EXPANDING FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES TO SOLVE SOCIETAL CHALLENGES
SCi is actively fundraising to expand our fellowship programs, making them accessible to scientists from any institution and providing more equitable access to these vital career development opportunities. With your support, we can empower a new generation of scientists to use their expertise in addressing society’s most pressing challenges.
At SCi, we believe that to solve complex societal problems, scientists must practice what they learn in the classroom by engaging directly with policymakers, communities, and diverse stakeholders. Our fellowships are designed to provide these critical opportunities, fostering service, bi-directional learning, and collaboration.
Originally launched at Harvard University, SCi’s fellowships offer STEM students hands-on experience working alongside policymakers, community organizers, and health professionals. Now, we are working to grow these programs so that scientists across institutions can apply their knowledge in real-world settings, building skills that prepare them for impactful careers in public service, policy, and beyond.
“THE SCi FELLOWSHIP WAS A WELCOME OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE POLICY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A SCIENTIST AT A TIME WHEN THE WORLD SEEMED TO BE FACING ONE CRISIS AFTER ANOTHER.” -SLATER SHARP, STATE HOUSE FELLOW
SCi CIVIC SCIENCE CLINIC
SCi is actively developing a new and expanded version of the Civic Science Clinic (CSC), opening this impactful summer fellowship to STEM graduate students from any institution. Designed to provide real-world experience in public service, CSC allows current STEM graduate students to work part-time over the summer, either with the Massachusetts State House or a Boston-based community organization, addressing pressing societal challenges.
This initiative builds on the success of our initial pilot program launched in 2023 with students from Harvard and MIT. That program demonstrated the power of hands-on learning, with students tackling issues like climate change, healthcare, and social justice. Now, SCi is fundraising to make CSC accessible to a broader range of students, ensuring more equitable access to professional development opportunities. By drawing on our experience and proven results, we are confident that the expanded CSC will empower the next generation of scientists to contribute meaningfully to society while gaining the skills they need for successful careers.
THE MASSACHUSETTS SUMMER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY FELLOWSHIP
SCi is developing the Massachusetts State House Science and Technology Policy Fellowship (MASTPF), a full-time, year-long postdoctoral fellowship that places Ph.D. scientists in the Massachusetts State House as policy advisors. This program will help legislators make evidence-based decisions on key issues like climate change, public health, and technology innovation.
Open to Ph.D. scientists from diverse STEM fields, MASTPF provides hands-on experience in the legislative process along with specialized training that equips fellows to address structural inequalities through public policy. By fostering a more inclusive cohort of science policy leaders, the fellowship aims to drive equitable, evidence-based policymaking.
Building on the success of SCi’s Massachusetts Summer Science and Technology Policy Fellowship (MASSTPF), which ran from 2019 to 2021, the new year-long format offers a deeper, more immersive experience that prepares scientists for leadership roles in state-level policy and beyond.