Civic Science Fellow, Science Policy Collaborative

About the role

The Department of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University advances interdisciplinary research, teaching, and engagement at the intersection of environmental science and public policy. The department serves as the George Mason University host for the Science Policy Collaborative, a national network co-founded by George Mason University and the University of California, Riverside that supports the development, sustainability, and evaluation of U.S. science policy programs.

The Science Policy Collaborative facilitates the efficient development of tools and resources to support U.S. science policy programs by identifying and prioritizing common needs and creating partnerships to address them.

Responsibilities

• Conducts needs assessment: assess the current needs of U.S. science policy programs, identify those of highest priority, and publish a report on the findings for the network, building on the existing database of 170+ programs at scipolprograms.org and a 2024 Virginia pilot study;
• Builds partnerships and scope deliverables: convene working groups across programs, scope specific deliverables, and identify individuals and organizations with the skills to execute them, including potential pathways for implementation;
• Develops network infrastructure for knowledge exchange and resource sharing across the Collaborative's working groups, including curating organizational tools (such as logic models and evaluation frameworks) and connecting programs to experts on use of research evidence (URE);
• Engages underrepresented institutions: depending on the Fellow's interests, scope and lead a project working with higher education institutions that do not currently host science policy programs - such as HBCUs and/or tribal colleges - to identify barriers to program development and how the Collaborative can best support them;
• Cultivates relationships across the emerging community of practice, identifying additional voices that should be included and facilitating connections between participants working on complementary aspects of science-for-policy capacity-building;
• Collaborates on the preparation of manuscripts, reports, and proposals related to the Collaborative, including communications via the Science Policy Programs listserv, LinkedIn page, and website;
• Travels and presents at meetings, seminars, and conferences as needed to advance the Collaborative's goals, including the AAAS annual meeting and partner convenings;
• Develops expertise in science-for-policy program design and evaluation through mentorship from Akerlof, Hackwood, and Stewart, and through engagement with the Collaborative's senior leadership across academic, government, and nonprofit sectors;
• Buils professional networks across the U.S. science policy community and internationally, connecting with researchers, fellowship leaders, government partners, and civic organizations working at the science-policy interface;
• Gains experience in research-policy engagement through direct involvement in needs assessments, working group facilitation, and partnership development across the Collaborative;
• and Participates in the wider intellectual life of the host institutions, including seminars, workshops, and interdisciplinary research discussions in science policy and use of research evidence.

Requirements

• Terminal degree in a related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Demonstrated experience in network coordination, program development and management, or community engagement, including content development and online communication;
• Experience with needs-assessment or evaluation methods (e.g., logic models, surveys, structured interviews);
• Experience drafting original correspondence, reports, briefings, and summaries for diverse audiences;
• Demonstrated skill with and knowledge of needs-assessment and/or program evaluation methods, including logic models, surveys, or structured interviews;
• Knowledge of science-for-policy practice or evidence-informed policymaking;
• Skill in writing reports, briefings, and correspondence for broad audiences;
• Demonstrated skill in coordinating projects and working groups across multiple institutions and stakeholders;
• and Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines while working independently as part of a distributed team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Terminal degree in a related field;
• Experience (1+ year) in some aspect of science-for-policy practice (fellowships, academic programs, student organizations, government placements, or related professional training);
• Experience (1+ year) developing or managing networks, online communities, or capacity-building initiatives;
• Experience (1+ year) in program or project development and/or management, especially across multiple institutional partners;
• Established record of publication or public scholarship in science policy or a related field;
• Knowledge of/familiarity with the international literature on use of research evidence (URE), evidence-informed policymaking, or knowledge mobilization;
• and Ability to develop or manage networks, online communities, or capacity-building initiatives.