INSPECT Fellowship

INSPECT Fellowship

Indiana Science Policy: Educate, Collaborate, Transform

Bloomington Campus Deadline: Monday, January 22, 2024

INSPECT is a new fellowship program hosted by the Indiana Academy of Science (IAS) meant to bring together the scientific community and state government while training scientists to be effective advisors for public policy.
These fellowships will allow current graduate students in STEM fields to work side-by-side with elected officials to incorporate more scientific information into state and local policy decisions to promote the long term health, sustainability, and economic growth of Hoosiers across Indiana.

Compensation and Expectations

The University Graduate School will provide a $10,000 stipend for the 10-week summer program 

Graduate student fellows will serve as nonpartisan science advisors in a variety of possible placements in executive agencies in the state of Indiana. Fellows will serve their host office by performing relevant tasks such as researching, drafting, and revising relevant policies.

Students must be able to work full time (40 hours/week) for the entirety of the 10-week program.

Fellowship Details

Internal Deadline: Monday, January 22, 2024

The INSPECT Fellowship is a 10-week summer program (≈ June 1 through Mid-August) for current graduate students, beginning with an orientation/training and concluding with a reception.

INSPECT Fellows are selected based on career interests, a desire to link science and policy, and scientific integrity. They are matched to host offices based on mutual interest and placement availability.

Potential host offices include , but are not limited to, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health.

Review this list of host offices with preferred fields of study and scope of work descriptions:
List of Host Offices

Students in the following areas of study are eligible to apply:

• life sciences
• agriculture and conservation
• education and workforce
• public health
• technology and engineering
• energy and transportation
• economics and finance
• earth and environmental sciences

Review these documents provided by IAS

• INSPECT Fellowship Overview in WORD or PDF
• INSPECT Flyer in WORD or PDF
• INSPECT Host Office with suggested fields of study and scope of work detailed in WORD or PDF
• INSPECT Timeline of significant events from application through program completion in WORD or PDF

Eligibility

Fellows must be a current master or doctoral student and:

• in a STEM-related field or public policy-oriented program
• social science majors are encouraged to apply (i.e. anthropology, economics, psychology, etc...)
• must have the ability to work full-time (40 hrs/week) with their hosting institution over the 10-week summer term
  • International students may apply but eligibility might depend on work availability, fellowship placements and/or funding mechanisms from the sponsoring university

Application Process

Interested students should submit all of the following application materials to Jen Barron, Fellowships and Awards Coordinator, at ugsawrd@iu.edu by Monday, January 22, 2024.

Please submit items as a PDF or Word document

• Application Form in WORD
• Resume or CV
• Personal Statement (max 1,000 words) addressing:
  • Why you are interested in state-level science policy
  • How an INSPECT Fellowship will contribute to your career goals
  • The unique skills and experiences you bring to the Fellowship Program
  • Any additional information you want the selection committee to consider
• Science Policy Statement (max 750 words) addressing a summary of a science policy issue of your choice and its implications for the state of Indiana. You should write this statement for a non-technical audience, such as a policy-maker or informed citizen.
• Diversity Statement (max 250 words) describing how your identity influences your interest in science policy
• Host Office Preferences ranking your top 3 host offices
• Name of 2 Individuals listing the name and email address of the 2 individuals who will provide a letter of recommendation. Please ask the referrers to submit their recommendation directly to the Graduate School at ugsawrd@iu.edu 
  • One recommendation MUST come from your primary academic advisor
  • One recommendation can come from someone in academia or related to a professional experience

Selection Process

The fellowship is awarded to qualified applicants who exhibit a keen interest in improving the interface between science and political decision-making, and who wish to learn the public policy decision-making process in Indiana.

The University Graduate School will nominate three finalists to forward to the IAS. The IAS committee will forward their nominees to the preferred Host Offices for final confirmation, after which Fellows will be notified. IAS will select 1 finalist from the 3 submitted. 

Selection criteria includes:

● Interest in policy practices and procedures at the state-level, particularly in Indiana
● Capacity to provide nonpartisan, objective information to lawmakers, withholding personal biases
● Professionalism, maturity, curiosity, initiative, creativity, leadership, and team-work skills
● Initiative and ability to work independently on a variety of tasks
● Excellence in written and oral communication, particularly in breaking down complex technical information for a general audience
● Academic fit and interest with the host offices

Note: If the student is selected for nomination, Academic Advisors will be required to complete the form linked here:

Permission for Fellow to Participate in the Indiana Science Policy: Educate, Collaborate, Transform (INSPECT) Fellowship