Not sure how to advocate for science? Here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Find your U.S. Federal representatives and how to contact them
2. Know where your representatives stand on key issues relating to science
   1. How did your representatives vote for funding science?
      1. FY-2026 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriation (NSF, NASA, and NOAA)
      2. FY-2026 Energy and Water Appropriation (Dept of Energy’s Office of Science)
      3. FY-2026 Department of the Interior Appropriation (USGS)
   2. How are your representatives working to protect science funding from the threats of:
      1. Directions from the White House to Federal agencies to develop spend plans based on the President’s budget request rather than the FY-2026 Appropriations laws   
      2. Recision and impoundment of already appropriated funding for FY-2026
   3. Where do your representatives stand on policies relating to the practice of science?
      1. The Weather Act
      2. Efforts to dismantle NCAR
      3. Allocation of radiofrequency spectra for meteorological uses
   4. Where do they stand on public issues that are informed by science that you care about? (Note that AMS rarely, if ever, takes positions on public issues–AMS advocates for the advancement of science and that scientific understanding be used in policy deliberation but recognizes that policy choices also involve value judgements that science cannot fully resolve) 
3. Develop your message
   1. Are you glad with what they’ve done? If so, you could thank them for it.
   2. Are you unhappy with what they’ve done? If so, you could let them know.
   3. Are there things you’d like them to do? If so, you can ask them to.
4. Make your call
   1. Practice your message (keep it brief and on point, be respectful, be confident with what you know–your areas of expertise–and be humble about what you aren’t familiar (probably politics and procedure) 
5. Plan to do it again
   1. How about five minutes once a month to advocate for science? 
6. Build your skills for policy engagement
   1. Get informed
      1. See our how-to document
      2. Attend an AMS policy colloquium
      3. Participate in a Congressional visits day
   2. Stay informed
      1. Use FYI’s budget tracker and sign up for FYI policy alerts
      2. Keep an eye on the AAAS budget dashboard
7. Engage your community