TMS Board Approves Advocacy Policy

The TMS Board of Directors has approved a policy that sets guidelines for taking an advocacy position of significance to the materials science and technology community. The policy, TMS Advocacy Guiding Values and Approval Process, which was approved in May, identifies guiding values and advocacy activities to be followed when considering requests to sign letters or endorse position papers.

The guiding values are:

• Recognizing the importance of advocacy and the involvement of ordinary citizens in the political process, TMS will work to educate our elected officials through the efforts of its own Public & Governmental Affairs (P&GA) Committee and in unison with other professional societies. These efforts will focus on the promotion of materials science and technology and involve themes that are widely shared by the TMS membership.
• TMS will not advocate for a position that favors one technology solution or member group over another.
• TMS will not engage in any advocacy activities that will fall into the category of lobbying and jeopardize TMS' 501(c)(3) status.
• TMS will not advocate any positions that impact any specific regulation that may benefit member organizations in a preferential way.
• TMS will be transparent in determining and communicating those positions for which it does provide advocacy and will openly communicate its endorsement activities.

Focus areas addressed in the new policy are: funding for broad-based materials-related research and development; support for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs; promoting the materials science and engineering profession; production, use, conservation, and storage of energy; environmental and health impacts and applications of materials; sustainable materials design and processing, including resource recovery and recyclability; and more effective approaches to the issuance of visas that maintain open borders for genuine scientific exchange.

A copy of the TMS Advocacy Guiding Values and Approval Process, along with any TMS-endorsed advocacy position, can be found in the TMS Public Affairs and Governmental Resource Center.