Civic Science Fellow; Michigan Science, Technology, and Public Policy Fellowship Program; MiST

Civic Science Fellow

The Science, Technology and Public Policy (STPP) program at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy has recently launched the Michigan Science, Technology, and Public Policy (MiST) Fellowship program, which embeds fellows in offices in state government in Lansing, Michigan. MiST is currently recruiting for a Civic Science Fellow as part of the Rita Allen Foundation's Civic Science Fellows program.

This is a 20-month position, during which time the fellow will work at the Office of Agricultural Science and Research (OASR) at Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) in Lansing and also complete a longer research project in collaboration with faculty and staff  fellow is expected to work a hybrid schedule with 2 days in-person per week at MDARD's offices.

This position begins in November 2026 and concludes in June 2028 and is fully grant-funded. The Civic Science Fellow will also participate in a nationwide cohort for shared learning, professional growth, and network-building. Fellows gain practical experience, advance meaningful work, and help strengthen the state's civic science capacity.

To facilitate their success STPP and MDARD will provide the fellow training about Michigan state government, the policy process, policy writing instruction, and communicating science and technology to non-scientific audiences. Staff at MDARD will manage the day-to-day work of the fellow during most of the fellowship period and you will report to the Deputy Chief Science Officer, Dr. Marcus Wasilevich.

Responsibilities:

• Research 45%:
  Conduct literature and landscape reviews on science and technology related topics that are central to MDARD's policy goals as they relate to the OASR (e.g., emerging contaminants in soil and agriculture, water quality, environmental monitoring PFAS contamination, invasive species, one health). Track key bills, hearings, new developments at Congress, federal agencies and other states on these issues. Engage in online research using state government and university library databases and conduct in-person information gathering as needed.
  
  Work with team members at MDARD and STPP to collaborate on shared research and policy projects.
• Communications and Findings Dissemination 20%:
  Draft memos, presentations, briefs, strategies, and reports intended for a non-technical audience. Assist in creating and maintaining print and web-based resources. Present findings to supervisors and staff.
• Agency and government relations 10%:
  Respond to queries on science and technology policy. Determine research needs and priorities for the questions posed and communicate them accordingly. Practice confidentiality and record retention in work communications. Participate in inter-agency efforts, as needed, such as the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART), the Michigan Healthy Climate Plan, the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Sustainable Agriculture Initiative, the Western Lake Erie Basin Program, or other state-wide initiatives yet to be organized.
• Network Building 25%:
  Travel and present at meetings, seminars, and conferences as needed, such as the AAAS annual meeting and partner convenings with other Civic Science fellows. OASR staff also frequent a variety of regional and national meetings such as the Soil and Water Conservation Society annual meeting, the CANVAS conference, Underground Innovations, the Michigan Western Lake Erie Basin conference, etc. Participate in the wider intellectual life of the host institutions, including seminars, workshops, and interdisciplinary research discussions in science policy and use of research evidence.
  
  Participate in MDARD organized events, such as relevant training opportunities, listening sessions, and stakeholder engagement efforts.

Required Qualifications:

• Fellows must hold a terminal degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) in natural or physical sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, geology, environmental science, medicine, toxicology, applied physics,), social sciences (e.g., economics, education, sociology, risk analysis and decision science), engineering, environmental studies, public health, statistics/data science, economics, or a related discipline. PhD must be conferred before time of appointment.
• Experience synthesizing scientific and/or technical topics for specialist and non-specialist audiences through the use of effective writing, presentation, or public speaking skills.
• Ability to prioritize efforts across multiple simultaneous projects with different stakeholders and to manage time efficiently.
• Ability to gather, interpret, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data relevant to community engaged research.
• Experience developing and utilizing frameworks for evaluating research, partnership, and policy impacts.

Desired

Qualifications:

• Advanced knowledge of and / or experience in one or more or these areas is preferred:
  Agroecosystem science, Toxicology and risk assessments, Plant ecology and health, Animal physiology and health, One health

Why…