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

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

• Applicants must submit a CV, cover letter, and writing sample to be considered. Please combine all materials into a single document. The cover letter should explain your interest in the position and highlight relevant skills and experience. The writing sample should be no more than 10 pages, single spaced, and should demonstrate strong professional writing skills. Scientific articles and policy-related samples, such as a policy memo, briefing paper, analysis, report, or similar document, are preferred.
• This is a 20-month, full-time, term-limited appointment.
• This position requires working both in-person in Lansing at the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and remotely.

IMPORTANT NOTE
:
*** Do not use AI tools in any part of the application process (drafting your cover letter, answering questions during the interview, etc).
*** We are interested in assessing your qualifications without the input of AI assistance.

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. The aim is to support evidence-based policy making, while enabling fellows to understand how government works. 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.

More about the Ford School of Public Policy and the STPP Program:

The MiST fellowship program is administered by the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program (STPP) at the Ford School of Public Policy, one of the nation's foremost policy schools at one of the world's great public universities. We are a community dedicated to the public good. We inspire and prepare leaders grounded in service, conduct transformational research, and collaborate on evidence-based policy making to take on our communities' and our world's most pressing challenges.

To learn more about the Ford School, read About Us.

Established in 2006, the STPP Program is a research center that is dedicated to advancing the public interest, and specifically social equity and justice, in the development and governance of science and technology through education, research, and community and policy engagement. Our highly interdisciplinary work addresses the ethical, political, social, environmental, health, and equity dimensions of science, technology, and related public policies.

This includes a vibrant Community Partnerships Initiative that supports civil society in contributing to public and policy discussions related to science and technology policies, the Technology Assessment Project that analyzes emerging technologies and their implications by drawing lessons from historical analogs, the MiST fellowship that places experts in Michigan state government, a graduate certificate program, and undergraduate programming, among other activities.

Our 74 faculty affiliates come from across UM's schools and colleges. We continue to expand STPP to meet the moment, as science and technology become increasingly central to people's daily lives around the world.

More about the Civic Science Fellows program:

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