CCST Places a New AI Science Advisor at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Call for Experts: State Staff Academy on Emerging Technologies — Artificial Intelligence Module
August 21, 2026 | CCST Newsroom, Calls for Expertise
Overview
About the Academy
CCST and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) are partnering to launch the State Staff Academy on Emerging Technologies—a first-of-its-kind professional development program designed exclusively for staff within California’s Executive Branch. The Academy will provide participants with foundational knowledge across three strategically selected “Bet” Sectors: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum, and Fusion. Participants will also gain direct access to leading researchers and professional networks, along with an understanding of the opportunities and challenges around attracting talent and investment to California.
AI Module
The Academy’s first module will focus on AI and will comprise 3 in-person sessions hosted in Sacramento between November 2026 and March 2027. Curricula will cover AI fundamentals, opportunities and risks, government operations, ethics and society, data and privacy, regulation and policy, hardware and innovation, and workforce opportunities.
How to Get Involved
CCST is seeking volunteers to contribute to the AI Module in one of two capacities:
Advisory Committee Member
Advisory Committee members will guide curriculum development for the AI module, ensuring session content is accurate, timely, well-balanced, and appropriately tailored to an Executive Branch audience. Advisory Committee members must be affiliated with an academic or research institution in California. [One Advisory Committee member will also be drawn from California’s Executive Branch—this appointment will be filled through other channels.] Service on the Advisory Committee is a non-remunerated role. Total commitment is estimated to be an average of 2-3 hours per month between September 2026 and April 2027.
We are seeking researchers with expertise in one or more of the following areas:
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- AI fundamentals and technical foundations
- AI ethics, fairness, and responsible development
- AI policy and regulation
- Data privacy and governance
- AI applications in government and public services
- AI workforce and labor market impacts
- AI hardware and computing infrastructure
- AI and economic competitiveness
Speaker
Speakers will lead or contribute to one of the three in-person AI module sessions. We welcome nominations from academia, research institutions, industry, and community organizations. Speakers with expertise in any of the curriculum areas listed above are encouraged to apply. Speakers will receive an honorarium in recognition of their time and contribution to the academy, and all associated travel expenses will be reimbursed by CCST.
Questions
Contact [email protected].
Submit a Nomination
Please use the form below to submit a nomination. Self-nominations are encouraged. Please submit nominations for the Advisory Committee by close-of-business September 11, 2026. Speaker nominations will be reviewed on a rolling basis through November 2026.
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About CCST
The California Council on Science and Technology is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that engages leading experts in science and technology to advise state policymakers — ensuring that California policy is strengthened and informed by scientific knowledge, research, and innovation. Established via a unanimous vote of the Legislature in 1988, CCST has been making California’s policies stronger with science and technology for nearly 40 years.
