HPC Summer Fellowship Program

Overview

Final date to receive applications:
Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) is an independent state agency charged with monitoring health care cost trends and making policy recommendations to improve the affordability of health care for all residents of the Commonwealth.

Through data-driven analysis, actionable policy insights, public accountability, and innovative investments, the HPC seeks to improve health care delivery, lower costs, and reduce health disparities. The HPC is committed to better health and better care – at a lower cost – for all residents of the Commonwealth.

The HPC seeks exceptional graduate students for its annual Summer Fellowship program. The program will hire up to ten (10) fellows for ten weeks of programming spanning June 1, 2026 through August 14, 2026. Fellows will engage daily with their assigned department to guide a project from inception to completion, while also exploring the intersection of HPC goals and their own academic interests.

Fellows will be encouraged to apply an equity lens to their projects.

Past fellowship projects have ranged from conducting research and analysis using data from the All-Payer Claims Database to tracking and reporting on legislative activity in the Commonwealth.

In addition to their primary projects, fellows will participate in an orientation program and a series of organized educational and networking activities throughout the summer.

Fellows are available in all departments and offices. Fellows should indicate which of the following options they are applying to support in their application.

• Office of the Chief of Staff – responsible for timely, high-quality deliverables, legislative affairs, and media relations.
• Office of the General Counsel and Office of Patient Protection – provides legal counsel and advice on strategic, policy, and operational topics.
• Behavioral Health Workforce Center – conducts research and makes policy recommendations to strengthen the behavioral health workforce.
• Health Care Transformation and Innovation – develops a coordinated strategy to advance care delivery transformation policy and programs, including the HPC’s grantmaking strategy.
• Market Oversight and Transparency – advances the HPC’s work to strengthen market functioning and health system transparency.
• Office of Health Resource Planning – evaluates the supply and distribution of health care resources across the Commonwealth.
• Office of Pharmaceutical Policy and Analysis – collects and analyzes pharmaceutical data and develops recommendations related to access, affordability, and spending.
• Research and Cost Trends – examines spending trends and underlying drivers, and develops evidence-based policy recommendations.

Applicants must currently be enrolled full-time in a Master’s, PhD, law, or medical program. All applicants must have prior internship or fellowship experience and strong written and oral communication skills. The ideal applicant is a problem‑solver, a clear and concise writer of technical and policy content, and has an ability to understand various stakeholder perspectives. Successful candidates will be collaborative, self‑motivated, and passionate about health policy.

Applications must include a cover letter detailing why the applicant would like to work for the HPC this summer and indicating the HPC department or office they are most interested in supporting. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Candidates invited for a virtual interview will be required to provide three references during the interview process. After offers have been extended and accepted, selected candidates must complete a background check.

Fellows will work full time (37.5 hours per week) Monday through Friday, for ten weeks spanning from June 1, 2026 to August 14, 2026. Fellows will be paid $32/hour for a total summer payment of up to $12,000. Fellows will be required to sign a contract regarding the obligations of the program.

Fellows must be eligible to work in the United States. The HPC operates…