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Science and Technology Division
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)
Washington Public Policy Center is an established team of
government relations professionals working to achieve
favorable laws and regulations for the U.S. pork industry.
The Science and Technology Division is responsible for
delivering strong leadership and strategic vision on pork
industry issues regarding animal health, animal production
and handling, antimicrobial use and availability, mandatory
animal identification, traceability, food safety, public
health, agro-terrorism
and biosecurity. The Science and Technology staff works with
industry leaders and partners, senior government officials
within Congress and governmental agencies in the development
of policy proposals and responses to emerging issues of
concern to the U.S. pork industry.
Science and Technology Intern Responsibilities
The Science and Technology Intern reports
directly to the Director of Science and Technology to
collaborate on specific assignments, projects and meeting
schedules with NPPC committees, federal agencies,
professional societies and legislators on Capitol Hill. The
intern will also assist in research and information
gathering on various issues. As an active participant on the
Science and Technology Team, the intern will help generate
ideas and solutions to achieve the best possible public
policy for the pork industry.
Veterinary Internship Project
The intern will work with the Director of
Science and Technology to design a research project that
investigates a current swine health or welfare issue that
could affect public policy. The research topic will be based
on the intern’s areas of interest. The study will be
completed during the internship program (12 weeks); it will
include a written report of the findings and an informal
presentation to the NPPC staff on the last day of the
internship. The intern will also draft weekly articles for
the AASV e-letter regarding swine health, welfare and public
policy.
Science and Technology Issues
Science and technology at NPPC deals with a
wide array of issues, including:
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Animal health
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Animal welfare
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Animal identification
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Regulatory policy
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Food safety
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Agroterrorism/Bioterrorism
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Antimicrobial
resistance
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International trade -
CODEX, OIE
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Feed safety
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Vulnerability
assessments
We work with many agencies at USDA,
including:
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Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
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Agricultural Research
Service (ARS)
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Food Safety
Inspection Service (FSIS)
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Ag Marketing Service
(AMS)
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Foreign Ag Service (FAS)
Additional government agencies include:
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Food and Drug
Administration (FDA)
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Department of
Homeland Security (DHS)
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Centers for Disease
Control (CDC)
Industry Professional Societies and Trade
Associations, including:
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Animal Health
Institute (AHI) and its member companies
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American Veterinary
Medical Association (AVMA)
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American Association
of Swine Veterinarians (AASV)
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National Pork Board (NPB)
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Other Species Groups
Several government programs are priorities
for science and technology:
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National
Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS)
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Pseudorabies Virus
Eradication
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National Animal
Health Emergency Management System (NAHEMS)
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Foreign Animal
Disease Surveillance
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Classical Swine Fever
Surveillance
NPPC is a member of the following agriculture
working groups and coalitions:
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Animal Agriculture
Coalition
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Animal Agriculture
Alliance
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Farm Animal Welfare
Coalition
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Animal Health
Coalition
Required Skills
The idea candidate for the science and
technology intern will:
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Be a student studying in a science field
with experience in pork production and/or veterinary
medicine
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Have an interest in animal science,
animal agriculture and public policy
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Have excellent written and oral
communication skills
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Have strong
computer skills with knowledge of the Microsoft Office
Suite, especially Word, Excel and PowerPoint
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Be able to manage multiple tasks
simultaneously
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Have strong work ethic, self-motivation,
attention to detail, strong motivation to succeed and a
sense of urgency toward achieving goals
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