Matt Carr was the 2004-2005 AMS-UCAR Congressional Science Fellow. During his fellowship year, Matt worked on renewable energy and conservation policy for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition under Ranking Member, Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). Matt’s work during his fellowship year included work on the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which established a federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and expanded support for research and development of advanced biofuels and biobased products, and on U.S. Department of Agriculture implementation of the Conservation Reserve Program. During his fellowship year, Matt was also awarded a BioVision.Nxt fellowship to participate in the biennial global biotech gathering in Lyon, France.

At the conclusion of his fellowship, Matt joined the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) as Policy Director for BIO’s Industrial & Environmental (I&E) Section, the leading trade association for developers of advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and other biomanufacturing technologies. Matt is now Managing Director of the I&E section, where he oversees BIO’s industrial biotech policy and advocacy. Matt’s work at BIO has included expansion of the RFS in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, expanded support for industrial biotechnology in the 2008 Farm Bill, and tax credits for cellulosic and algae-based biofuels.