Hertz Foundation and FAS Help Fellows Bridge Science and Policy

One of the first Hertz Fellows to get involved was Irv Lindemuth, a veteran physicist and fusion expert who spent decades at Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore. He was invited by FAS to serve as a technical reviewer for a Day One policy memo by Taylor Loy, a postdoctoral associate at Virginia Tech. The Day One Project, which began ahead of the 2020 presidential election, produces short policy memos that outline, for new policymakers, the challenges and opportunities associated with a particular societal issue, and a clear plan of action.

The memo focused on tritium, a radioactive isotope used in both nuclear weapons and fusion reactors. Drawing on his dissertation research, Loy proposed new ways of rethinking the fusion fuel supply chain — an unconventional idea that required both technical precision and policy imagination.

“This was my first time doing policy work,” Loy said. “The memo process forced me to sharpen my thinking, and having experts like Irv weigh in made all the difference.”

Lindemuth brought a grounded, pragmatic perspective to the review. “I wasn’t an expert in tritium supply chains,” he said, “but I know how fusion works — and I know what it means to communicate with non-experts. I could flag what needed to be clearer, and what might not hold up under scrutiny.”

That technical insight helped Loy anticipate the range of responses his memo would generate — from enthusiastic support to industry pushback. “You need that full spectrum of feedback to shape something that can actually move forward,” he said.

For both, the experience was mutually rewarding — and a glimpse of what Hertz Foundation and FAS working together can offer. “At this stage in my life, it’s great to support the next generation,” Lindemuth said. “And if my knowledge can help make a difference, I’m all in.”

A Natural Fit

The collaboration builds on a shared belief: Scientific expertise belongs in the rooms where decisions are made. FAS, a nonprofit founded in the aftermath of the Manhattan Project, has spent nearly 80 years helping scientists bring their ideas into policy. Through initiatives like the Day One Project, FAS helps researchers translate technical insights into actionable policy proposals — and guides them through a rigorous process that includes coaching, expert feedback and exposure to policymakers.

Now, by connecting the Hertz community to this work, the foundation is offering its fellows a chance to extend their influence beyond the lab — and into the heart of policymaking.

“This collaboration brings the Hertz Foundation full circle, back to our roots emerging after the Manhattan Project and the space race, when our founder John Hertz saw the urgent need for scientists to help build a stronger nation,” says Anne Kornahrens Ward, the Hertz Foundation director of community.  “Today, our fellows continue to answer that call, and we’re excited to give them a new pathway to bringing bold scientific ideas into the policy sphere where they’re so badly needed.”

Getting Involved

“There's rich expertise and deep scholarship in the Hertz network,” said Erica Goldman, director of policy entrepreneurship at FAS. “Hertz Fellows bring the kind of tenacious, creative thinking that’s essential for turning good scientific ideas into real-world action.”

FAS works across a broad range of domains — from climate and AI to the bioeconomy and national security — running intensive policy sprints where authors pitch ideas, receive coaching and collaborate with expert reviewers to publish written policy recommendations. The goal, Goldman said, is to democratize policymaking. “We believe the best ideas often come from outside the traditional policy world. That’s why we’re so excited to bring more scientists — and especially Hertz Fellows — into this process.”

For the Hertz Foundation, the collaboration creates a new kind of opportunity for its community: to apply their deep technical knowledge toward timely, actionable change.

As the collaboration grows, FAS hopes to learn lessons from the Hertz Foundation about community building, and how to bring people with diverse skillsets together to collaborate — something that occurs regularly at Hertz events like the annual Hertz Summer Workshop.

And both organizations hope to see more fellows follow Lindemuth’s lead and get involved in policy memos. Whether as memo authors or expert reviewers, fellows can play key roles in shaping policy grounded in science.

Goldman stresses that no experience writing in the policy space is needed for fellows to propose a memo. FAS walks scientists through the process of fine-tuning their ideas, and preparing them for publication.

“Policy entrepreneurship is for everyone,” said Goldman. “And this is a moment when science is urgently needed at the table.”