Advocacy & Policy Core Committee (APCC)
Charge
The APCC is responsible for:
- Identifying, evaluating, and advancing legislative and science policy issues that impact or are impacted by immunology.
- Developing AAI's annual Advocacy Agenda
- Providing recommendations and guidance to the AAI Council
- Developing messaging and policy-oriented public statements to convey the views of AAI.
Composition
The committee consists of up to 15 members, which shall include a Chair, appointed by a process approved by the Council. Committee members serve three-year terms, staggered so that one third of the members are new each year.
Examples of Ongoing Work
The APCC:
- Works with AAI government affairs staff and the AAI Council to develop an annual AAI Advocacy Agenda.
- Participates in Hill visits to convey messages to members of Congress. Leads the AAI position statement program, ensuring the organization has a compendium of up-to-date positions on relevant issues vetted by the full AAI membership.
- Hosts 1-2 in-person Congressional briefings annually on topics of mutual interest and importance to immunologists and legislators.
- Sponsors 1-2 webinars annually intended to educate AAI members and the broader immunology community.
- Oversees the AAI Public Service Award and AAI Public Affairs Recognition Award programs, to honor outstanding public servants.
- Oversees the AAI Public Policy Fellows Program (PPFP), including a subset of the committee who serve on the PPFP Review Subcommittee.
- Helps plan policy-oriented activities for the AAI annual meeting.
- Maintains a direct relationship with the Public Outreach Core Committee to ensure seamless interaction between the two bodies and to avoid duplicating efforts.
- This committee embodies the principle that diverse voices enrich and advance science. The committee partners with BECC to ensure that the breadth of the immunology community is represented among event and program participants.
Expected Member Time Commitment
- APCC members participate in 2-3 virtual committee meetings annually, and an in-person meeting at the AAI Annual Meeting.
- APCC members travel to Washington, D.C., at least once during their term and possibly annually, for a Capitol Hill Day.
- Asynchronous and subcommittee work is estimated to take 2-3 hours per month.
- APCC members are expected to serve a 3-year term.
Desired Skills, Knowledge, and Experience
- APCC members should have an interest in advocacy and science policy. Direct advocacy experience is preferred but not required.
- APCC members should have strong written and verbal communications skills, including the ability to translate complex scientific information into lay language.
- APCC members should be representative of AAI members across a broad spectrum of immunology focus areas, career stages, employment sectors, as well as geographic and personal demographic categories.