy Initiative is to establish a direct communication line between lawmakers and scientists who conduct research relevant to Missouri policy discussions. We have built relationships between scientists and elected officials through candidate forums, debate watch parties, policy summits, and direct interactions with state legislators. These events have allowed citizens and scientists to take an active role in understanding how scientific research can contribute to decisions made in Jefferson City, and have allowed us to gather feedback from elected officials regarding what information they need from the scientific community.
In addition to answering questions on current legislation, we continuously receive requests to inform legislators on innovative research findings that may help to solve pressing state issues. To fulfill these requests, we host briefings on relevant and interesting scientific topics, such as biotechnology, flood infrastructure, and rural healthcare, at the statehouse throughout the legislative session and over the summer.