Listen to what they have to say on the topics you raise and respond politely. Take care not to cast aspersions on the political process, even jokingly. Frame your discussion in a context legislators can relate to. Lawmakers support research programs because they serve the national interest and benefit the American public. You can make the case for computing research even though your legislators might be unfamiliar with computer science and engineering.
Letters Keep letters brief, to one page if possible.
State your purpose for writing in the first paragraph. It is often useful to fax your correspondence, but electronic mail might be less effective some congressional offices have not integrated e-mail into their workplace habits as thoroughly as the academic community has. The Computing Research Advocacy Network was established to facilitate and enhance the community's contacts with Congress. Participants are alerted about timely opportunities to weigh in on issues of importance to computing research. There is strength in numbers, especially when it comes to letter-writing campaigns, so the impact of your communications in response to these alerts is reinforced.